The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-07-06
CHAPTER l.

hhN NahHt VI " III W NidlNte = VI
seth's credit. lie kept a summer cot
tage In Mill Valley, under the shadow
OF Mount ~Tamalpais. and never occu
pied IL except when he lOafed through
tbs winter months and read Nietzsche
and S~chopenhauer to rest his brain.
TO see him every Saturday afternoon
and to stop over till Monday morning,
this particular January Monday morn
ing would not have found me ailoat
On San Francisco bay.
Not but hat ! was afoat In a safe
craft. for the Martinez was a new ferry
steamer, making her fourth or fifth
trip on the run between Sausalito and
San Francisco. rhe danger lay In the
heavy fog which blanketed the bay,
and OF which. as a landsman. | had
little apprehension. | took up my posi-.
ton on the forward upper deck. direct.
ly beneath the pilot house. and al.
lowed the mystery OF the fog TO lay
hold OF my imagination. A fresh breeze
was blowing. and for a time was
alone in the moist obscurity-yet not
alone. for | was dimly conscious OF
The presence OF the pilot, and OF what
! took TO be the captain. In the glass
house above my head.
II was good that men should be spc.
c%ialists. | unused. The peculiar knowl.
edge OF the pilot and captain suiiicad
Tor many thousands OF people who
knnWy No Vyarn 90 0ha eos naA nogfnn-
ton than ! knew. On the other hand,
Instead OF having TO devote my en-.
ergy TO the learning OF a multitude OF
things. | concentrated II upon a few
particular things. such az. for instance.
The analysis OF Poe's place In Ameri.
.an literature-an essay OF mine. by
the way. In the current Atlantic.
From out the fog came the mourn
iul tolling OF a bell. and | could sea
the pilot turning the wheel with great
.apidity. The bell. which had seemed
straight ahead, was now sounding
from the side. Our own whistle was
blowing hoarsely. and from time TO
sine the sound Of other whistles came
20 US from out OF the fog An unseen
terryboat was blowing blast after
blast. and a mouth.blowu horn was
footing in terror.stricken fashion.
A shrill whistle, piping as II gone
mad. came from directly ahead and
from very near at hand. Gongs sound.
ed on the Martinez. Our paddlewheels
stopped. their pulsing beat died away
and then they started again. The
shrill whistle, like the chirping OF a
cricket amid the cries OF great beasts.
shot through the fog from more to
the side and swiftly grew faint and
fainter.
glanced up. The captain had
thrust his head and shoulders out OF
the pilot house. and was staring In.
tently into the fog as though by sheer
force OF will he could penetrate Il. His
face was anxious.
Then everything happened. and with
lnconceivable rapidity. The fog
seemed to break away as though split
by a wedge, and the bow OF a steam.
oat emerged, trailing fog.wreaths on
either side like seaweed on the snout
Of Leviatk2n. | could see the pilot
house and a white bearded mar lean.
Ing partly out OF II. on his elbows. lie
was clad In a blue uniform, and | re.
member noting how trim and quiet he
a His quietness, under the circum.
stances. was terrible, He accepted
destiny. marched hand in hand With IT.
and coolly measured the stroke. AZ
he leaned there. he ran a calm and
speculative y over I'd. as though 10
determine the precise point OF the col.
lision, and took no notice whatever
when our pilot. white with rage. shout.
ed, Now you've done IT,"
We mus have been struck squarely
Amidships. for | saw nothing, the
strange steamboat having passed be.
yond my line OF vision. The Martinez
heeled over, sharply, and there was a
crashing and rend,ng OF timber. | was
thrown fiat on the wet deck. and be.
fore | could scramble TO my feet
heard the screams OF women. THIS
Il was, | am certain-the most indie.
scribable OF blood-curdling sounds
that threw me into a panic. | remem.
bered the life preservers stored in the
cabin. but was met at the door and
swept back by a wild rush OF men and
women What happened In the next
few minutes | do not recollect. though
have q clear remembrance OF pull
ing down life preservers from the over
head racks. while q red.faced mar
fastened them about the bodies OF q
hysterical group Of women
II was the screaming OF the women
that most tried my II must
have tried, too. the erve OF the red
faced man. for I have q picture which
will never fade from my mind. A stout
gentleman In stuhing q magazine into
his overcoat pocket and looking on Gu
Riously. A tangled mass OF women
with drawn. white faces and open
mouths. 10 ~shrieking Ike a chorus OF
lost souls; and the red.faced man. his
face now purplish with wrath. and
with his arms extended overhead Al
IN the act OF hurting thunderbolts. ID
shouting. Shut upl oh. shut upl'
These women capable OF the most