Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-11-15
4C0N1RABAND"
"A Romance 0f the
North Atlantic
By
RANDALL PARRISH
Author q my Lady q the
Nosth, I" maid q the Forest" etc.

There was no answering his logic,
and q determination to complete the
Job was already in my own mind.
sect the tarpaulin out Of the way,
Liverpool" I said sharply, throwing
the lantern where the light was need
ed. "Cut it loose, man; don't waste
time with the lashlngs; there's plenty
Of spare canvas in the sailroom. What's
slowed first below, Mr.. Leayord?"
'aThat's the devil Of It, SIR" he re-
piled soberly. II never told you, for 1
didn't see no cause. There was a lot
o. boxes come on board, sir, maybe
thousand Of 'em, the ends clamped with
iron. an they was almighty heavy. We
had to load 'em with the donkey en-.
CINE. an most Of 'em were dumped in
jist below the main hatch"
do you know what they contained"
"Mr. Bascom told me they was army
stoves. sir, and maybe he thought they
was, fer he seemed sure about it; but
along at the last the hook slipped of
one Of them, an the box dropped about
Airty feet, smashin' the whole end In
was plumb full o loaded Shells"
"Loaded shellsT"
''That's what; there was powder
enough scattered about there ter blow
the whole ship to Hades an back"
mo doubt other explosives are
aboard. The greater reason for US to
lay hands on Bascom. Take hold
there with Red and help rip up that
tarpaulin; now get the point Of this
capstan bar under the hatch clos
ings; here's your lever-it1l take the
weight Of the three Of US to move the
iron-now, heave no?
We bent to it, exerting every ounce
Of strength, encouraged by the fact
that the heavy hatch yielded to our
combined effort, and began to move. to
lift over the grooves, and shove back
slightly. With no other thought but to
gain opening enough for another inser-
tion Of the lever, we bent to the task.
Something caught, rendering the great
ZION lid immovable.
sWhite," I called, "come over here,
ana give us hand
I heard him patter across the deck
In his bare feet, but before he reached
the bar, the fellow stopped. staring at
the narrow opening, and shifting like a
pointer dog.
LAY holdr called out angrily.
.aThe weight is breaking our backs"
"But there's fire below, SIR" he
roared excitedly. '"That's smoke a
risin' out the hatch-the cargo's afire"
saw it now, and so did Red, and the
mate-a thin, circling vapor barely per-
ceptible in the night, curling up
through the hole We had succeeded In
forcing. For an instant hardly knew
Il as smoke. but the fresh draught Of
air had already worked Its miracle,
and the wisp thickened as stared into
a threatening black coil, darting up
ward into our very faces. ! dropped
upon my knees, shading my mouth as
best might, and sought to peer down
into the black void between decks.
Away forward red eye winked out Of
the darkness, then another, and third.
leaped to my feet, realizing there was
no hope, nothing we could do but get
away alive-and, II we were even to do
this, every second was worth a kings
ransom.
ashe's afire forwardl' exclaimed,
striving to control my voice. "That is
where the fellow was, and he's done
the Job; there's no stopping her now"
\ there's plenty Of hose forward"
.sBut the donkey engine Is not con-
nected, and we dare not take chances
With 81! those explosives below. Heav-
ems, man, we may 60 sky high any sec
ond. Don't stand talking; get over the
dinghy, it's the only boat we have;
haul her aft and swing her to these
falls below the after.hatch-that will
give us a chance to get away, perhaps.
Jump now, the three Of you. No! wait!
Red and Leayord can rig the boat. and
ri give you a hand when you hook
On. Mccain, get beaker Of water In.
ana some biscuits, Wen have no time
for anything else. Hurry men there's
/ fame breaking through now!"
There was; q red serpent, sticking
IT. ugiy head up the batch opening, the
1 CHASTITY light glimmerlng in our faces.
Ihe men seemed fairly paralyzed at
fIIi0 sudden outburst OF new horror, but
49, ,~v.ns> havs1a ~