The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-12-08


the greater the emblem the greater
the good?"
Whereupon they made sail and dis
appeared adown the western horizon.
And from that day nearly 400 years
ago until but few months ago no eye
of man saw sign or trace of them.
Up the Gulf of Mexico the oil barge
Crescent came wallowing like a pig in
the trough of 5urly, rough ar1 tumble
seas that ran over her like the slath-
ering tongues of monstrous brutes
gone mad. Deep down in her the old
engines clanked and wheezed, while
McArdle, the engineer, scratched his
head obviously as he watched their
spasmodic laborings. "Aad while by
the grace of the Lord they may last
the trip out, sometimes misdoubt it,"
he muttered. "For at any minute are
they liable to fly to flinders like the
wond'rus old one-horse shay"
And fly to pieces they did. With
| the report of a gun connecting pin
| snapped asunder, and the next instant
its rod had jammed, while with the roar
Of cannon cylinder head went
| crashing through a bulkhead. In an
instant the engine room was deIuged
with live vapor, but with one thrust
! of his arm the engineer shut off the
steam and half fainting from his scalds
went working his way forward be-
tween seas to the bridge where Cap
tain Travers was clinging in a smother
of spurne. "And it's gone to glory they
have, sir" he reported, with a deaths
head grin. Gray of face, Travers point
ed to the bar of Madre de la Laguna
! with it's spoutiIg foam a few miles
under their lee.
"Then so have we along with them.
Our anchor will never hold on this
| bottom, and Wen all eat Christmas
dinner tomorrow in Davy Jones' lock-
err" Reverently McArdle drew a small
cross from his pocket, kissed it and
replaced it while the captain looked on
silently.
ut will take a bigger cross than
that to save u.s." he announced
grizzly. The engineer straighted his
pain-twisted face.
"That may be, sir. Yet big and
small, that same token has saved
many man and it's ny belief it will
save many another Leastwise, it's
our only hope" Down to his own
cabin he went creeping in search of
oil and banGages.
All night long the Crescent, plung
ing backward against her restraining
cable as wild horse bucks against its
tether, dragged the anchor closer and
! closer to the Seethirg bar where she
must break her back, casting them all
| into seething pot, where neither nan
nor boat could survive minute. At
dawn of Christmas morning, with de-
| structiOn but an hour away, Captain
| Travers summoned his men before
him. He pointed an ominous finger at
the roaring bar now but a cables
length away.
MY friends" said he. an an hour
from now it will all he over. This
will be cur last Christmas day We
have but little time in which to say
our last words. Therefore, what shall
they be?" From somewhere among
the despairing dozen the hoarse voice
of the engineer arose in croaking at
tempt at so2g.
ITO the cross I cling" One by
one they joined their voices in a
ragged accompaniment of chorus that
was torn from their lips by the hurri-
cane to be lost in the veil of the surf
upon the bar. And as their last words
ceased there came a mighty tug upon
the cable as if some giant CT the
depths inconceivably vast had seized
the anchor and was holding the ship
fast against the drift. And as they
saw that it dragged no more they
looked at each other. first In amaze
n1ent, then with the JOY of men
snatched from the very jaws of death
by miracle.
'The anchor has found its grip and
is holding" they told each other. But
that such good fortune could long con-
tinue each had but little faith.
Yet "a hours later when the sea
had Gained they still found themselves
riding in safety. Then they gave tie
steam winch full power and gradually
the anchor came to the surface. still
holding in its grip the object which
it had found and fastened itself 10 so
desperately. And as the crew bnr@ing
with curiosity bent over the rail to
gaze upon the mysterious thing which
had preserved them, and which foot
by foot was being dragged from its
bed of sand, they saw rising through
the waters liz the anchors grip a great
object blackened and incrusted by the
waters of the sea, monstrous iron
cross such as it might luke 40 strong
/ men to carry.
i Copyright. 1915 wsAtsrn New-pae>- rn,-,