Meade County news., 1917-10-18
CHAPTER vIfI-continued.


g.
'"The lady was sent into the cabin,
sir, and given a stateroom where she
could fix herself up Bit" he answered
soberly. 1.-THE other feller had heap
of q lot to say, an seemed to have
some sorter grudge against you. l
hadn't any time to listen to his yarn,
80 l naturally turned him over to the
bosum, ter have thet eye dressed. He
must have got peach O. swipe, sir"
II had to hit him-yes; but we can
talk of that later. Where is he now?"
"In the galley, sir, where they're
heating some water. After they get
him fixed up, is he to go aft, or for
rard?"
"Aft, If you have room to spare; he
is no sailorman, but q millionaire from
New York; he has money to burn"
The fellow looked at me with his
mouth wide open, his glistening eyes
almost laughable.
"The devil you say, sir; he don't look
the part to my notion. You was all
part of a yacht party?"
Eyes, the Esmeralda, a steam yacht
owned by Gerald Darlington of New
York. We were run down about n
hundred miles east Of Montauk by q
big liner, which must have been out of
her course. She cut us square in two,
but, excepting us three, all living on
board got away in the boats. By acci-
dent we were left, and escaped later in
the dinghy"
"What became Of the linerp
"She picked up the boats, and, think
ing they had all the survivors, went
on. She was mail boat, likely. The
yacht went down five minutes after
we left her; we've been a1oat ever
since. Now, Mr.. Masters, that's our
story in brief. What's the trouble
here2"
'Tn tell yer enough to make it clear,
SIR" he said slowly, although there is
others on board who can explain more
in detail. You're seaman-or was
once-so you'll see easily the sorter
6x we're in. I'm the only officer left
on the hooker, AM couldn't navigate
a ship If you'd give it to me. I'm only
the chief engineer, an my assistant is
in the fo'castle with a broken leg. You
see thet rifle for-rard, sir? Well, it
wus lightning did that. Two bolts, so
the crew says, fer wus down below,
an never knew whut happened till the
electrics all went out. Then l shut off
steam, and clumb out on deck. Lord,
but 1t wus black night, raining cats
and dogs, but no wind to speak of. 1t
wus the rain what saved us, for fire
started yonder-yer can see where it
burned-but 1t died out of itself. When
morning come we saw what we was up
against; 1t looked lot sight worse
then than 1t does now. Them bolts of
lightning he'd knocked the foremast
into smithereens, killed the wheels
man, and put the steering gear plumb
out o. commission. Then the top
mast an spars just naturally wrecked
whole mass caught fire. The second
officer was In the wheelhouSe, sir, an
never knew what hit him, an both the
captain an the first officer wus a
standin' tergether on the bridge. The
top mast crushed the life out Of 'em.
There wus six sallormen hurt the same
way, an four of 'em died. 1t wus the
darndest mess l ever saw at sea, SIR"
"Bad enough, surely; when did this
happen?"
"Night afore last; we've cleaned up
a bit since, but the crew. won't work
much under me- an we're short
handed. rigged up this wheel aft, so
as to keep an engine going, and hung
on, waiting for something to turn up.
There wasn't nothing else could do"
mo, 1 presume not" and my eyes
rested thoughtfully on the scene for
ward. "How is the hull-sound? You
seem sunk deeply"
That's cargo, sir; full to the
matches. The ships dry as a bone
have had the well sounded every three
hours"
"And what about the crew."
"Just so, so; crimp brought them
aboard drunk, an we were not at sea
long enough for the mates to whip
them into shape when this thing hap
pened. I'm no deck officer, Mr.. Hollis,
and they don't take orders from me
very well. 1 call en- q ID hard
lot"
made no comment, endeavoring to
turn all these facts over in my mind,
and reach some decision. 1t was evil
dent enough what vas wanted, aud