The Dickson County herald. (Dickson, Tenn.) 1907-1979, 1918-04-05
Yes lt--.if you think IL best. ! am
no tirea--the strnsn at IL: the fear I
IA -, LA sMaS1

II
could not hold out"
Il know" beat and kissed her. and
she eiung to int. ''fsus IN not think Of
that any langer: you must ~ tn your
room az once and lie dewa."
Bot you viii stay On deck all
nixhtr'
"Sot un!ssa tho storm Increases. In
AN hour or 40 I'll call the others. and
he down myself. Come. dear. jan be-
long In the watch below"
That certainly svsfned lonely deck
after shs had disappeared down the
ladder. | had served many quiet
watch ut sea. many memorable on~.
but that hour taught me tbs real les
son Of loneliness We were iristRg
| forward recklessiy into wall Of dark
ness. utterly Impenetrabie to the eye.
What horror might be lurking just
ahead Of the plunslng bow, no isnasina.
tlon could picture. From where !
stood, culchiag the spokss of the
wheel. could not even trace the yards
II the mninmast. nor could perceive
on esther side the water through which
We drove. Yet II was not this which
pulled 80 ut my nerve. had stood ut
the wheel often before guiding d great
ship through imp~nettnhle blaekness.
! and arid tae ffhrsfrtsssss ~ tise 'o~esH
but Thea was one 81 q crew. alart and
! ready. merely performing nay part al
| given saraE 'isuf fstyw f'evHla ass drive
! irom me the consciousness that stood
there alone. that Oh all that space ~
desA forward oaly on. solitary man
crouehed IN the blaekness: that below
! la the enrneroom, and stokehnle, only
| two more. already worn and weary
with toll stuck grizzly to their work !.
that under my coutrol this great
| frrighter. loaded almost ~ the deck
beams. was flying before the storm,
| plunglng through the Wild waters OF
the mid Atlantic, with death lowering
above Ia the shrtek II the STERN. Yet
| ciung 10 II grimly, no ton.er making
any attempt 10 hold any settled course,
but merely choosing the easier way Ia
which to meet the force of the storm.
! II was two o'clock when. too thor
oushIy wearied IN stand the strata
! longer. ] sent Dugan below 10 call the
| mates. Ieayord was the heavier man,
and the more experienced sailor, 50, at
my suggestion. he took tho wheel. while
Olson went forward | can recall
creeping down the ladder. and stag
erring down the stairs. but nothing
more must have been asleep even
before ! reached tho berth In the cap
tnshs, ,s'rfrr""Fn. =; ", = s5,it, ..,,. (.
A hand shook ne. md opened my
eyes, For AN lnstnW | was too dared
Ia comprehend. TIE port WAS closed.
hat daylight strrnmed through the
thick glass illuminating the stateruocn.
aui | recognised Olson bending over
tuc,
( Il had 10 cali you. sir" he explained
Kindly The main royal has broke
! loosc, an ltll tasw all hands ter stow
/ II again IN this wind, besides that lei.
4 Ter puGan he's gin aut entirely. an
there's got ter be another hand seat
| below 10 ,he stosrhole."
sat NJ already thoroughly awake.
what time - ~"
| "t;ala On half after four. sir"
"Why thought had just dropped
~. Any nervase In the weight Of the
gale. Qlsaar'
No, sic; dent think the wind Ia
quite 81 heavy. and It's gcttin' more
stsadyllse, hut. there's considerable
sea"
y can tell that thr way the ship
pitches; she's taking water forward"
Tons o 1t: the damned heaker II
Ilaaesv,l e@ siesss sar.~'s - uiaaFs AAe " wharf
than a ship"
! II WAS a Wild sc~ae enough when |
emerged frpa the eVulpaHten and
paused moment tn thr protection u
( the cabin TO view the dsrk forward,
Huge crested waves burst ever the
/ ferecastle heads, cN~cai!Rg down onto
the main deck, and swe*plns aft ~ the
ssuprrrs amidships. The yessei stag
crryd under the rcpeatlg hews yet
recovered With q hwoyancy waich gave
INC renewed courage. psungtns forward
I again IL meet the next assault The
cVpt.naous b,sAya as they struck against
eur bows the mad tapping Of the
A.