The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-09-13

twice your weight and ihlu boat
Viii hr overloaded as Il ia."
The girl looked az him quietly,
noddtng her head IN no had OK
pected gratitude ho was disnppolnt.
ed FOR sha received the invitation
az merely an actually ~ her own.
immutablo destiny Indeed the
wings ~ destiny were sweeplng her
forward. her life suli miertWined
with his both pawns In tho vast
lnserutahlo movements 81 events.
Tie helped her into tho dory'
Julius who az the captains orders
had been rifling the cabins, threw
mankcls 10 her Then tendeflY.
lending her his strength. Ned
helped fenorc over the wind swept
deck into The bow scat of the lie
boat, nearest TO the seat he would
take himself Buck up my girl
he told her a deep. throbhing note
Ia his voice, "ln look after you.
Already tho deck was dcserted.
Tho dim light showed that the
larger dory containing McNah,
Forest. Julius and Mrs Harden.
worth. had already been launched
There WAS no sign OF them now.
The darkness and the storm had
already dropped between, They
could not hear a shout of direc
ilons between the three men. not
a scrclm OF fear from the terri
fed woman who was their charge.
Il was a. II they had never been.
Only the Charon WIS lsfi her
decks awash and soon 10 dive and
vanish beneath the waves and
their little group ia the dim glenm
OF the lantern, Knutscn ana Ned
took their places at the oarlocks.
Ned nearer the bow, Knutsen Just
behind A great wave seemed %
catch them and hurl them away
Could they live IN this little boat
on these tumultuous srasf of
course the storm was nothing com.
pared 10 the tcmpcats wcaihored
successfully by larger lifeboats. but
Il held the utmost peril here. Any
moment might see them over
whelmed Tho least OF those great
waves. catching them jus, right.
might overturu them In an instant
Already the charon Wa lost in
tho darkness. Just a. The other lifc'
boat had been lost an instant be.
fore. Not even knuiscn could tell
In what direction sho lay. siill
tho waves hurried them along. The
chill wind shrieked over them. rag.
ing that they should have dared to
venture into STE desolate domains.
Could they hvc until the morn.
mgr wouldn't cold and exposure
make an end 10 them IN the long,
bitter hours to comet The odds
looked 30 uneven. the chances 50
bitterly long against them Could
their little sparks OF being. tho
breath IL life that ever was 30
wan and feeble. the little. wonder
ing moment 81 self knowledge that
az best secmed only the fabric Of a
dream could these prevail against
the vast. unspeakahle forces of the
North Wouldn't the spark SO out
in l,tla while. the breath be
blown away on the wings 81 tho
wind. the sclfllFht burn down In
tho EloomF AZ any moment thelr
fragile boat might strike another
submerged reef. There was no
light 10 guide them row. They
were lost and alone In an empty
ocean. helpless prey TO the whlrno
ot the North.
Tho pillar. 81 their strength
had fallen. asan's civilization that
had been their god was suddenly
shown aa an empty idol, helpless
20 aid them now. Tho light. the
beauty. the strong cities they had
lived had no influence here. seem.
lngiy death itself could not make
these things farther distant. leea
avaiiing. For the first time since
thry we're horn Ned and Lrnor~
were face 10 face with life. and
also with the death that shadows
llfc. For the first time they knew
the abIect terror ~ utter helpless.
ness There Was nothing they could
do. They were lmpotent prey 10
whatever fate awaited them, Capt
Kautaen. mighty Of frame, his blood
surglng tiercrly thru the avenues
Of hts veins. and Bees. schooled 70
hardship. were ever so much better
of than they. They were better
disciplined, stronger in misfortune.
better qualified 10 meet danger
and disaster For no other reason
than that holding respect for these
northern seaH-4they were more
warmly dressed. their chances were
better for ultimate survival.
but what awaited them when
the night was done2 How slight
was tho chance that. in this world
of gray waters. shey would ever
encounter an inhabited Island. II
was true that islands surrounded
them on all sides. but mostly they
were but wastes Of wind-swept
tundra, not ono In four having
human habItations Mostly the
islands were large. and such habl.
tations ms there might be were
scattered iii sheltered valleys along
tho shore. and II was wholly prob
able that the little boat could pass
and miss them entirely. They
couldn't survive many days on
these wintry waters The mcager