Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-11-22
CHAPTER vlIl-continued.

CHAPTER vlII-Continueo.
-
THE lady was sent into the cabin,
SIR, and given u stateroom where she
could fix herself up bit" he answered
eoberiy. 1.-THE other Teller had heap
of lot to say, an seemed to have
some sortcr grudge against you. l
hadn't any time to listen to his yarn,
no l naturally turned him over to the
l,Osum, ter have tibet eye dressed. lie
must have got peach O. swipe, sir"
II hHd to hit hiln-yes; but we can
talk OF that later. Where is he now?"
"1n the galley, sir. where they're
hentiEg some water. After they get
h.M fixed up, is he to go aft, or for
rnrd?"
"Afe, If you have room to spare; he
Is no sailorman, but millionaire from
New York; he has money to burn"
The fellow looked at me with his
mouth wide open, his glistening eyes
slmcst laughable.
"lhe devil you say, sir; he don't look
the part to my notion. You was all
part of yacht party?"
Eyes, the Eslncrulda, steam yacht,
owned by Gerald Darlington Of New
York. We were run down about a
ttndred miles east Of Montauk by a
big liner, which must have been out Of
Der course. She cut us square in two,
but, excepting US three, all living on
Board got away in the boats. BY acct
dent we were left. and escuDed later in
The dinghy"
"Wliat became Of the liner?"
''She picked up the boats, and, think
Ing they had all the survivors, went
sn. She was mail boat, likely. The
yacht went down five minutes after
we left her; we've been afloat ever
since. Now, Mr.. Masters, that's our
story in brief. What's the trouble
Iere2"
I'll tell yer enough to make 1t clear,
tir," he said slowly, although there is
others On board who Gun explain more
III detail. You're eeaman-or was
once-'o you'll see easily the sorter
Ak we're in. I'm the only officer left
On tho hooker, an couldn't navigate
a ship If you'd give it to me. I'm only
the chief engineer, an my assistant is
in tire fo'castle with broken leg. You
zee tibet rifle for-rartl, sir? Well, it
~ur lightning did that. Two bolts, so
Tho crew says, fer wus down below,
an never knew whit happened till the
eIn.trics all went out. Then shut off
si.uln, and clumb out on deck. Lord,
but it wus black night, raining cats
and dogs. but no wind to speak of. 1t
aus the rain what saved us, for fire
started yOnder-yer Gun see where 1t
burned-but 1t died out of itself. When
morning come we saw what we was up
against; 1t looked lot sight worse
then than it does now. Them bolts of
lightning he'd knocked the foremost
into snithercens, killed the wheels.
man, and put the steering gear plumb
out O. commission. Then the top
mast an spars just naturally wrecked
the bridge, and chartAouse, an the
officer was in the wheelhouse, sir, an
never knew what hit him, an both the
captain an the first officer wus q
standin' tergether on the bridge. The
top mast crushed the life out of 'em
There wus six sailOrmeD hurt the same
way, an four of 'eln died. It WIS the
derndest LASS ever saw at sea, sir. y
bad enough, surely; when did this
happen?"
"Night afore last; we've cleaned uI
bit since, but the crew won't work
much under me- an we're short
handed. I rugged up this wheel aft, SC
80 to keep an engine going, and hung
ON, waiting for something to turn up
There wasn't nothing else could do
mo, 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
patches. The ships dry as a bone
have had the well sounded every three
hours."
And what about the crew."
"Just SO, go; crlmp brought then
aboard drunk, an we were not at Sc,
long enough for the mates to whil
them into shape when this thing hap
Dsned. I'm no deck officer, Mr.. Hollis
md they don't take orders from m,
very we'll. I call 'em Id hare
vt"
I made nc comment, endeavoring t,
torn all these facts over In my mind
Ind reach some decision. It was evil
cent enWl7h what was wanted, IN