The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-03-29

that my count had been short. SO
J served them out more and said
nothing. There were hundreds OF
thousands Of rounds IN the hold Of
the ship. and / judged We could
ahord to overlook the waste.
At last We set the extra 20 boxes
IN one place together. slipping and
falling In the process because the
deck Vas wet and tho ship un-
steady; and then ] went and re-
ported to Rantoor Singh.
Very good" said he. Make the
men fall in along the deck. and bid
them Be ready for whatever may
ARE We near land. sahib-'
said I.
Very near!" said he.
l ran to obey him. peering into
the blackneSs to discover land, but
! could see nothing more than the
white tops Of waves, and the clouds
that seemed to meet the sea within
"a ropes length Of US. Once or
twice I thought l heard surf, but
the noise Of the rain and OF the en-
gines and Of the waves pounding
against the ship confused my ears,
so that could not be certain.
When the men were all fallen in
! went and leaned over the bull
wark to try to see better: and az
l did that We ran in under q cliff,
for the darkness grew suddenly
much darker. Then l surely heard
surf Then another sound startled
me. and q shock nearly threw me
of my feet. I faced about, to find
twenty or thirty men sprawlins
their length upon the deck, and
when had urged and helped them
up the engines had stopped turning
and steam was roaring savagely
through the funnel. The motion OF
the ship was different now: the
front part seemed almost still, but
the behpd part rose and fell
jerkily.
busted myself with the men,
bullying them into silence. for
judged it most important to be able
to hear the first order that Ranjoor
Singh might give; but he gave none
just yet. although I heard a lot oil
talking on the bridge.
as this Gallipoli:' the men kept
asking me in whispers.
IF it were," said l, I'VE should
have been blown to little pieces by
the guns Of both sides before now!'
II I had been offered all the world
for a reward could not have
guessed our whereabouts. nor what
we were likely to do next. but
was very sure we had not reached
Gallipoli.
Presently the Turkish seamen
began lowering the boats. There
were but four boats, and they made
clumsy work Of it, but at last all
four boats were in the water; and
then Ranjoor Singh began at last
to give his orders. in a voice and
with an air that brought reassur.
ance. No man could command as
he did who had the least little
doubt in his heart of eventual sue
cess. There is even more convic-
ton in a true mans voice than in
his eye.
He ordered us oversize eight al
a time, and me in the first boat
with the first eight.
Fall them in along the first fiat
place you find on shore. and wait
there for mel" said he. And
said, "Ha, sahib!" wondering as
swung myself down a swaying rope
whether my feet would ever find
the boat. But the sailors pulled
the ropes lower end, and I found
myself in a moment wedged into q
space into which not one more mar
could have been crowded.
The waves broke over US, anG
there was a very evil surf, but the
! distance to the shore was short anc
I the sailors proved skillful. VIZ
landed safely on gravelly beach
not so very much wetter than We
had been. except for our legs (fol
we waded the last few yards). ant
hunted at once for . piece o.
level ground. Just thereabouts i
was all nearly level, SO I fell my
eight men in within twenty yard:
Of the surf. and waited. l fell
tempted to throw out pickets. We
afraid not to obey implicitly. Ran
joor Singh had given no ordel
about pickets.
I Judge 1t took more than az
hour, and it may have been two
hours, to bring all the men and thu
twenty boxes of cartridges ashore
At last in three boats came tn,
captain of the ship, and the mate
and the engineer. and nearly al
the crew. Then I grew suddenl,
afraid and hot sweat burst all ovel
me, for by the one lantern that hal
been hung from the ships rail tt
guide the rowers l could see tina
the ship was moving! The ship.
captain had climbed out Of the las
boat and was standing close to it
II went up to him and seized hi
shoulder.
what dogs work is this?" sait
III. Speak" said. shaking him
although he could not talk an,
tongue that I knew-but SHOOT
him none the less until his teetf
chartered, and. his arms being
wrapped in that great shawl of his
there was little he could do to pre-
vent me.
ITO Be Coutinued.)