Courier Democrat., 1918-03-21

Not at all; we are In no shape to
fight the storm, with only one man in
the stokehole. You will have to creep
to the ladder"
"You-you wish me to go below?"
Il order you to-"
"And you are going to remain at the
wheel-alone?"
"Dugan is forward, within easy call.
l have sent the two mates below for
an hours rest. There is nothing for us
to do now, but hold on until the storm
abates. I'll simply lash the wheel, and
stand by. You are absolutely exhaust
ed and must get below-you will go?"
"Yes if-if you think it best. am
| so tired-the strain of it; the fear
| could not hold out"
II know" l bent and kissed her, and
she clung to me. 'But do not think of
that any longer; you must go to your
room at once and lie down."
But you will stay on deck all
night?"
"Not unless the storm increases. In
an hour or so I'll call the others, and
lie down myself. Come, dear, you be-
long in the watch below"
That certainly seemed a lonely deck
| after she had disappeared down the
| ladder. l had served many quiet
watch at sea- many memorable one,
but that hour taught me the real les
son of loneliness. We were driving
forward recklessly into a wall Of dark
ness, utterly impenetrable to the eye.
What horror might be lurking just
ahead of the plunging bow, no magma
ton could picture. From where l
stood, clutching the spokes of the
wheel, could not even trace the yards
Of the mainmast, nor could l perceive
on either side the water through which
we drove. Yet it was not this which
pulled so at my nerve. / had stood at
the wheel often before guiding great
ship through impenetrable blackness,
and amid the immensity Of the ocean.
But then was one of a crew, alert and
ready, merely performing my part of
given task. But now could not drive
from me the consciousness that stood
there alone; that on all that space of
deck forward only one solitary man
crouched in the blacllnesS; that below
In the enginerOom. and stokehole, only
two more; already worn and weary
with toll. stuck grimly to their work
that under my control this great
frelghter, loaded almost to the deck
beams, was flying before the storm,
plunging through the wild waters of
the mid-Atlantic, with death lowering
above in the shrek Of the storm. Yet
I clung to it grimly, no longer making
any attempt to hold any settled course,
but merely choosing the easier way in
which to meet the force Of the storm
1t was two O'Clock Wien, too thor.
oughly wcaried to stand the strain
longer, 7 sent Dugan below to call the
mates Leayord was the heavier man.
and the more experienced sailor, so, at
my suggestion, he took the wheel, while
Olson went forward. I can recall
creeping down the ladder. and stag
gerng down the stairs, but nothing
more. I must have been asleep even
before reached the berth in the cap
tain's stateroom.
A hand shook me, and I opened my
eyes. For an instant l was too dazed
to comprehend. The port Was closed,
but daylight strcamed through the
thick glass Illuminating the stateroom,
and l recognized Olson bending over
me.
81 had to call you, sir" he explained
kindly. '"The main royal has broke
Loose. an it'll take all hands ter stow
it again in this wind; besides that fell
Ter Dugan he's gin out entirely an
there's got ter be another hand sent
below to the stokcholc."
sat up. already thoroughly awake.
'What time is it?'
"Goin on half after four, SIR
"Why l thought had Just dropped
off. Any increase in the weight of .ne
gale Olson?"
"No, sir; I don't think the wind is
quite so heavy, and its gettin' more
steadylike. but there's considerable
sea-"
81 can tell that the way the ship
pitches; she's taking water forward"
''Tons o. it; the damned hooker is
loaded so deep she's more like wharf
than ship"
1t was a wild scene enough when I
emerged from the companion and
paused moment in the protection Of
the cabin to view the deck forward.
Huge crested waves burst over the
forecastle heads. cascading down onto