Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-05-08
CON TR A B AND
A Romance of the North Atlantic
By RANDALL PARRISH
BY RANDALL PARRISH

The fellows responded quickly enough,
few slouching along in pretended indltler-
ence, but tn" ma jorit% exhibiting real IN
terest stood between the two mates at
the rail watching them closely, hut the up
lifted faces told me little as to their dIspo-
stiOn, although | confess the general M
preston was that of suilen rebellion. " was
motley thrOhg aud they stared hn us
in silence; the only noise was the rcr "SS
movement of feet and the singing OF wind
in the rigging overhead. All about us
stretched the blue domain of tn" sea, the
heaYing surgcs Tipped with Crests or FOAM
and above a few flying clouds, LiNerpool
Red stood directly below me, step IN ad-
vance of his mates. His cap hid his eyes
but there was AN ugly, defiant grin on his
face, which angcrcd me-
We'll men" | said, wasting no time in
soft phrasng, "Iyc called you aft FOR
straight talk You shipped on the Indian
chief for voyage to Hamburg
"ro he'll We did" voice interrupted
THE most of us wuS shanghaied and
brought aboard drunk
That has nothing to do with me-" re-
piled sharply II was not skipper then; but
! am now. Your names are on the papers
regularly enough. and the only thing ! need
to explain is the necessity for change in
our sailing course. As most of you know,
war has broken out in Europe since this
ship cleared from Baltimore. The chances
are about hundred Ia one that we would
he captured, or sunk. If we tried to reach
our port through the Channel
BY wh0m?' 1t was Liverpool who spoke,
English or French warships,'
IT'S a damn Dutch cargo, then, we've
got in the hold. That's the way I figured it.
Well now, look here, sir. Smitz is the only
Dutchman aboard, an the rest ov us don't
take kindly to that sort q job
You're sailormen and shipped this
voyage before ever war was declared, Now
will YOU listen to me until | get through
"Ah, let him talk Red" some one inter-
iected What we want to know is where
we are an the course we're sailing on"
That's the ticket, Bill" chmed in an
| other Let the blooming war slide TIN we
| find out whut's the program. Well hear
| yer, sir"
| outlined my plan in as few words as
| possible, and they seemed to listen respect
| fully enough, only occasionally interJecting
| a question Liverpool did not speak at all.
! nor Jim White. who had pushed his way
| forward until concluded. Then the latter
| asked suddenly
would you mind If couple of us had a
| glance at that chart? Maybe we'd see it
clearer then
! certainly. you can all look at IT, Mr..
| Olson. take the chart down there and point
| out the lines so the men can see where we
are"
| They crowded about, endeavorng to gain
| glimpse, atnouSn proDdDlN not ndll Il
dozen among them possessed the faintest
| conception of what the various markings
| slgnified. Liverpool and white. however,
got down on their knees and followed Oh
sons stubby forehnger closely, as he traced
| the proposed course.
| White appeared rather the more inteli-
gent asking "A question or two before re-
gaining his feet
| 81 was on the Labrador coast once, sir
he said turning his face toward where
| stood waiting, but that don't help me much
| to get this thing straight. It's to be a north
| course tonight then, so as to take US through
| the steamship lane betore daynsht!
| Yes"
And after that wen still steam north
for how far, sr?'
Until satisfied that we are safely beyond
| any stray vessel driven out OF her course
| to about fifty degrees north ! had IL fig
| ured Mr. Olsen pointed it out to you"
| 'Yes, sir | see the spot, although II
don't mean much to me. And where would
we be about daylight tomorrow morning."
81 can only guess at that, not knowing
the exact shape our engines are in or tn,
nrobable speed of the ship. But we ought
to be close to fifty degrees west and abou
forty degrees twenty minutes north l should
say"
zone hundred and fifty miles to the cas-
and south of Cape Race
, "cape Race :" broke In Liverpool. CIV,
heard o. that point-its south Of a harbo
, called st. Johns. Here 1t Is. marked OF
the chart, Jim
and the two stared at the spot for a minute
before they got TO their feet again
xaited. hut neither spoke, e.a s.
] I luIs that ALI mepyp asked with Z, Elanc