The daily Alaskan., 1922-08-08
Copyrdht bq E6NR, BoImer~- y ~ '251+a~a

"'At midnight, rather. 10 WeSJWuIu of the Foxes. we heard the four blasts of steamer in disyress-the four long blasts which have sounded in my soul ever since! We turned toward where we saw the steamers lights; we went rcarer and. Father, it was his great Ssfp-the Miwnku, We had heard two .,avs before that she had passed the Suo: We had not known more than that of where she was. She had broken her new shaft Father, and was intact eX- rrpt for that. but helpless in the rising sea
 The priest broke of. "The Nliwaka l did not understand all that that had meant to him until Just now-the new ship of the rival line, whose building meant for him failure and defeat!
 "Thcrp is no higher duty than the rescue Of those in peril ut sea. He Benjamin Corvet. who told me this Sw0re to me that at the beginning none upon the tug had any thought eX- cept tu give aid. A small line was drifJed down to the tug and to this a huwser was attached which they hauled aboard. There happened then the first of those events which led those upon the tug into doing a great wrong. He-Eruiamin Curyet-hud taken charge of the wheel of the tug; three men were handling the huwSer In Ice and washing water ut the stern. The whistle accidentally blew, which those on the Miwuka understood To mean that the hawser had been se- cured. sO they drew .n the S'anh: the huwser frightened unexpectedly by the pitching of the Sru. caught and crushed the captain and drchhud nt thr tug and threw them into the sea.
 "BrrauSe they were short-hanled now upon the tug. and also because consultation was necessary over what was Co be done. the young owner uf the MiwaEa. Captain Stafford came down the huwsrr onto the tug after the line had been put straight Hr came to the wheeIhouSe. where Benjamin Coryrt was, and they consulted. Then Beuilmlu Corvet learned that the other owner was aboard the new ship as wcIl-RamSIrDI-thr man whose money you have just told me had built this and was soon Co build other ships. I-dfI not understand before why learn ing that affected him so much.
 Stafford wanted us (this is what Benjamin CUrypt said 'to tow him up the lake; would moi do that. but I agreed to tow him to lJ0uisr.Que. The night WAS dark, Fa.her-uo snow, but frighrful wind which had been .nrreUs- ing until it now sent the waves wash ing clear across the tug We had gone north an hour when. low upon the wa ter tU my right. I saw light. and there came tO me the whiS-IiUg of buoy which told mp that We were pass ing nearer than l would have wished. even in daytime. Co wiudwurd of BOul- der reef. There ure Father uu people on that reef: it's sides of ragged rock go straight down forty farhoms into the lake.
 "T looked at the man with me in the wheelhouse-ar Sraford-and hated him. l put my head ont ut the wheelhouse door and looked back at the lights. at the new. great steamer. following Sure and straight at tine end of its r0wlIne. l thought of my two men upon the tug who had been crushed by clumsiucss of those on board that ship; and how my own ships had had a name for never losing man aud that name would be lost now because Of the CureleSSueSS of StaTurd's men, And the sound of the shoul brought the evil thought Co me. Suppose l had not happened across his ship: would it have gone upon some reef like this and been lost? I thought that if now the hawser should break. l would be rid of that ship and per haps Uf the owner who was on board us we'll We could not pick mp the tow line again in so close to the reef. The steamer would drift down upon the rocks"
 Father Perron hesitared an instant. "I bear witness" he said soIpmnly. "that Benjamin Corvet assured me his prlpst-Jhut it was only a thought; the evil act which it suggested was something which he would mot do or even think of doing. But he spoke something of what was In his mind to Stafford. for he said:
 "'I must look like a 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 flashing on the shoal. You are taking us too close, he said-'too cIoser He went aft then to look at the tow line"
 Father PerrOn'S voice ceased; what he had to tell now mude his 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 ga2Cd at him; but