The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-31
II q z 77'7T'.55s > .6@R7'fSRsN
Continued from last issue)

. =
lives the crew cleared, while the
sheathing of Ice spread over the steel
,inboard, and dissolution of all the
cargo became complete: Cut stone and
motor parts, GLASSES and castings, fur
.niture and beams, swept back and
forth. while the cars, burst and splin--
tered. became monstrous missiles hurt
ling forward sidewise, aslant fFecoil-
Ing. Yet men, though scattered singly,
tried to stay them by ropes and chains
while the water washed higher and
higher. Dimly, far away, deafened out
by the clangor,, the steam whistle OF
Number .25 was blowing the four long
blasts of distress = Alan heard the
sound now and then with Indifferent
wonder. All destruction had come for
him to be contained within this car
deck: here the ship sloosed on itself all
elements of humiliation who could
aidsit from without? Alan caught the
end Of chain which Corvet: flung him
and. though he knew it was useless,
he carried itaacross from one stanchion
to the next; Something, sweeping
across the deck, caught him and car.
ried him with it; it brought him be-
fore the coupled line Of trucks which
hurtled back and forth where the rails
OF track three .had been. He was
hurled before them and rolled over /;
something cold and heavy pinned him
down and upon him, the car trucks
came. - 49, r.
But, before them, something warm
and living-a hand and bare arm
catching him quickly and pulling at
him, tugged him little farther on.
Alan, looking up, saw Corvet beside
him; Corvet, unable to move him
farther, was c:ouching down there
with him. Alan yelled to: him to leap,
to twist aside and get ont Of the way;
but Corvet only crouched closer and
put his arms over Alan; then the
wreckage came upon them, driving
them apart. a. the movement stopped,
Alan still could see Corvet dimly by
the glow Or the tincandescent lamps
overhead; tkH truck separated them.
1t.bore down. upon Alan, shofding him!
+motionless ait1T on the other side, III
crushed uponaC orvet's legs. -,
He, turned over. as far as he could,
and spoke to Alan. You have been
saving me, sd now Itried to save you"
he said simply.ss"What reason did you
have for doing that? Why have you,
been keeping'by mel" 49, ..
c'sIm Alan SConrad Of Blue Rapids,
Kansas" Alan cried to him. "And
you're Benjamin Corvetl You know
me : you sent for mel Why did you
do that7" "'+' T.. ~
Oorvet made no reply to this. Alan,
'peering at him underneath the truck,
could see that his hands were pressed
against his face and that his body
shook. Whether this was from some
new physical pain from the movement
of the wreckage, Alan did not know
till he lowered his hands after "a mo-
:ment; and now he did not heed Alan
or seem even to be aware Of him.
".Dear little Connie" he said aloud.
'Dear little Conniel She mustn't.
marry him-llot himl That must be
seen to. What shall I do, what shaN
I doY 49, 4
Alan worked nearer him. "Why.
mustn't she marry him?" he cried to-
lCorvet. "Why? Ben Corvet, tell mel,
Tell me why!'' ),
i'Who are your" Corvet seemed only
with, an effort ito become conscious OF
Alan's presence. 81
'"I,m Alan Conrad, whom you used
to take care of. I'm from Blue Rap
Ids. You know about me; are you my
father, Ben Corvet?s Are you my "a
Their or what-what are you to- meF :
"Your father?" Corvet repeated;
':Did he tell you that? He killed your
father, gl.a = :ga., I'm
"Killed him? Killed him, howl" s
"Of course. He killed them all-all.
But your father-he shot him; he shot
him through the head !"
Alan twinged. Sight Of Spearman
came before him as he had first seen
Spearman, covering in Corvet's IL
Ebrary in terror at an sapparition. "And ]
the bullet hole above the eyer So
that was the hole made by the shot
Spearman fired which. had killed I
Alan $ father-which shot him through
the head! Alan peered at Corvet and
called to him. r~-.r i;
.Father s,Benitot!" Corvet called in
responsas Shot directly i Ha REPLY .tos
Aian's question, rather in response TO-
what those Questions stirred "Fathtre
=, Some ene, drawn sbys the, cry, wd,s
moving wreckage near them. A hand I
and arm With a torn sleeve showed :
Alan could not see the rest Of the fig
ure, but by. the, sleeve he recognized
that 1t was the mate. -.
"Who's caught here?" he called
down. e..
'Benjamin Corvet Of Corvet, Sher-
rillsand Spearman, ship owners Of Chi
cago," Corvet's voice replied deeply, I
fully; there was authority in it and .
wonder too-the wonder, Of man find
Ing himself in situation which his
recollection cannot explain.
ben Coryetln the mate shouted in.