Spray courier. (Spray, Or.) 1???-19??, 1916-02-24
By the Merciless
Waves
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD

D"''"b Wv "HCcr VI lulf, Delnk u
Englnnd and desiring 10 800 gomethin
q OF tho European war. 1 crosse,
the channel 10 Flanders. But wher
| got there was not permitted 10 r.
to tho scene OF conflict Not caring d
J return Immediately I went 10 bote
, on tho scasbore. intending 10 spend sev
eral days thcre. ~
The weather was cold. ana the chan
mel. stretching out indefinitely towart
tho northwest was gloomy sight Il
bchold. Ono morning heard a boom
Ing out at sea. but had no knowledge
OF what Il portendcd. During the .la;
there was always booming on tho land
north and south OF me. and sometimes
Il came family from tho cast. These
sounds continually reminded me that !
was surrounded by war aud its conso-
qucnt distress.
But II was tho channel TINT most AZ.
foctcd mo. I knew that out there
many a merchant crew was sailing In
dnnger Of being sent TO tho bottom OF
tho cold, black waters. Many sub
marino crew was drcading lest their
vessel become entangied In the enor-
nous wire nets laid by tho British
trnwlers 10 trap them.
Ono evening when thcro was a misty
moonlight was tempted to 90 out and
walk on the beach. I was warmly
clothed and enjoyed tho icy air that
blew against my cheekA 30 enjoyable
was my jnunt 10 mo that walked for
IN hour toward tho north. then was
about 70 turn and rctraco my steps
whom saw something denser than tho
surrounding atmosphere q short dis
tnnco ahead OF me
stood watching IL A thin cloud
that had covered the moon passed from
II face. giving slight increase OF light
and revealed what seemed 20 me to be
knot Of men huddled together. r
had once seen q ship at sea about to
founder. and these shadowy beings no
minded me Of tn crcw standing togcth-
er about mast. doubtless gaining some
slight comfort from one another while
waiting for the fatal plunge.
Curiosity led mo 10 approach what
saw. and walked forward But
somehow got no nearer to them.
though they gradually became less In
distinct. for BY keeping my eyes fixcd
upon them they became individuals.
though confused with one another.
FvJ,ofr rota tkyn ,xcstsfe,. ..-n. &t.os - ....n
discussing some rnomentous question
Nevertheless I heard no sound. nor
could discern any ono OF them ad-
dressing the rest
Then Il seemed TO me that they were
all looking toward mo. but this was
rather their position with reference 10
one another. for had no evidence that
they were facing me. Immediately
after this they began TO move away
from me I followed. and since did
not gain on them hastencd my stepa
But tho fnster ! walked the quicker
they rcceded. Sometimes II seemed
That they werc tramping. sometimes
that they were moving from me with
OFT taking steps.
When ut last saw them, or what
they appeared to be. leave the beach
and move out on tho surface Of the
water ! began TO suspect that some
thug was wrong with me. I swung
my arms. pinched myself. rubbed my
eyes. Tho group remained In my VI
sion till they had gone a few hundred
yards from tho shore, then stopped and
slowly settled down. 1t seemed, into
the water-elthcr this or they faded
before me; could not tell which
This was the end of my dream. hal
iucination or whatever II might be.
waited for some time. pecring out to
where tho men had disappeared. won.
dcring IL they would return. but they
did not. and considered It high time
that went back TO my hotel. Before
doing no I noted the locality that !
might know 1t again. There was q 1T
tie stream Of running fresh water that
lowed from lake or swamp short
from the beach
The next morning after an early
breakfast started to go over my walk
u the night before. Soon after leav-
ing the hotel found myself in an en-
frequented region. There was not
house in sight. walked to the runnei
had seen and knew that I was where
ny vision had disappeared. Turning
scanned tho waters. IL
was ebb tide. The waves were high
inder a west wind. Presently. after q
wavo had rolled over q certain point.
saw In tho hollow It had left some-
hing that looked like tho top Of a
mall steamers smokcstack. Another
wave passed over 1t. and when Il had
moved on saw the article again
had no glass, and the interval be-
ween the waves was too brief 10 en-.
ble me to get good view OF It So
mr. as could Judge. saw the top Of
smokestack OF sunken vessel
I concluded to return to the hotel ana
eport what had seen. I made no
mention of my vision. After good
eai OF talk and many assurances that
had seen evidence Of a wreck tug
vas sent to examine what had seen.
was aboard and directed the captaiA
o the point sought As We approach
d It he swept the water with q pair
{ binoculars and presently exclaimed:
tits tho periscope Of a submarine
And SO It was. II was subsequently
aised and proved to be q German tor
edo boat. In II were twelve Germans.