Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-01-09

echoed all along the line The paddles
| ceased TO ply; the canoes now drfted idly
| forward. their wakes trailing out behind
| In long Sticks of greasy blacllncss hecked
| with spariiles from the reflected light OF
| all those many torches.
Another word of command; the boatmen
| slowed their craft
"Drop the iron here SON and drag the
| bottom" said the patriarch.
! Good" answered Stern thrilled with ex.
| cltement and wonder
Tie pitched the drodge into the ietty sea
! u sank silently as he played out the cable
| Al a depth he standardization the amount
! OF cable Still left in the boat--as about
| thirty tathoms It struck bottom
! lie let out another five fathoms
"All right. father he exclaimed sharply
Tell our boatmon to give way"
The old man translated the order: "Ghaa
vrouaad. m'yaun" tGo forward, menJ The
| paddles dipped again and Stern's canoe
| moved silently over the inky surface
Every sense alert, the engineer at the
Eunwale held the cable For a few seconds
he felt nothing as the slack was taken
up then he perceived a tug and knew the
grapple was dragging.
Now intense silence reigncd, broken only
by the sputter Of the smoking torches The
canoes, spaced over the foEgy sea, seemed
floating in void of uothingnesS: each re.
Iected light guiycred and danced with weird
ana trcmulous patterns.
stern played the cable as though il were
a ish line All his senses centcred on
interpreting the message II conveyed Now
ne lelt that 1t was dragging over sand
no" came rochs-aud once II caught, held,
,nth Jefked free. His heart leaped wildly
On mad it only been the acroplane!
The tension grew. Out far out from
the drifting line of boats the canoe went
forward; il turned at a word from the
patriarch and dragged along the front of
the line. II Criss-crossed on It's path; stern
fla.. sHI.
WIN which the boatmen covered the area
Where their mysterious sixth sense of loca-
ton told them the machine must lie
All mt once tug different from all
others yielding, yet flrm, set his pulses
hammering again,
Got IT, he shouted, for he knew the
truth Hold fast there-she's hooked 2"
You've got it, Allan? Really got it?"
cried the girl starting mp. oh"
Feel this he answered Grab hold
and pull"
She obeyed, trembling with cagerness
ITS caught through one Of the aiIerons |
or some yielding part think" he said
Here help me hold it tight now; we |
mustn't let the hook slip out again" To |
the patriarch he added: Tell em to bacl, |
up there-Gasy-eas ,"
The canoe backed while Stern took IN
lhe slack again. When the pun from he.
low was vertical he ordered the boat
stopped
Sow get nine other boats close in here"
commanded he
The old man gave the order And pres.
emily nine canoes stood in near at hand
about them
Now Sterus plan Of the terfold cable
I"Neloped itself Already he was untwist-
uE the thck rope one by one he passed
I" separate cords 10 men I'm the other
boats And I'M a few minutes he and nine
ached 20 the big iron ring below, spread
upward like the ribs of an inverted um.
Irella.
The engineers scheme was working to
perfection. Well he had realized that no
me boat could have suficed 10 lift the
great weight Of the machine Even the
argest canoe would have capsized and sunk
ong before single portion OF the Pauillac
ma its engine had been so much as stirred
rom the sandy bottom
But with the huoyant power Of ten ca
loes and twenty or thirty men all applied
lmultaneously, Stern figured he had a rea-
enable chance Of raising the suuScn aero. !
'lane The fact that 1t was submerged
lgether with the diminished gravitation OF
he Abyss also worked i'm his favor And |
s. he saw the Fulk-men grip the cords
'tth muscular hands, awaiting his com. D
laud he thrilled with pride and with the | q
rnse OF real achievements
Come, now, boys :" he cried pull |
Ieaye-ho, there Altogether lift her!
'ull y"
He strained at the rope which he and
Eo others held the Test-each rope now
eli by three or four men-bent their backs
, the labor. As the ropes drew tense the
tnoes crowded ana jostled together. Those
zen who We're not at the ropes worked /
Ith the paddles TO keep the boats apart /
b that the ropes should not foul or bind ,
nd In am irregular ring. all round the /
ctiye canoes, the others drew. Lighted
y so many torches the misty waters gilt
red as broken waves thrown out by the
citation Of the canoes, Tadiated in an
rectons. o.
Pull, boys, pull " shouted the engineer
gain. up she comes Now ali 20 a
sther!'
(CONTINUEL TOMORROW