Courier Democrat., 1918-03-21

throat as he fell Vera gave utterance
to sob, and the whirling body struck
the black water below with a splash
plainly audible. Still gasping for
breath, I leaned out and looked down.
The only light was lantern held up in
the hands of man in the boat at the
foot of the ladder. could see his face,
and the dim figures of three or four
others; beyond that narrow radius all
was black. I could not even perceive
Sachs, half way up the ships side, vet
I knew he was there, clinging tight, be-
cause of the tautness of the rope
strands. There was no need to conceal
the facts longer; we must fight in the
open now.
"Leayord, come here" I ordered.
"And you, Olson, take the wheel, and
ring the engineroom for full speed
ahead. Jump into it lads" I sent my
voice below, stern with threat.
"Get down that ladder, Sachs. Just
as quick as God will let you. Let 20,
you man with the lantern, or we'll
swamp you alongside. Do you hear
the steam, Liverpool? It's full steam
ahead, you fOol!"
1t was Reds voice which replied:
"Is that you, captain? What hap
pened? Who went overboard?"
Mccain; he's astern of you, and
you better pick him up as you go.
Move quick! You haven't a second to
lose. Man, you'll be sucked under, If
you don't let go!''
They We're seamen enough to realize
the imminent danger of their position.
Liverpool and White both called out,
and the others, grasping their oars,
backed water furiously. I saw Sachs
tumble back into the boat, and a face
or two staring upward. Voices roared
at us, the fellows cursing Justify; then
the darkness seemed to swallow them
completely, and I knew from the
tremor of the deck planks that we
were underway. sprang to Vera, and
lifted her to her feet.
"You are not hurt?"
"No, only frightened and bruised.
He threw me to the deck. Are we
safe? Have they all gomez"
"Yes, all who can make any resist
ance. Hold her just as she is, Olson !;
there's bone in her teeth already /;
it will take more than oars to overhaul
us. Does anyone know if those fellows
picked up McCann?"
II think most likely they did, sir; ;
they wuz swingin' the lantern along
side"
Bring me the night-glasses, Leayord
aye, they're on the shelf in the cap
tain's stateroom'
He returned with them before I had
finished whispering a word of hope
into the girls ear, but even that short
time had so broadened the expanse of
water / could conceive few details
through the lens. Three of the boats
were close together, punched as though
their occupants were still unaware of
just what had occurred; the fourth
bo:t-the one we had just left, no
1oubt-was much nearer and must be
entirely out of sight Of the others.
got it fairly within my focus, but the
occupants We're indistinguishable at
that distance: all 1 could be sure of
was that the fellows We're engaged in
rigging up jury mast for a sail, and
that they were no longer attempting to
pursue us, or making any effort to re-
i0fn the otner boats.
! "DO you see 'em, sir?" asked Lea
yord, impatience overcoming him.
eyes; Liverpool's boat is out there
III 1i,,re I, e.
ging sail"
ss'And the others, sir?"
"To starboard at least a quarter o
mile away"
"That's the game, then" he said
staring out into the blackness a
though he saw it ALL "Them fellow
don't care a darn what becomes o. tn
three first boats so long as they gi
safe ashore. I'd bet they rather the.
wud drown than not. I wonder did the.
pick up that millionaire?'
"No reason why they shouldn't. HI
must have struck within ten feet of th'
boat. They wouldn't he likely to leave
him behind when he's their meal ticke
if they ever get ashore
"Where they heading for?"
"White Fish bay"
"Well, they may git thar, If It aim
too fur. Thet's a good boat they're in
Mr. Hollis; an Liverpool an White are
both sailors all right. I'll say that fol
'em. But just the same they're a goin
to have ter show their train'n before
many hours"
"You mean n, storm? I don't like
that mist myself"
"Tain't only that, sir; it's in the
air; you kin sorter breathe it like. Be
sides I took squint at the barometer
when I went below--its fallin' ter beat
i the band"
!. "Then we better look to our owI
: safety; we are far too short handed
to stow sail before wind"
: II reckon there amt so awful much
' to stow" with glance upward into
? the blackness aloft. There are two
! men below deck you can rout out and