The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-06-08

She answered with the Whistle ana
turned toward the blasts. She couldn't
find any ship" The officers reply was
interrupted by some Of the others.
"Then i. that was few minutes
ago they heard the four long
again. They'd tried to pick up
the other ship with radio before.
Yes; we got that here. :.
Tried again and got no answer. :.
But they heard the blasts for half an
hour. They said they seemed
to be almost beside the ship once.
But they didn't see anything.
? Then the blasts stopped sud-
den, cut Off short In the middle as
though something happened. :.
She was blowing distress all right.
The Richardson's searching
again now. Yes, she's search
ing for boats"
Anyone else answeredT" Alan
asked.
"Shore stations on both Sides"
do they know what ship 1t isY'
"No."
what ship might be there now?"
The officer could not answer that.
He had known where the Richardson
must be; he knew OF no other likely
to be there at this season. The epray
from the waves had frozen upon Alan:
Ice cleaned and glinted from the rail
an6 frpsr the deck. Alan's shoulders
drew uT I'm spasm. The Richardson,
ehey said, was looking for boats: how
lons could men live I'm little boats ex.
posed to that gale and cold?
He turned back to the otherg about
the radio cabin; the glow from within
showed him faces as gray as his; 1t
lighted face on the opposite side OF
the door-a face haggard with dread
fui fright. Old Burr jerked about as
Alan spoke to him and moved away
alone; Alan followed him and seized
his arm.
whats the matter?" Alan demand
ed, holding to him.
The four blasts !" the wheelsman
repeated. "They heard the four
blasts" He iterated 1t once more.
Yes" Alan urged. "Why not?"
but where no ship ought to be; so
they couldn't find the ship-they
couldn't find the ship" Terror, Of
awful abjectness, came over the old
man. He freed himself from Alan and
went forward.
Alan went aft to the car deck. The
roar and echoing tumult of the ice
against the hull here drowned all 9TH
er sounds. The thirty-two freight
cars In their four long lines, stood
wedged and chained and blocked in
place; they tipped and tilted, rolled
and swayed like the stanchions and
sides of the ship, fixed and secure
Jacks on the steel deck under the
EDGES OF the cars, kept them from
rocking on their trucks Men paced
watchfully between the tracks, observ-
Ing the movement Of the cars. The
cars creaked and groaned, as they
worked little this way and that; the
men sprang with sledges and drove the
blocks tight again or took an addi-
tional turn upon the Jacks.
Alan saw old Burr who, on his way
to the wheelhouse, had halted to lis
ten. For several minutes the old man
stood motionless; he came on again
and stopped to listen.
"YOu hear 'em?" Burr's voice qua
vered In Alan's ear. You hear 'em p
"What?" asked Alan.
"The four baasts! You hear 'em
now? The four blastsl"
Burr was straining as he listened,
and Alan stood still too; no sound
came to him but the noise Of the
storm. NO." he replied. II don't
hear anything. Do you hear them
now?"
Burr stood beside him without max
Ing reply; the searchlight, which had
been pointed abeam, shot It's glare for
ward, and Alan could see Burr's face
In the dancing reflection of the flare.
The man had never more plainly re-