American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-09-28

the knowledge that l had indeed locat-
ed the right spot, and found her still
alive. This is Hollis. Is the door
locked?"
YES, Mr.. Seeley has the key; you
must be quick-the water is already
above my waist"
mo time for keys. then" 1 said.
Stand back until l cut a way in.
Throw your light down, McCann-ay,
that's better! -
The latch Of the door was forward;
| could cling to it, and have my right
hand free with which to WELD the
Ratchet, keeping both feet wedged on
the threshold. The light was the mer-
est glimmer, yet sufficient to reveal
the paneiing Of the door, and hacked
at this hercely, exerting the full
strength Of my arm. A dozen blows
splintered the upper panel, and then
/ sent the keen blade crashing down
ward, g%ouging out great chunks and
splinters until a jagged passage had
been made, sufficiently large for the
passage Of a body. The water vas
deeper in the cabin than In the open
ing, drenching me nearly to the arm
pits. Mccain called In warning, his
voice cracked with a terror he could
no longer control.
wait; I'll be there In a minute! ~ l
shouted back, my only fear lest he de-
sert us. The bulkhead still held this
torrent was water which had found
other entrances; no doubt it would
eventually increase In volume and sink
the vessel, yet there was still ample
time for us to escape. There would be
no sudden plunge while that %bulkhead
held.
"Are you all right, Miss Vera7" l
asked %anxiously. "Where are your
Can you see met"
Yves; l am clinging to the berth"
Her voice was excited but clear. "The
voter is up to my shoulders. Is the
opening sufficient
"For you, l think, II you can make II
alone. 1 should have to knock out
another panel to get through myself"
'There is no time for that, and no
need. I'm coming now watch out"
OUT TWO UOQltS 81 ODc(ulG0 AhC am
glow of the lantern dangling from Nc
Cams hand above that l could see
= nothing, yet 1 managed to grapple hel
arm, and thus assist in dragging hel
: into the jagged opening. The water
surging to the sodden roll Of th'
= doomed yacht, and now damned by he
q body. poured over us both in suffocat
| ing volume, but the struggle was onl.
for a moment, and hen / had the cir
! safely clasped in my arms, her heai
= elevated well above the receding flood
t "Now, grasp the rug" 1 ordered, a
?. l thrust her light form upward. Il
: will help you creep up the slope of tn
deck. Creep on back, Mccain, wit
the lantern lever mind NELL fin
a way out"
She possessed sufficient nerve an
strength for the effort. There was n
d h~esitancy, no word of protest. Silen
<, ", inch by inch. she fought her wa
d aft, her feet slipping on the wet plank
?, but her fingers gripping desperatel
r at the sustaining cloth. l could sc
g only the outline of her revealed againi
It the CLEAN of the lantern, as McCan
70 clambered upward in advance. l coul
hear the grooming of the bulkhead
the strain, and realized that the tr
lie bers could not long hold against Il
)r immense weight. Suddenly the fe'
ID had come into my heart not until the
d. had l paused to think-effort had o
lg scured all conception Of danger; b
n waiting there in that black hell, L
creaking of timbers In my ears, the W
IS. ter clutching my throat, the full he
IS, ror of it overwhelmed me with sudd
or terror. My God Surely we could n
ng have accomplished all this, and still
p doomed to die like rats in a hole.
he least we must reach the open deck, a
a have a chance to fight for life und
the stars.
Yet, once I had attained t
ed cabin, all this left me- CHASTITY as I
wreck of that interior appeared, t
wider space brought back to me I
he seaman's courage. There was hop. y
E." an opportunity to fight. Mccain b
)o- dropped the lantern on the Overturn
TX piano, and was urging the girl f
srs ward toward the stairs. Terror ma
lie. him oblivious to everything except
he mad desire to escape, but she v
DIV glancing back. as though in search
me. 1 clambered TO my knees an
the litter Of furniture, and snatch
up the light barely in time TO keep
from smashing on the deck.
Il am all right" l called confident
1 Get outside both of you as quick
ed you can"
as Never in all my life have I exp,
enced the same sense Of relief as WI
yer I stumbled out Of that companion OF
rip the open deck, and felt the night
he in my nostrils; yet not until then
my my brain truly grasp the desperate
md ture Of our situation. The CLEAN
to the lantern revealed the sharp slope