The Pulaskian., 1917-02-23
CHAPTER KILL.
Debacle.

The Trouble, meantime, was closing in upon the scene of tragedy with little less than locomotive speed. Whitaker applied the reversing gear; then, while the engine reversed with d heavy and resentful pounding in the cylinder heads he began to strip off his coat. The boat, moving forward despite the resistance of the propeller, drove heavily against the wreck, broadside to It's stern. As this happened Whitaker Ieaped to the wreck just in time to grasp the coaming and hold on against the onslaught of hurtling eomber. Thunderings benumbed him. and he be- gan to Strangle before it passed. |.
 He found himself filling his lungs with free air and fighting his way to- ward the cabin doors through the wa ter waist deep. In another breath he had torn them open, wide, discovering the woman, her head and shoulders showing above the flood as she stood upon transom, near the doorway, grasping stanchion for support. Her eyes met his, black and blank with ter TOT. He snatched through sheer @in- stinct at a circular life preserver that hoated out toward him, and simuItane- Ously managed to crook an arm round her neck.
 Again the sea buried them beneath tons of raging dark water. Green light nings flashed before his eyes, and in his ears there was a crashing like the crack of doom. His head was split ting, his heart on the point of breaking. The wave passed on, roaring. He could breathe. Now if ever
 As if stupefied beyond sensibility, the woman was passive to his hand ling and he managed somehow to drag her from the cabin to the cockpit and to jam the life ring over her head and under one arm before the next wave bore down upon them.
 They came to the surface in the hol- low of deep, gray swale, fully fifty feet from the wreck. Whitaker re- tained his grasp of the life-preserver line. The woman floated easily in the support, He fancied gleam of live Her consciousness in her staring eyes, and noticed with curiously keen feel Ing of satisfaction that she was not only keeping her mouth closed, but had done so, apparently, while under water.
 Then suddenly, the lift of a wave dis covered to him the contour of the shore. Instead of being carried in to the rock-strewn beach, they were in the grip of a backwash which was bearing them not only out of immedi- ate danger, but at the same time along shore toward point under whose lee he hoped to find less turbulent condi- tions.
 Three times he eseayed to speak be- fore he could wiring articulate sounds from his cracked lips and burning throat.
 You all right?"
 She replied with as much difficulty:
 les :. you may let go :"
 To relax the swollen fingers that grasped the lifeline was pure torture.
 lie attempted no further communiea- uon. None, indeed, was needed. 1t was plain that she understood their situation.
 Some minutes passed before he be- came aware that they were closing in quickly to the shelving beach. lie glanced over his shoulder. They were on the line of breakers. Behind them heavy comber was surging in, crested "lth snow, it's concaye belly resembling vast sheet of emerald. In another moment it would be upon them It was the moment seasoned swimmer would seize.
 His eye sought the girls. In hers be read understanding aLd assent. Of one mlnd, they struck out with all their strength. The comber overlook them,