The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-08-31

meant to him until just now-the new
ship Of the rival line, whose building
meant for him failure and defeat!
There is no higher duty than the
rescue of those in peril at sea. He
Benjamin Corvet, who told me this
swore to me that. at the beginning
cept to give aid. A small line was
drifted down to the tug and to this a
hawser was attached which they
hauled aboard. There happened then
the first of those events which lee
those upon the tug into doing a grei.
wrong. He-Benjamin Corvet-hn1
taken charge of the wheel of the tug
three men were handling the hawser
In Ice and washing water at the stern.
The whistle accidentally blew. which
those on the Miwaka understood to
mean that the hawser had been ,se-
cured. so they drew in the slack; the
hawser, frightened Unexpectedly by the
pitching of the sea, caught and crushed
the captain and deckhand of the tug
and threw them into the sea.
Because they were short-handed
now upon the tug, and also because
consultation was necessary over what
was to be done, the young owsef o
the Miwaka, Captain Stafford, came
down the hawser onto the tug after the
line had been put straight. He came
to the wheelhouse, where Benjamin
Corvet was, and they consulted. Then
Benjamin Corvet learned that the
other owner was aboard the new Ship
oil De- I,n
money you have just told me had built
this and was soon to build other ships.
I 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 it 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
"T 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. l thought of my two
men upon the sug who had been
crushed by lclumsiness 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 1 had not happened across his
ship; would 1t have gone upon some
reef like this and been lost? ! 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
II bear Witness" he said solemnly
''that Benjamin Corvet assured me-
his priest-that 1t was only 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:
"T must look like a fool to you to
keep on towing your shipr
"'They stared, he told me, into one
another's eyes, and Stafford grew un-
easy.
"'We'd have been all right he an
swered, until we had got help. If you'd
left us where we were' 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 1t rested there a
moment and moved away.
There was 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 ton listened to the ShOal