Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-08-18

n haHStfs tSHtciIeu unexpectedly Dy tT
l pitching of the sea, caught and crushe
the captain and deckhand Of the tn
! and threw them into the sea.
Because they were short hande
now upon the tug. and also becaus
consultation was necessary over wha
was to be done. the young owner @
the Miwaka, Captain Stafford, cam
down the hawser onto the tug after tn
line had been put straight. He cam
to the wheelhouse, where Benjamin.
Coryet was, and they consulted. The
Benjamin Corvet learned that tn
other owner was aboard the new shil
as weil-Ramsdell--the man who's
money you have just told me had bull
this and was soon to build other ships
did not understand before why learn
Ing that affected him SO much.
stafford wanted us (this Is what
Benjamin Corvet said) to tow him W
the lake; would not do that, but
agreed to tow him to Manistique. The
night was dark, Father-no snow, but
frightful wind which had been increas
Ing until 1t now sent the waves wash
Ing clear across the tug. We had gone
north an hour when, low upon the wa
ter to my right, | saw a light, and
there came to me the whistling of q
buoy which told me that we were pass
Ing nearer than I would have wished,
even In daytime, to windward of Boul-
der reef. There are, Father no people
on that reef Its sides of ragged rock
| go straight down forty fathoms into
| the lake.
II looked at the man with me In
the wheelhouse--at Sutherland
hated him put my head out at the
wheelhouse door and looked back ut
the lights, at the new, great steamer.
following safe and straight at the end
of Its towline. thought of my two
men upon the tug who had been
crushed by clumsiness of those on
board that ship; and how my own
ships had had a name for never losing
man and that name would be lost
now because of the carelessness of
Stafford's men And the sound of the
shoal brought the evil thought to me.
Suppose had not happened across his
ship; would 1t have gone upon some
reef like this and been lost? / thought
that If now the hawser should break,
| would be rid Of that ship and per-
haps of the owner who was on board
as well. We could not pick up the tow
line again In so close to the reef. The
steamer would drift down upon the
rocks
Father Perron hesitated an instant.
Il bear Witness" he said solemnly,
that Benjamin Corvet assured me
his priest--that 1t was only thought;
the evil act which II suggested was
something which he would not do or
even think of doing. But he spoke
something Of what was In his mind to
Stafford, for he said
81 must look like a fool to you to
keep on towing your shipi
They stared, he told me into one
another's eyes, and Stafford grew I'M
easy.
"'We'd have been all right he an
swered, until we had got help, IL you'd
left us where we werer He, too, lis-
tened to the sound Of the buoy and Of
the water dashing on the shoal. You
are taking us too close he said--'too
closet He went aft then to look at
The tow line
Father Perron's voice ceased; what
ne had to tell now made his face
Shiten as he arranged 1t In his men,
Try. Alan leaned forward little and
hen, with an effort, sat straight. Con-
itanee turned and gazed at him; but
10 dared not look at her. He felt her
land warm upon his; 1t rested there a
and moved away.
DThere was a third man In the
vheelhouse when these things were
poken," Father perron said, "the mate
{ the ship which had been laid up at I
Henry spearman,' Sheriff. sup
lied. II
THAT Is the name. Benjamin Cor (
ct told me Of that man that he was |
Dung, determined, brutal and set upon /
citing position and wealth for him @
elf by any means. He watched Corvet c
nd Stafford while they were speak h
'g, and he, too, listened to the shoal I
ntil Stafford had come back; then he c
ent aft. d
81 looked at him, Father Benjamin S
orvet said to me. and let him GO I
Dt knowing. He came back and v
oked at me once more, and went again b
the stern; Stafford had been watch
G him as well as l, and sprang away (,
ON me now and scrambled after him.
he tug leaped suddenly; there was 81
J longer any tow holding It back, for Fl
e hawser had parted; and knew, h
lther, the reason was that Spearman a
Id cut it II
I" Il rang for the engine to be slowed, A
Id left the wheel and went aft a
me struggle was going on at the Il
ern of the tug; flash came from W
ere and the cracking of shot. Sud. IL
My all was light about me as, aware ri
the breaking OF the hawser and Il
armed by the shot, the searchlight of bl
e Miwaka turned upon the tug. The ly
t end of the hawser was still upon
e tug. and Spearman had been trying A
clear this when Stafford attn ctx oil N,