The Elk Mountain pilot., 1922-07-27


Something still more unusual followed
at once; the direction of the gale
seemed slowly to shift, and with il
the wash of the water; instead OF -
wind and the waves coming from d
ahead now. they moved to the +
beam, and Number %, still pitchih.
with the thrust through the seas. also
began to roll. This meant. of cours.
that the steamer had changed -
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 fsr mis-
change and could only speculate as to
what 1t might mean.
His relief came after few minutes
more.
"where are we heading7" Alan
asked.
Radio" the relief announced. "The
H. @. Richardson calling; she's up by
"a Ianlt~aA"
what sort Of trouble?"
"She's not in trouble; it's another
ship"
"What ship7'
"No word as to that"
Alan, not delaying to question fur
ther. went back to the cabins.
These stretched aft, behind the
bridge, along the upper deck, some
score on each side of the ship; they
had accommodations for almost a hun
dred passengers; hut on this crossing
only a few were occupied. Alan had
noticed some half-dozen men-business
men, no doubt, forced to make the
crossing. and one of them, 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, as he listened, he wrote slowly on
pad.
"What is it?" Alan asked the officer.
1.-The Richardson heard four blasts
of steam whistle about an hour ago
when she was opposite the Manitons.
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. .
Tried again and got no answer. .
But they heard the blasts for half nj,
hour. -. They said they seemed
to be almost beside the ship once
But they didn't see anything
Then the blasts stopped sud-
den, cut off short in the middle as
though something happened. -.
She was blowing distress all right.
The Richardson's searching
again now. Yes, she's search
ing for boats"
ANYONE else answeredY" Alan
asked
"ShOre stations on both sides"
"Do they know what ship II isf'
"No."
what ship might be there nowr'
The officer could not answer that.
he had known where the Richardson
must be; he knew of no other likely
to be there at this season. The spray
from the waves had frozen upon Alan
Ice CLEANED and giinfed from the rail
and from the deck. Alan's shoulders
drew up in a spasm. The Richardson.
they said, was looking for boats: how
long could men live in little boats ex-
posed to that gale and cold7
He turned back to the others about
the radio cabin; rne glow from within
showed him faces as gray as his; it
lighted face on the opposite side of
the door-a face haggard with dread
full fright. Old Burr jerked about as
Alan spoke to him and moved away
alone; Alan followed him and seized
his arm.
whats the matter3" Alan demand
ed, holding to him
''The four blasts" the wheelsman
repeated. They heard the four
biasts!' He iterated it once more
'Yes," Alan urged. "Why not?"
"But where no ship ought to be; SO
they couldn't find the ship-they
couldn't find the ship!' Terror. of
awful abJectness. came over the old
man. He freed himself from Alan and
went forward.
Alan went aft to the car deck. The
roar and echoing tumult of the ice
against the hull 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 and secure.