The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-10-19
CHAPTER XXI.

When we hove TO, n hasty though or
DERBY confusion reigned. The boat,
came aboard from every side at once
As fast as the prisoners came oyct
the rail they were m~arshaled forward
into the forecastle by our hunters
while our sailors holsted in the boats
pellmell, dropping them anywhere up
on the deck and not stopping to lash
them. We were already under way al
sails set and drawing. and the sheets
being Stacked on :or a wind abeam. as
the last boat lifted clear OF the water
and swung In the tackles.
There was need for haste. The
Macedonia, belching the blacklist OF
smoke from her funnel, was CHARGING
down upon us from out OF the north.
east. Neglecting the boats that re-.
NAMED to her, she had altered her
course so as TO anticipate ours. She
was not running straight for US. but
ahead OF us. Our courses were con.
verging like the sides OF an angle. the
verteS OF which was at the edge OF the
fog.bank. II vas there. or not at all
that the Macedonia could hope to catch
US. The hope for the Ghost lay I'm
that she should pass that point before
the Macedonia arrived at Il.
"Better get your rifles. you fellows"
Wolf Larsen called TO our hunters.
and the five men lined the lee rail
guns In hand. and waited.
The Macedonia was now but n mile
away. the black smoke pouring from
her funnel at a right angle. so madiy
she raced, pounding through the sea a,
a seventeen-knot gait-"'Sky.hooting
through the Brine" as Wolf Larsen
quoted while gazing at her. We were
not making more than nine knots, but
the fog'bank was very near.
A pun OF smoke broke from the
Macedonia's deck. we heard d heavy
report. and a round hole took form in
the stretched canvas OF our mainsail
They were shooting at US with one OF
the small cannon which rumor had
said they carried on board. Our men.
clustering amidships, waved their
hats and raised a derisive cheer. Again
there was a pun OF smoke and a LOUD
report. this time the cannon ball strlk.
ing not more than twenty feet astern
and glancing twice from sea 10 sea "a,
windward ere II sank.
But there was no rifc.hriny for the
reason that all their hunters were u
In the boats or our prisoners. When
the two vessels were half a mile apart,
a third shot made another hole In our
mainsail, Then we entered the fog II
was about US, yelling and hiding us In
It's dense wet gauge.
The sudden transition was startling
The moment before we had been leap.
Ing through the sunshine, the clear
SKY above us. the sea breaking and
rolling wide to the horizon and a shin
vomiting smoke and fire and iron mis-.
s'.es, rushing madly upon 10. And nj
once, as In an instant's leap. the sun
was blottcd out, there was no sky.
even our mastheads were lost 10 view
and our horizon was such as tear. blind.
ed eyes may see.
II was weird, strangely weird. I
looked A. Maud Brewster and knew
that she was similarly affected. Then
looked at Wolf Larsen, but there was
nothing subjective about his state OF
consciousness His whole concern was
with the immediate. objective present.
lie still held the wheel, and I felt that
no was timing time, reckoning the
passage Of the minutes with each for.
ward lunge and leeward roll OF the
Ghost.
Go for'ard and hard alec without
any noise he said to me in a low
voice. "Clow up the topsails first Set
men at all the sheets. Let there be no
rafting OF blocks, no sound Of voices.
No noise, understand. no noise"
When all was ready. the word hard.
alec" was passed forward TO me from
man TO man; and tho Ghost heeled
about on the port tack with practically
no noise at all. And what little there
was-the shaping OF a few reefpoints
and the creaking OF a sheaye In a block
or two-was ghostly under the hollow
echoing pail In which we were
swRthed.
We had scarcely fiied away. Il
seemed, when the fog thinned abruptly
and we were again In the sunshine. tho
vide-stretching Q breaking before Us
70 the skyline. But the ocean was