The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1922-01-05

1 forward In their ,cilalrf 10 1isten'
"Hello. ..... Yes Red Stack Office.
|. Steamer Yankee Prince.
What's that? silk and ricef
Half mile below the Cliff house,
Eh1,.. Sure. I'll send tug right
away, Llndstrom."
Tiernan hung up and faced the two
sklppers. Gentlemen" he announced,
"here's chance for little salvage
money tonight, The American steam
er Yankee Prince is, ashore half
mile below the Cllff house. She's a
big tramp with a valuable cargo from
Hong Kong, with the rudder gone and
her crank shaft busted"
IT'S high water at twelve thirty
seven." Jack Flaherty pleaded. "You'd
better send me, Ternan. The Bodega
has more power than the Aph-odite."
This was the truth and Dan Hicks
knew II. but he was. not to be. beaten
out, Of his share Of the salvage by
such fllmsy argument. "Jack," he
pleaded, don't be a hog all the time.
The Yankee Prince is an eight thou
sandton vessel aud It's two-tug job.
Better send us both, Tiernan, and play
safe. Chances are our competitors
have, three tugs en- the way right
now" ''-' 'F
what a wonderful imagination you
have, Dan. Eight thousand tonsl
You're crazy, man. She's thirteen
hundred net register and know 1t be-
cause ! was In Newport News when
they launched her. and went out with
her skipper on the trial trip. She's a
long, narrow-gutted craft. with en-
gncs aft like a. lake steamer"
We'll play SAFE" T1ernan decided.
go to it-both of you, and may the
best man .'win. Shell belong to you,
Jack, II she's thirteen hundred net and
YOU get your line aboard first. If she's
as blg as Dan says, she, is, you'l be
equal partners"
But he was stalking to himself.
Down the decks. Hicks and Flaherty
were racing.-fot stiie. respective COM
4 mands,. each shouting 10 his night
watchman to pipe all hands on deck.
Fortunately, goodly. head of steam
lwas .up IN each, tugs, boilers: because
of the fog and the, liability to colll
siops apd consequent hasty summons,
one engineer.on on each ting was on duty.
Out through the Gate they nosed
their: way, ifcavins the lead. continu-
4 ousiy. mnde aswIde'detour around Mile
4 rock and the sea- rocks swung
! mile TO the south of the position OF
the Maggie, and then, came cautiously
I up the coast whistlipg continuously
to acauaint the Yankee Prince with
their presence In the neighborhood
In anticipation of the necessity for
replying to this welcome sound. Cap
tain Scraggs and Mfr. Gibney had, for
the past two hours, busted themselves
getting up another head of steam I'm
the Maggie's boilers, repairing the
whistle and splicing the wires OF the
engine room telegraph. Like the wise
men they were, however. they declined
TO sound the Maggie's siren until the
tugs were quite close. Even then, Mr..
Gibney shuddered, but needs must
when the devil drives. so he pulled
the whistle cord and was rewarded
| with n weird. mournfu grunt, dying
away into a gasp.
sounds like she has the pip" Jack
| Flaherty remarked to his mate
"Must have taken on some OF that
dirty Asiatic water" Dan Hicks sollo-
luized. "and now her tubes have gone
TO glory"
Immediately both tugs kicked ahead
under n dead slow bell, guided by q
series OF toots as bries as Mr. GIbney
could make them, and presently both
tug lookouts reported breakers dead
ahead.
Dan Hicks sent a man forward to
heave the lead under the nose OF the
Aphrodite. which was edging In gin
gerly toward the voice. He had a
seGrchlight, but he did not attempt
to use IT. knowing full well that in
such a fog IL would be of no avail.
Guided. therefore, by the bellowlngs
OF Mr.. Gibney. reinforced by the shrill
yips OF Captain Scraggs, the tug crept
in closer and closer, and when Il
seemed that they must be within n
hundred feet of the surf. Dan Hicks
trained his Lyle gun In the direction
Of Mr.. Gibney's voice and shot a heav-
ing line into the fog.
Almost simultaneous with the report
OF the gun came q shrek of pain from
Captain Scraggs. Straight and true
the wet. heavy knotted end OF the
heaving line came In over the Maggie's
quarter and struck him In the mouth.
In the darkness he staggered back
from the singing blow. c'utched wild.
ly at the air, slipped and rolled over
among the vegetables with the pre-
cious rope clasped 10 his breast.
IL got IT," he sputtered Il got Il,
CHI"
Safe. or Mr.. Gibney bawied. -Pay
out your hawser."
They met II az the tsftrail as Il
came up out OF the breakers. wet but
welcome Pass Il around the main.