The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-02-05
CHAPTER |.

6cdrceiy KNOW Wnero TO begin,
though l sometimes facetiously place
the cause of II all to Charley Furu.
seth's credit He kept summer cot
tage In Mill Valley. under the shadow
of Mount Tamalpais, and never occu-
pied It except when he loafed through
the winter months and read Nietzsche
and Schopenhauer to rest his brain.
Had II not been my custom to run up
to see him every Saturday afternoon
and to stop over till Monday morning.
this particular January Monday morn.
ing would not have found me afloat
on San Francisco bay.
Not but that I was afioat in safe
craft. for the Martinez was new ferry
steamer, making her fourth or fifth
trip on the run between Sausalito and
San Francisco. The danger lay in the
heavy fog which blanketed the bay.
and Of which. as landsman, | had
little apprehension. took up my posi-.
tion 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 time was
alone in the moist obscurity-yet not
alone. for was dimly conscious Of
the presence OF the pilot. and Of what
I took to be the captain. in the glass
house above my head.
II was good that men should be spe-
cialists. I unused. The peculiar knowl-
edge of the pilot and captain suficed
for many thousands of people who
knew no more of the sea and naviga-
tion 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 few
particular things. such as. for instance,
the analysis of Poe's place In Ameri-
can literature-an essay OF mine. by
the way. in the current Atlantic.
From out the fog came the mourn
full tolling of a bell. and could sea
the pilot turning the wheel with great
rapidity. The bell, which had seemed
straight ahead, was now sounding
from the side. Our own whistle was
blowing hoarsely. and from time to
time the sound of other whistles came
to us from out of the fog. An unseen
ferryboat was blowing blast after
blast, and a mouth-blown 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
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 It. His
face was anxious.
Then everything happened. and with
Uncomfortable rapidity. The fog
seemed to break away as though split
by q wedge, and the bow Of steam
boat emerged, trailing fog-wreaths on
either side like seaweed on the snout
Of Leviathan. could see the pilot
house and a white-bearded man lean.
ing partly out of It, on his elbows. He
was clad in blue uniform, and l re-
member noting how trim and quiet he
was. His quietness, under tho circum-
stances, was terrible. He accepted
destiny, marched hand in hand with II,
and coolly measured the stroke. AS
he leaned there. he ran a calm and
speculative eye over us. as though to
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 i'll"
We must 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
crashing and rending of timber. | was
thrown fat on the wet deck. and be.
fore could scramble to my feet |
heard the screams of women. This
It was, am certain-the most indie
scribable of blood-curdling sounds
that threw me into panic. remem.
bered the life preseryers stored In the
cabin, but was met at the door and
swept back by 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 redfaced man
fastened them about the bodies OF o
.hysterical group of women.
II was the screaming OF, the women
that most tried my nerves. It must
have tried, too, the nerves Of the red
faced man. for have picture which
will never fade from my mind. A stout
gentlemen 4 atufnng magazine into
his overcoat pocket and looking on Gu
riously. = tangled mass Of women.
With drawn. white faces and open
mouths, u shriek1ns like chorus Of
lost souls; ahd ne red-faoed man. his
|fAce now purDnlh VIM wrath. and
vi(h his army ozton6o1 ovefhsa4 -
= ne 90 a. nuf1lng tnun1eeboltA -
a. 11u1>.u4 80 a. - mnuu.& MI -