The Hope pioneer., 1922-10-19
Ned Price,
American
By AUSTIN FLINT

ing about the yard yestidday."
Petty Officer Brannigan looked up at
his companion.
''Who?" he asked.
Ned Price!"
Brannigan spat. and awaA
'That-l" he mouthed. You're dream.
ing. Jim!"
Guess l know the cut Of the skunk.
Dressed in natty blue suit. too.
Thought no one'd know him. Him that
deserted the old Sekotah in London be-
fore we sailed for that scrap In the
channel! I'd have put the police on
II guess" said Brannigan. Ibis con-
science will be all the police Price'A
need for the rest of his life"
The whistle called them. They
clambered down the ladder from the
Sekotah's deck into the tug. In few
minutes the Sekotah was abandoned
by the men who had been working on
her
"All aboard" yelled the tug-captain.
You didn't leave nobody aboard her.
did you Mr.. Brannigan?"
IF did," said Brannigan, 9TH be
because he wants to commit the
starkest kind Of suicide that any one
ever planned
When the tug was at sufhcient dis
tance a scream sounded from thin
wisp on the horizon, and fifteen-inch
shell came hurtling high overhead.
Another and another followed, until
the crescendo filed the air.
The old Sekotah, which had per-
formed her work nobly in the war, was
going to her honored end. 1t had besa
decided to take the old ship out under
her own steam and practice on her,
in order to ascertain the effect Of Ger
tain improvements in the new ord
nance.
When the investigations had been
made, the sea-cocks were to be opened,
and the Sekotah would sink to her
grave upon the ocean bed. the flag dy-
ing at her masthead.
Far away Captain Branscombe Of
the Medina watched through HE
glasses
"Funny thing l can't make out her
hag!" he said.
Il saw it five minutes ago." said the
lieutenant who stood on the bridge be-
side him.
"Take look, Bill. Maybe your eyes
are better than mine," said the Cap
tain, handing him his glasses.
"Nope, you're right. She amt there"
said the lieutenant, after a careful
survey.
The nag was no longer flying. 4
shell must have carried 1t away.
"Rotten shooting, call it." Brans.
combe fumed. Il guess the old girls
had enough by now.'
"Cease f1ring!" was signalled. Beats
were manned and put out from the
warships.
AS they neared the Sekotah 1t could
be seen that the shells had made fear
full havoc of her. But for the timber
with which her hold had been filed,
she would have gone down long b.
fore. Her sides were ripped open with
great holes through which horse and
cart could have been driven. her decks
were churned and twisted. and her
skeleton masts were tumbling down.
The old ship was keeling over, and.
even with her wooden paunch, It
looked as If she might not last much
longer. The destructive effects Of the
new ordnance had been underesti.
mated.
The parties from the boats swarmed
upon the deck and began coming the
results of the firing. Engrossed with
the evidences of destruction, they did
not heed the thing on the bridge until
shout from one Of the men directed
Petty Officer Brannigan's attention
toward it.
"What in thunder is it," demanded
one Of the officers. "Why, it's the
Sekotah's flag!"
1t was the flag, huddled in a heap
upon the bridge. Their first thought,
as they moved toward it, was that,
carried away by the shell which had
torn it from the truck, it had huttered
down on deck.
Then 1t was seen that something
lay beneath it. It was the body Of
man, killed by shell splinter which
had struck him full in the chest. He
was holding the folds Of the flag %
tightly that it was almost impossible
to take it from the lifeless fingers.
"What's the matter. Brannigan?
D'you know him7' the officer In charge
demanded
Brannigan gulped.
"It's Ned Price, sir" he answered.
Him that deserted the old Sekotah
On leave in London before they ordered
US to the Channel. Some one saw hin
hanging round the Navy Yard yester-
day. He must have managed to hide
himself aboard for-for that!"
There was moments silence, for
the tragedy oppressed them, the tardy
reparation, the foolish and yet splendid
vindicaticn Of the past.
"Shall l take the flag. sirr asked
+, Brannigan.
"NO wr0n him in ~ onsvuov0A >h>