Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-12-06

bits of clothing I could find at hand,
and felt my way blindly to the door.
1t was jammed, but I kicked it open,
and stumbled forth into the main cab
in, clinging to the door frame in order
to retain my feet. THE stateroom
doors stood wide open, but no living
being was visible. All who survived
that first shock must have fled TO the
deck in mad struggle to escape. Ay,
and there vas desperate need for me
to join them. The Esmeralda was go
ing<down; already her forward hold
|. was filled with water, the bulkheads
alone keeping her afloat; once they
gave way, she would sink like a stone.
: I crossed the cabin on hands and
through the litter until l attained the
stairs. These no longer led up, but
forward. Beyond was utter blackness,
silence; and through the shattered door
drops of rain splashed.
1t was not until I had made my way
to the outer deck, and felt the night air
and rain on my face, that 1 truly awoke
to the danger. The tilt of the yacht
forward was so sharp, 1 dare not re-
lease my grasp of the rail. I could
scarcely see anything; not a light
burned, not even q distant star glim-
mered; the driving rain blinded me,
and soaked through my shirt to the
skin.
I scarcely dared move, for to release
my grip was to slide down into the
black water, into the rifle of spars
and ropes forward. 1t was all horror
and death that way, but from aft, un-
der the awning, a sound of excited
voices reached my ears, and the rasp
of boat tackle. No doubt all on board,
who lived, were there, seeking to
escape. They had sprung for the open
deck at the first alarm, not even wait
ing to dress, and, if I would join them,
there was not al instant to lose. The
after bulkhead could not hold long;
any moment, any unusual roll of the
sea, would rend it asundcr, and the
Eslmeralda would sink. Life hung on
seconds; nor would those frightened
wretchcs wait to learn the fate of any
others Or board.
Clinging to every projection Of the
cabin, l attained the port rail, but
eve as l attempted the first step, a
voice called TO me from out the black
depths below, and l hung there, star
ing behind ne, unable to perceive Il
1 thing, excepting Il litter Of tangled
Wreckage.
Don't leave ne: Give ne Il hand"
"Who are .yon"
"NicCann; YOU are Hollis, amt your"
eyes: are you hurt?"
mo; lluise! Il Lit, no doubt; my
foot is caught under u SPAR
"Alonc?'
THE second mate fell with me; he's
down bclow-dead, I guess"
1t was no small job getting to him,
using the slippery raj! for a ladder,
and | was knee deep in water when
| finally found foothold in the rifle,
and rolled he spar off the imprisoned
limb. lie was lying flat on the deck,
his head barely free of the waves, but
was able to clutch the nearest stan
chion and haul himself up to the pro-
lection of the rail- His face was but
a blurred outline, although l could
perceive the glimmer of Il white shirt.
l stared beyond him into the black
silence.
you say Seeley is down thcre?" !,
Il fell on top of, him. the words
scarcely audible. "IIe was trying to
get into the cabin, when he lost his
grip. / tried to catch him, and he took
me along. Say" he was breathing
hard, do you know if there was d girl
on board?"
Eyes, there is. I met her night be-
fore last on deck. Did Seeley tell you
where she was hiddeny"
I'm Il storcroom, next to the stew
ards pantry; he said the door was
locked" -.
Desperate as our own. situation was,
all thought of personal danger left
me in a sudden realization of the awful
horror fronting her, almost under our
very feet. gripped Mccain by the
arm.
1--WE must get her out of there" I
cried. Come on with me-"
where? Downtown there?"
Eyes, of course, you are a man, I
take it. The laatern is still burning,
and we have a, chance. Come now,
wake up, McCann-we are Americans,
and it is women first, you know"
If he was q coward, he had no wish
to let it be known, although the sud-
denness of disaster had broken his
neree. The words spoken, the tone of
my voice, touched his pride, his real
manhood.
"Ah, you're right, Hollis" he said
hca.tily, and the grip Of his hand
frightened. "I'm no seaman /; 1 hate the
sea, but no mi eve called a Mccain
a gutter. I'll go as far as you, and
well get that girl out, or drown to.
gether."
l was climbing the rail before he fin.
iished, reckless Of all else except the
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