The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-03-29
CONTINUED from last issue)


had accommodations for almost hun.
bred passengers; hut on this crossing
only a few were occupied. Alan had
noticed some half-dozen NERVOUSNESS
men, no doubt, forced to make the
crossing, and one Of them, a Catholic
priest, returning probably to some mis-
sion in the north; he had seen no wom'
en- among them. A little group OF
passengers were gathered now in the
door Of or just outside the wireless
cabin, which was. one Of the row on the
starboard side. Stewards stood with
them and the cabin maid; within, and
bending over the table with the radio
instrument, was the operator with the
second officer beside him. The violet
spark was rasping, and the operator
his receivers strapped over his ears,
strained to listen. He got no reply,
evidently, and he struck his key again !;
now. us he listened, he wrote slowly on
pad. s... T.. ~.
what is itT' Alan asked the officer.
"The Richardson heard four blasts
OI u SLeu1I uOous al AAoNA "SS~
when she was opposite the Manitous.
She answered with the whistle and
turned toward the blasts. She couldn't
find any ship" The officers reply was
interrupted by some OF the others.
'Then 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. i. T.. /.
Tried again and got no answer. b!
Bat 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 -. 81. sud
den, cut OF short in the middle as
Trough something happened. ,
She was blowing distress all right.
z. =. The Richardson's searching
again now. -. d. Yes, she's search.
ing for boats" ~ " ( - =,
Anyone else answered." Alan
asked. 2} .,. H.. :"
"Shore stations on both Sides"
do they know what ship it isl"
No" i ->'-"
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 1t this season. The spray
from the waves had frozen upon Alan;
ice cleaned and glinted from tie, rail
and from. the deck. Alan's shoulders
drew up lii a spasm. The Richardson,
they said, was looking for boats; how
loAE could men live in little boats ex-
posed to that gale and cold? Z, 20. T.
He turned back to the others about
the radio cabin; the glow from within
showed him faces as gray as his; it
lighted a face on the opposite side OF
the door---a face haggard with dread.
full fright Old Burr. jerked. about an
Alan spoke to him and moved away
alone; Alan followed him and seized
his arm. :. 81 49, - >..,+%EA'. ~
whats: the matterw Alan demand
ed, holding to him. Ar--. : :. + +, &. -.
",rhe four blasts." the wheelsman
repeated. & '.11hey. heard the four
blasts!" He iterated it once more. J.
Yes" Alan urged. .'Why not?"! w..
But Where no ship ought TO- be-; 50
they couldn't find the ship--they
couldn't find the ship!" Terror, OF
awful abjectness, came over the. old
man. IIe,freed himself from Alan and
went forward. Il. 80 Il =. ,.Fas:l ,
d, Alan went aft to the car deck. The
roar and echoing tumult Of the Ice
against the hun 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 ard 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 greaned, MS they
worked little this way and that the
men sprang with sledges and drove the
blocks, tight again or took an add.
tiOnal turn upon the jacks. IS ss,sA i.er'
Alan saw old Burr who, on his way
to the .wheelhollse., had halted to lis.
ten. For several minutes the old man
stood n,otfonless; heE came on again
and stopped to listen (; :, 49, y ~ ,@,
"Yon hear 'en?" &Burrs voice qua
vered III Alan's ear. 'ttYou hear 'emr"
:.NNhat?' asked Alan. 90 Ti'a3. w
1.-THE four blasts! You hear 'em
now! The four blasts - t,s;s 2s. ..s4z
Burr was straining as he listened,
and Alan stood still too; no sound
came to him hut 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 its glare for
ward, and Alan could see Burr's face
In the dancing reflection of the flare.
The man had never more plainly re-