The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-07-14

this and was soon to build other ships.
/ did not understand before why learn
ing that affected him so much.
Stafford wanted us (this is what
Benjamin Corvet said) TO tow him up
the lake; would not do that, but
agreed to tow him TO Manistique. The
night was dark, Father-no snow, but
frightful wind which had been increas-
ing until 1t now sent the waves wash
ing clear across the tug. We had gone
north an hour when, low upon the wa
ter TO my right, / saw a light, and
there came TO me the whistling of
buoy which told me that we were pass
ing nearer than / would have wished,
even In daytime, TO windward of Boul-
der reef. There are, Father, no people
on that reef; its sides of ragged rock
go straight down forty fathoms into
the lake
81 looked at the man with me in
the wheelhouse-at Stafford-and
hated him! put my head out at the
wheelhouse door and looked back at
the lights, at the new, great steamer
following safe and straight at the end
of its towline. / thought of my two
men upon the tug who had been
crushed by clumsiness of those on
board that ship; and how my own
ships had had a name for never losing
a man and that name would be lost
now because of the carelessness Of
Stafford's men! And the sound of the
shoal brought the evil thought to me.
Suppose had not happened across his
ship; would it have gone upon some
reef like this and been lost7 / thought
that If now the hawser should break,
would be rid of that ship and per-
haps of the owner who was on board
as well. We could not pick up the tow
line again in so close TO the reef. The
steamer would drift down upon the
rocks"
Father Perron hesitated an instant.
81 bear Witness" he said solemnly,
that Benjamin Corvet assured me-
his priest-that it was only a thought;
the evil act which it suggested was
something which he would not do or
even think of doing. But he spoke
something of what was IN his mind to
Stafford, for he said:
Il must look like fool to you to
keep on towing your shipp
"'They- stared, he told me, into one
another's eyes, and Stafford grew I'M
easy.
".We'd have been all right he an
swered, until we had got help, If you'd
left US where we YereP He, too, lis
tened to the sound of the buoy and Of
the water dashing on the shoal. You
are taking US too close he said-'too
close He went aft then to look at
the tow line"
Father Perron's voice ceased; what
he had to tell now made his face
whiten as he arranged it In his mem
Ory Alan leaned forward little and
then, with an effort, sat straight. Con-
stance turned and gazed at him; but
he dared not look at her. He felt her
hand warm upon his; it rested there
moment and moved away.
There was a third man in the
wheelhouse when these things were
spoken" Father Perron said, "the mate
of the ship which had been laid Up at
Manistique."
Henry Spearman," Sheriff. sup
piled.
''That is the name. Benjamin Cor
vet told me of that man that he was
young, determined, brutal and set upon
getting position and wealth for him.
self by any means. He watched Corvet
and Stafford while they were speak
ing, and he, too, listened to the shoal
until Stafford had come back; then he
went aft.
~ looked at him, Father Benjamin
Coryet said to me, and let him go
not knowing. He came back and
looked at me once more, and went again
to the stern; Stafford had been watch
ing him as well as 1, and sprang away
from me now and scrambled after him.
The tug Ieaped suddenly; there was
no longer any tow holding it back, for
the hawser had parted; and l knew,
Father, the reason was that Spearman
had cut it,
at rang for the engine to be slowed,
and / left the wheel and went aft !:
some struggle was going on at the
stern of the tug; a fash came from
there and the cracking of a shot. Sud-
denly all was light about me as, aware
of the breaking of the hawser and
alarmed by the shot, the searchlight of
the Miwaka turned upon the tug. The
cut end of the hawser was still upon
the tug, and Spearman had been trying
to clear this when Stafford attacked
him; they fought, and Stafford struck
Spearman down. He turned and cried
out against me-accusing me of hav-
ing ordered Spearman to cut the line.
He held up the cut end toward Rams
dell on the Miwaka and cried out to
him and showed by pointing that it
had been cut. Blood was running
from the hand with which he pointed.
for he had been shot by Spearnan;
and now again and a second and
third time, from where he lay upon the
deck, Spearman fired. The second of
those shots killed the engineer, who.
had rushed out where I was on the
deck; the third shot went through
Stafford's head. The Miwaka was drift
ing down upon the reef; her whistle
sounded again and again the four long
blasts. The fireman, who had followed
the engineer up from below. fawned
on mel ] was safe for all him. he
said; / could trust Luke-Luke would
not tell He too thought l had or
dered the doing Of that thingi
.From the Miwaka. Ramsdell yelled
curses at me. threatening me for what
he thought that l had doneI / looked
at Spea rman as he got nm from the