Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-06-11
On Board the Shaver.

not even IRE, WIS more 10 Ue uItuutu
than a visitation Of this awful nature
On shiphOard. Churne ship though
this might be, IL was safer by far than
The cocEleshcll towing alongside.
let's find out the truth first, men,"
| said quietly. ''Hold your tongues.
There is no use giving up until We
know what the danger is. VIII you
come with meT
The terror In Sans eyes caused me
TO laugh and my own courage came
back with rush.
Afraid Of dead men, are you? THEN
we'll face them together, my lads, and
have 1t over with. Come on. now, both
~ you. Buckle up; there Is nothing
10 fear, II you do what tell you
this isn't the first cholera ship I've
been aboard"
It was no pleasant job confronting
us. although we had less dead men to
handle than l anticipated. Indeed, we
found only five bodies on board. There
were only two on deck. u giant, coal
black negro, and n gray-bearded white
man. his face pitted with smallpox.
Determined on what was to be done,
wasted no time with either body. The
two sailors hung back, terrorized at
the mere thought Of touching these
victims of plague. steelcd myself to
the job and handled them alone, drag
ging the bodies across the deck sSS
launching them over the low rail into
the sea. I ordered Schmitt TO cut the
lashings and take charge Of the wheel.
"See here, Sam. and you too,
Schmitt, / am in love with that girl
In the boat. Do you suppose | would
ever have her come on this deck II
believed she might contract cholera!
You do as say and you are perfectly
safe Now. Schmitt. remain at the
wheel. and you, Sam, come with me.
There will be dead niger aboard
unless you jump when l speak"
He trotted close at my heels as
flung open the door leading into the
cabin. The air seemed fresh enough
and noted two Of the ports wide
open. A tall, smOoth-shaven man, with
an ugly scar down one cheek, lay out
stretched on divan at the foot of the
after mast, his very posture proclaim
ing him dead. His face was the color
of parchment, wrinkled with age.
The negro crept Up behind me and
stared at the upturned face.
MY Gaud, sab. he wus de OIL cap
tain. ParadiIla, sab: damn his soul"
In what was evidently the captains
room / discovered q pricked chart and
log-book, with no entry in 1t for three
days. Without waiting to examine
these l slowed them away in my pock-
ct. Between us we forced the stiffened
form Of the captain through the open
after port and heard 1t splash into
the sen astern. There were two dead
seamen in the forecastle, both swarthy
fellows, with long Indian hair. never
saw a dirtier hole, the filth overpow-
ering, and once satisfied that both
men were beyond help, was content
to lower the scuttle and leave them
there. God! it was relief to return
once more to the open deck and breathe
in the fresh air. i hailed the boat tow
ing below.
Come aboard. watkins" I called
sharply. pass the lady up hrst, and
turn the boat adrift."
l caught Dorothy's hands and aided
her over the rail.
"Why was the vessel abandoned r
she asked. what has happened7 Do
you know?"
Quietly told her the truth and as
sured her that If we staid on deck and
used our own bedding and provisions
we were in no danger.
How can / help you?"
"Tell the men just what have told
YOU" l said gravely. 'They will be
ashamed to show less courage than
you"
We turned and faced them together
as they formed little group against
the rail. Hallin was first to speak.
"yot vas eet you say bout dis sheep?
Eet hat cholera-hey?"
Dorothy took step forward, and
! confronted them, her cheeks flushed.
"You are sailors" she said. speaking
swiftly, land ought not to be afraid II
| q girl isn't. It is true this vessed was
ravaged by cholera. and the crew died
but the bodies have been flung over
| board-Captain Carlyle risked his life
to do that before he asked Us aboard
| Now there is no danger so long as We
remain on deck. have no fear"
The Swede shook his head, grum.
bling something, but before the revolt
could spread Watkins broke In.
"An' that's right. miss. wus on the
Bombay Castle when she took cholera
an we he'd twenty-one days Of II
beatin' agin head winds OF the Cape
We lost sixteen O. the crew, but not
man among US who stayed on deck got
sick. Anyhow, these blokes are goin
ter try their luck aboard yere, er else
swim fer It,"
he grinned cheerfully. letting slip the
end Of the painter, the released guar
ter-boat gliding gently away astern,
the width Of water constantly increas.
ing. 7
"Now, DULLES, Jump fer 1t II yer
want ter go, All right then, my hearties.
let's hunt up something to work with
and scrub this deck. That's tho way
to clean out cholera" ~, .s II. VII
he led the way and they followed
him., grumbling and cursing, but obA.
I dent. ] added q word cse encnnsase.