Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-05

Nhis DOe5iOcs IL 1Oaob pAAOt
Boggles was to report for duty the
following morning. As his last unofi-
cial act he helped the mate to repair
the small acetylene gas generator in
the forward part of the yacht. This
was used in emergencies for the for
ward s~earchlight.
We've got to keep a sharp lookout
for icebergs now" Captain Reed had
warned. land that forward searchlight
must be fixed up"
Boggles didn't know much about
acetylene gas. Neither did the first
mate. They tempered with the plant
for two hours, and then a muf1ed ex-
plosion forward alarmed every men,
Der of the crew. 1t was the first mate
who exclaimed incoherently:
1.-THE thing-the tank exploded right
In our faces. 1t was so sudden that l
could not say how"
Boggles couldn't explain, for he was
blinded, and his body was blazing like
a human torch covered with pitch.
The captain and DR.. Langdon squelch-
ed the flames, so the yacht was safe,
and Annette. with two sailors. rescued
Boggles from incineration.
Mr.. Pierce was angry and bored to
the point of saying:
"How annoyingl Any one hurt?'
Goggles is pretty well done up" the
doctor replied. scraping the charred
skin from the blackened face. Hes
blind as a bat for n thing, and"-
Boggles groaned and stammered in q
hoarse whisper:
81 knew I'd never see Straddle Rock
cove ag'in. l might have knowed
something would happen. Oh, why
didn't stay away?"
Captain Reed called another meeting
to consider the question of changing
the yachts course. "Mr. Boggles IL
now incapacitated," he exclaimed, land
of course no one else is familiar with
this coast"
That's So" retorted Mr.. Pierce, with
sudden enlightenment. "Then we must
retdrn-at nee
A m~alevolent light of joy illumined
his features.
Exactly" replied the captain. 81
shall order the course>changed."
mot today, captain" interrupted An.
nette sweetly. sit seems like-like sac
rilege to turn around and run home SO
soon after Mr.. Boggles is laid up. Il
think we should keep on a day or two.
There is some hope. DR.. Langdon, isn't
there?"
TNh4 InaEnn -honlr hso h@4 IT,
sorry to disappoint you, Annette, but
there's one Boggles is blind-totally
blind. He may in six months or a year
recover some of his sight. but 1t is q
forlorn hope"
Annette's face darkened. Mr.. Pierce
thought she was about to cry, and he
hastily said:
I'VE might keep on the same course
for a day or two. captain, out of re.
spect for Boggles. and
"Yes, yes. certainly"
Annette gave them both a grateful
smile, and the conference vas ended.
Boggles absorbed more attention now
than before the accident. Every one
paid him Difference, but that was partly
because all, from the humblest to the
highest, knew that the trip was to be
abandoned in a day or two. But Bog.
giles didn't know, and he kept moaning
"I1l never see the Straddle rocks
ag'in! If l could see EN- I'd die in
peace! All, there they are! Are you
here, ma'am? Look at 'em! See the
sun on EN-! There's where l was born
twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years ago,
ma'amr'
"Oh, Bogglesr' moaned Annette III
return. "Why did this happenY
Now, the meeting of the cold breath
from the north coast and the warm
wind of the southern summer plays
havoc with the sea at many points be
tween Newfoundland and Labrador.
Fierce elemental struggles of the at
mosphere shake the sea and earth, and
for days and nights no ship is safe in
those far regions.
The Grayling was a stanch yacht, but
rather understood for a cruise so far
from port. When the wind struck her
she danced lightly in the choppy seas,
but as the storm developed she grew
troubled and frightened.
Boggles had recovered from his fe
verish delirium and was rational. He
heard the storm and found an atom OIL
consolation Ia it. He relieved his mind
of the weight pressing upon it.
For a night and day the yacht drift
ed. Then in the blackness of the sec
ond night the vortex of the frightful
storm was reached. with the craft i'll
prepared to meet it.
The forward watch reported break
ers ahead, and the jagged outline of
rocks was seen in the distant back
ground. The Grayling was drifting
steadily toward them. 1t was a matter
of an hour before she would strike.
Annette heard the N to pra
pare for the worst. The two boats