The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-09-18

| (Hefe wan lied uiiu neip up up tIdl
tarpaulin; now get the point Of this
capstan bar under the hatch clos
ings; here's your lever-it'll take the
weight Of the three of us to move the
iron-now, heave hot"
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-
ton Of the lever, we bent to the task.
Something caught, rendering the great
iron lid immovable.
"White," I called, "come over here,
and give us hand"
I heard him patter across the deck
in Ids bare feet, but before he reached
the bar, the fellow stopped, staring at
, the narrow opening, and shifting like
pointer dog.
LAY hold" I called out angrily.
''The weight is breaking our backs"
"But there's fire below, SIR" he
roared excitedly. "That's smoke
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 I hardly knew
1t as smoke, but the fresh draught Of
air had already worked its miracle.
and the wisp thickened as stared into
threatening black coil, darting up
ward into our very faces. I dropped
upon my knees, shading my mouth rs
best might and sought to peer down
into the black void between decks.
Away forward red eve winked out Of
the darkness, then another, and third.
I leoped 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 kings
ransom.
"She's afirc forward!' I 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"
"But the donkey engine is not con-
nected, and we dare not take chances
with all those explosives below. Heav-
ems, man, We may 90 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
I'll give you hand when you hook
on. Mccain. get beaker of water in,
and some biscuits, We'll have no time
for anything else. Hurry men there's
flame breaking through now!'
There was; red serpent, sticking
Its ugly head up the hatch opening. the
CHASTITY light glimmering in our faces.
The men seemed fairly paralyzed ut
this sudden outburst Of new horror, but
drove them, even using hands and
feet in my mad desire for action.
aft with it now-aft with it. All
will be a mass of flames amidship in
five minutes. Is there water in that
keg, McCann3 Then throw it in now
the biscuits. Miss Darlington vera!"
Eyes, Captain Hollis"
"Can you hold to the wheel few
moments longer?-till come for your"
"Ycs."
"Call down the tube to the engine
room; tell Masters and Olson to come
on deck at once-as quick as they can
foot the ladder"
Eyes, sir"
The cool Quietness Of her voice
Gained me as though she had pressed
her hand on my brow in fever. I
sprang to the help Of the others, as
sisted to hook the light dinghy onto
the falls, lifted 1t clear Of the deck,
Band swung 1t outward over the rail.
The fame streaming up the main-hatch
BY this time gcre Us light enough, and