The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1922-07-20
Continued frem last weekly

other owner was aboard the new shin
as well-Rasnsdell-th man whose
money you have just told me had built
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; l would not do that, but I
agreed to tow him to Manstique. 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 light, and
there came to me the whistlng of a
puoy which told me that we were pass
Ing nearer than 1 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
~ looked at the man with me in
the wheelhOuse-at Stafford-and
mated him I put my head out at the
wheelhouse door and looked back ut
the lights, at the new, great steamer
following safe and straight at the end
or Its towline. l 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 name for never losing
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 1t have gone upon some
reef like this and been lost? | thought
that If now the hawser should break,
1 would be rid Of that ship and per-
haps of the owner who was on board
as wen. We could not pick up the tow
line again I'm 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 it 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:
Il must look like fool to you to
keep on towing your ship!
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 saitl-'too
close! He went aft then to look at
the tow line"
Father PerrOn's voice ceased; what
he had to tell now made hi face
whiten as he arranged it in his mem
ory. Alan leaned forward a 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 i'm 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
faf
ing, and he, too, listened to the shoal
until Stafford had come back; then he
went aft.
"I looked at him, Father Ben njamin
Corvet 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 we'll as I, and sprang away
from me now and scrambled after him.
The tug leaped suddenly; there was
no longer any tow holding it back, for
the hawser had parted; and knew,
Father, the reason was that Spearman
had cut it!
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 cf the hawser was still upon
the tug, and Spearman had been trying
to clear this when Stafford attacked
MIN; they fought and Stafford struck
Spearman down. He turned and cried
out against me-nccusing me of hav-
ing ordered Spearman to cut the line
He held up the cut end toward Rams
dell on the Miwaha and cried out to
him and showed by pointing that 1t
had been cut. Blood was running
from the hand with which he pointed
for he had been shot by Spearman !;
and now again and a second and a
third time, from where he lay upon the
deck, Spearman fred. The second of