The Lamar register., 1922-01-04

rent oore them steadily on to the
ciamorous shore. where the swells
were creating promontories. bays.
cliffs and chasms In the piled-up con-
fusicn of the foes pounding on the
rocks. breaking up or sliding atop one
another In noisy confusion.
The marble-whiteness Of the Ice
masses was set of by. the blues and
soft violets of their shadows, and b.
pearly sheen wherever the planes
caught the light et a proper slant fpS
the play of prisms. Beautiful as It
was, .he sight was fearful to Rainey.
In common with the crew. Only Lund
surveyed it nonchalantly.
ITS Dustin up fast" he said. "All
we need Is little luck. If we amt
got that there's no use Of worryin'.
We can't blast ourselves out o. this
without riskin' the schooner. We
ought to be thankful we froze In gen.
lie. There amt a plank started. The
fioell fend us of. There amt emmy
big chunks emmy way near us aft. Luck
to make a decent landin'-ls all we
need, an it's my hunch It's comm our
way"
His ''hunch" was correct Though
they did not actually make the little
bay OH which the treasure beach de-
bouched. they fetched up near 1t
against broken hill Of Ice that had
lodged on the sharp slopes of little
promontory. making the connection
Nyfthnnf ftrrfhAr
ting OF the forward end Of their en-
casing foe. with hardly jar to the
Karluk
Lund sent men ashore over the Ice,
climbing to the promontory crags with
hawsers by which they tied up
schooner. foe and all. to the land. II
the broken hill suffered further catas-
trophe. which did not seem likely, Its
fragments would fall upon the foe.
In case of emergency Lund ordered
men told Off day and night to stand by
the hawsers, to cast loose or cut, as
the extremity needed.
1t was dark before they were
snugged. The men volunteered,
through Hansen. to commence digging
that night by the light OF big fires.
so crazy were they at the nearness of
the gold. But Lund forbade 1t.
You'll work reg'lar shifts when you
git started" he said AN you won't
start till termorrer. We've got to
stand by the ship ternight until We
find out by mornin' how snug we're
goin' to be berthed."
All night long they lay In a pan
demonium OF noise. After a while
they would become used to It us do
the workers I'm a stampmill. but that
night II deafened them, kept them
awake and alert. fearful. with the tre-
mendous cannonnding. The bit Of the
frost made the timbers OF the Karluk
creak and its thrust continually
worked among the stranded masses
with groaning thunders and shrill
grindings. while the surf ever boomed
on the resonant sheets OF ice.
Dawn came before they were aware
of II, n sudden rush of light that dyed
the Ice in every hue OF red and orange.
that tipped the frozen coast with
bursts of ruby flame that flared like
bcacons and gilded the crests OF the
long sNtils, tinSlils uii theiI Noriu WIN
a wild. unnatural glory.
Lund. stridlng the deck. his red
beard iced with his breath. suddenly
stopped and stared into the east.
There, In the very eye of the dawn,
was trail of smoke. like a plume
against the flaming, three-quarters cir
Gle of the rising sun!
Lund's face. on which the bruises
were fast fading. changed purple
black with rage. He whirled upon
Sandy, gaping near. and ordered him
to fetch his binoculars. Through them
he stared long at the smoke. Then
he turned to the girl and Rainey.
Come down inter the cabin" he
said. wen need all our wits. That's
n patrol boat. japanese, for a million
None other this far west. An It's
id funny 1t should come up right at
this minnit. We've made the trip
on schedule time. an here they show.
But wen let that slide We've got to
think fast. They'll board US. They'll
overhaul us lookin' for seal pelts. At
least | hope so.
We've got none. Our hun-ers an