Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1922-08-10
Ned Price,
American
By AUSTIN FLINT

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Copyright. ls3s. Western Newspaper Union
"Betcha can't guess who saw hang
ing about the yard yestidday."
Petty officer Brannigan looked up at
his companion.
"whof" he asked.
"Ned Pricer"
Brannigan spat, and sworel
THAT" he mouthed. you're dream
ing, Jimp
Guess / know the cut of the skunk,
Dressed in a natty blue suit, too.
Thought no one'd know him. Him that
deserted the old Sekotah in London be-
fore we sailed for that scrap in the
chann>'' I'd have put the police on
him, but he got away in the crowd"
II guess" said BFannigan, ibis con-
science will be all the police Priceh
need for the rest Of his life"
The whistle called them. They
clambered down the ladder from the
Sekotah's deck into the tug. In few
minutes the Sekotah was abandoned
by the men who had been working on
her.
"All aboardl' yelled the tug-captein-
"You didn't leave nobody aboard her,
did you Mr.. Brannigan"
IF I did," said Brannigan, It'll be
because he wants to commit the
starkest kind Of suicide that any one
ever planned"
When the tug was at a sufficient dis
| lance q scream sounded from thin
wisp on the horizon, and hfteen-inch
shell came hurtling high overhead
Another and another followed, until
the crescendo filed the air.
The old Sekotah, which had per-
| formed her work nobly in the war, was
going to her honored end. II had been
decided to take the old ship out under
! her own steam and practice on her,
in order to ascertain the effect Of GER
tain improvements in the new ord
nance.
| When the Investigations had been
made, the sea-cocks were to be opened,
and the Sekotah would sink to her
grave upon the ocean bed, the flag fly
ing at her masthead.
Far away Captain Branscombe Of
the Medina watched through his
| glasses.
"Funny thing can't make out her
flag!" he said.
| II saw 1t five minutes ago." said the
lieutenant who stood on the bridge be-
side him.
"Take a look, Bill. Maybe your eyes
are better than mine." said the Cap
tain, handing him his glasses.
Nope, you're right. She amt there"
said the lieutenant, after careful
survey.
The flag was no longer flying. A
shell must have carried 1t away.
"Rotten. shooting, l call It," Brans-
combe fumed. II guess the old girls
had enough by now"
Cease flringi" was signalled. Boats
were manned and put out from the
warships.
As they neared the Sekotah 1t could
be seen that the shells had made fear
full havoc of her. But for the timber
with which her hold had been filed,
she would have gone down long be-
fore. Her sides were ripped open with
great holes through which horse and
cart could have been driven, her decks
were churned and twisted, and her
skeleton masts were tuInbling down.
The old ship was keeling over, and,
even with her wooden paunch, It
looked as If she might not last much
longer. The destructive effects of the
new ordnance had been underesti-
mated.
| The parties from the boats swarmed
upon the deck and began coming the
results Of the firing. Engrossed with
the evidences OF destruction, they did
not heed the thing on the bridge until
shout from one Of the men directed
Petty Officer Brannigan's attention
toward it.
"What in thunder is iti" demanded
one of the officers. "Why, It's the
Sekotahs flag"
1t was the flag, huddled in heap
upon the bridge. Their first thought,
as they moved toward 1t. was that.
carried away by the shell which had
torn 1t from the truck, 1t had fiuttered
down on deck.
| Then II was seen that something
lay beneath It, It was the body Of q
man, killed by shell splinter which
had struck him full in the chest. He
was holding the folds Of the flag 30
tightly that It was almost impossible
| 10 take It from the lifeiess fingers.
| whats the matter, Brannigane
D'you know himT the ofiicer in charge
| demanded.
/ Brannigan gulped.
| ats Ned Price, sir" he snswsFed.
aHim that deserted the old Sek6tah
On leave IN London before they ordered
| .us TO- the Channel. Some one saw him
hanging round the Navy yard yeakef-
day. He must have managed TO hide
himself aboard for---for that"
| There was q moments silence. for
the tragedy oppressed them, the tardy