Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1922-07-06

the martina COrvetY
Burr jerked away: Alan caught him
again and, with physical strength, de.
tanned him. wasn't it that?" he de.
manded. Answer me; 1t was the
Martha Corvet?" 5
The wheelsman struggled he seemed
suddenly terrified with the terror
which. Instead Of weakening, supplied
Infatuated strength. He threw Alan off
for an instant and started to fee back
toward the ferry; and Alan let him go,
only following few steps to make
sure that the wheelsman returned to
Number rs.
Because Of the severe cold, the
watches on the ferry had been short
ened. Alan would be relieved from
time to time to warm himself, and
then he would return to duty again.
Old Burr at the wheel would be re-
lieved and would go on duty at the
same hours as Alan himself. Benjamin
Corvetl The fancy reiterated Itself to
him. Could he be mistaken? Was that
man, whose eyes turned alternately
from the compass to the bow of the
ferry as it shifted and rose and fell,
the same who had sat In that lonely
chair turned toward the fireplace In
the house on Aston street? We're those
hands, which held the steamer to her
course, the hands which had written
to Alan In secret from the little room
off his bedroom and which pasted so
carefully the newspaper clippings con-
cealed in the nbrary7
Aian faced the wind with mackinaw
buttoned about his throat; to make
certain his hearing, his ears were I'M
protected. They numbed frequently,
and he drew a hand out of the glove
to rub them. The windows to protect
the wheelsman had been dropped, as
the snow had gathered on the glass;
and at intervals, as he glanced back,
he could see old Burr's face as he
switched on dim light to look at the
compass. The strange placidity which
usually characterized the old mans
face had not returned to it since Alan
had spoken with him on the dock its
look was intent and queerly drawn.
Was old Burr beginning to remember,
that he was Benjamin ,Corvet? Alan
did not believe it could be that; again
and again he had spoken Corvet's name
to him without effect. Yet there must
have been times when, If he was actual
ly Corvet, he had remembered who he
was. He must have remembered that
when he had written directions to some
one to send those things to Constance
Sheriff.; or, strange thought had
come to Alan, had he written those in
structions himself? This certainly
would account for the package having
been mailed at Manitowoc and for
Alan's failure to find, out by whom it
had been mailed. It would account,
too, for the unknown handwriting upon
the wrapper, If some one on the ferry
had addressed the package for. the old
man. 4M5 , 49,
What could have brought back that
moment of recollection to Corvet, Alan
wondered; the finding of the things
which he had sent? What might bring
another such moment? Would his see
ing the Sherrills again-or Spearman-
act to restore him?
For half an hour Alan paced steadily
at the bow. The storm was increasing
noticeably in fierceness; the wind
driven snowaakes had changed to hard
pellets which, like little bullets, cut
and stung the face; and it was growing
colder. From cabin window came the
blue flash of the wireless, which had
been silent after notifying the shore
stations of their departure. It had
commenced again; this was unusual.
Something still more unusual followed
at once; the direction Of the gale
seemed slowly to shift, and with it
the wash Of the water; instead of the
wind and the waves coming from dead
ahead now, they moved to the port
beam, and. Number IS. still pitching
with the thrust through the seas, also
began to roll. This meant, Of course,
that the steamer had changed its
course and was making almost due
north. 1t seemed to Alan to force its
engines faster; the deck vibrated more.
Alan had not heard the orders for this
change and could only speculate as to
what 1t might mean.
His relief came after few minutes
more.
Where are we heading7" Alan
asked. 5s
Radio" the relief announced. 'The
II. c, Richardson calling; she's up by
the Afanitous." 's.
"What sort Of trouble7"
She's not in trouble; it's another
ship"
81 what ship?"
''No word as to that"
Alan. not delaying to question fur
ther, went back to the cabins.
I These stretched aft, behind the
bridge. along the upper deck, some
score on each side of the ship; they
had accommodations for almost hum
tdred passengers; but on this crossing
only few were occupied. Alan had
noticed some half-dozen men-business
men. no doubt, forced to make the
crossing, and one Of them, a Catholic
meet, = ~