The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1915-01-08


lessly have been disturbed.
What did you do that forT' he de-
manded sharply.
Because l jolly well wanted to,
Barcus returned in tone as brusQue
"Oh, you did-eh?"
Eyes, l did-eh! I happen to be
bossing this end of the boat and to
have sense enough to realize there's
no sense at all il our wasting fuel the
way we are-cruising nowhere!"
WELL" Law contended, struck by
the fairness Of this argument. but un-
able to calm his uneasiness-"iust the
same, we might"
Eyes; of course, we might" Barcus
snapped. 1--WE might q whole lot. We
might, for instance, be heading for
| Spain, for all you or i know to the
contrary And in such case. for one
respectfully prefer to have gas enough
| to take US home again IL ever this
da-blessed fog lifts!"
And for several seconds longer the
stiffness strangled their spirits in its
ruthless grasp.
Then of a sudden a cry shrilled
| through the fog. so near at hand that
! it seemed scarcely more distant than
over the side:
Alloy! Help, Alloy there! Help"
! So insistent, so urgent was its &C
cent that, coupled with the surprise,
1t brought the three as one to their
feet, all a-tremble, their eyes seeking
one another's faces, then shifting I'M
easily away.
| what can 1t be-" Rose whispered,
aghast, shrinking into Alan's ready
arm.
"a woman" Barcus put in harshly.
Judith" the girl moaned.
Alan shook himself together. "Im-
possibie!" he contended. Il saw her
go down
THAT doesn't prove she didn't come
up" Barcus commented acidly.
Alloy! Motorboat aho COY! Nelp!"
"And that" Barcus pursued sadly,
"just proves she did come up-blame
the luck! Alive she is, and kicking;
stand clear. An able-bodied pair of
lungs was back of that hail, my friend;
and you needn't tell me / don't know
the dulcet accents of that angelic con-
tralto!"
Without needing him, Alan cupped
hands to mouth and sent an answer
ing cry ringing through the murk:
"Ahoy! Where are you? Where
away?"
Thereon the acknowledgements
perishing with chill"
How does my voice bear?" Alan
called back.
What the dickens do you carer"
Barcus interpolated suspiciuosly.
ITO port" the response rang through
the fog. "Starboard your helm and
come in slowly!"
"Right-o! Half a minute!" Alan re-
piled reassuringly.
Like hell" Mr.. Barcus muttered In
his throat as he jumped down into the
engine pit and bent over the fy-wheel.
Leaping on the forward thwart and
balancing himself perilously near the
gunwale, Alan strained his vision
vainly against the opacity of the fog.
Cant make out anything" he
grumbled, looking back. start her
up-but slows the woodland ware
reef"
Nothing doing" Barcus retorted
CURLY. 1.-The motto is now Full speed
astern!' as you must know"
20 come! We can't leave woman
!, out therein a fix like that"
Cant we? You watch!" Barcus
grunted malevolently, rocking the
heavy flywheel with all his might; fol
, the motor had turned suddenly stub
/. born.
"Alan!" Rose pleaded. laying hand
Z upon his sleeve. Think what II
means! l know it sounds heartless Of
! me-and it's my own sister. But yol
/ know how mad she is-wild with ha
1 tired and jealousy. II you take her into
1 this boat, it's your life or hers!"
"If we leave her out there" Altar
1 retorted, shaking his arm impatiently
free, "it's her life on our heads!"
Il At this juncture the motor tool
charge of the argument, ending 1t fl
i summary fashion. With a smart ex
4 piosion in the cylinder, 1t started VI
il unexpectedly, at one and the sam,
1 time almost dislocating the arm O
/ Mr.. Barcus and precipitating Ala,
II overheard.
Il It was not given him to know wha
Il was happening until he found himsel
i in the water; he struggled to the SUI
il face just in time to see the bows O
II the lifeboat back away and vanish int
81 the mist