San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-12

I ter, shuddered like living thing,
and the swath of the searchlight
described long are into the sleet
and the storm. 1t may have been
that knutsen shouted again-a mean-
ingless sound that was lost quickly
in the wind-but for seconds that
seemed to drag into interminable
centuries he sat absolutely without
outward sign of motion. His great
hands clutched his wheel, the
muscles were set anC punched, but
it was as if the man had died and
was frozen rigid in a instant of in
credible tension. His face utterly
without expression, Forest crouched
beside his engines.
There was nothing that either of
them could do. The waves and wind
were power no man could stay. All
their efforts were as useless as Knut-
sens shout; already the little ship
was in the remurseiegs grasp of a
great billow that was hurting her to-
ward the ridge of white loan in
front. For another instant she
seemed to hang suspended, as if sud-
denly taken wing, and then there
was sheer drop, sense of falling
out of the world. A queer ripping,
tearing sound, not loud at all, not
half so terrifying as the buster Of
The wind, reached them from the hold.
Cold sober, Knntsen turned in his
place and gonged down certain orders
to Forest. In scarcely moment. it
seemed. they were pulling the bat
tens from the two little iifeboats on
the deck.
Knutsen's brain was entirely clear
and sure as he gave his orders on the
deck. His hand was steady as iron.
His failure to master himself had
brought disaster, but he knew how
to master ship at tire like this.
From the instant the Charon had
struck the reef, he vas the power
upon that stormswept deck, and what
ever hope McNab had lay in him.
Almost at once the four passengers
were oil deck, waiting to take their
mcager chance in the lifeboats. The
stress, tie raging clements. those
angry seas that ever leaped higher
and nearer, as if coveting their NOR
tai lives, most of all the terror such
as had never previously touched
them. affected no two of them alike.
OF the three women, Bess alone
moved forward. out of the shelter of
the cabin, to be of what aid she
could. Her drawn, white face was
oddly childlike in tie lantern light
Mrs. Hardenworth had been stricken
and silenced by the Tearing visage of
death; Lenore. almost unconscious
with terror, made strahging, sob
bling sounds that the wind carried
away. And in this moment of in
finite travail Ned Cornet felt his man.
hood string within him.
Ned came up and knutsen's cold
gaze leaped over his face. Help me
here" he commanded. "McNab. you
help Forest. and Julius launch the
larger boat"
There was not much launching to
do. Waves were already bursting
over the deck. Knutsen turned once
more.
ave want four people in each
boat" he directed sharply. "Cornet,
you and / and Miss Hardenworth in
this one. The other girl will have TO
get in here. too. The other boats |
slightly largcr-Mrs. Hardenworth.
get in with McNab, Forest, and !
julius"
Put Mrs. Hardenworth in your
boat, SO she and Lenore can be to- |
gether." Bess told Captain Knutsen. |
III get in the other"
TIE captain did not seem to hear. |
He continued to shout his orders. |
In the work of lowering the lifeboat
he had cause to lift his lantern high, |
and for moment its yellow CLEAN
was bright upon Bess' drawn. bag
gard face. Farther off it revealed |
Ned, white-faced but erect in the |
beat of the storm.
In one instant's insight, a single |
glimpse between the storm and the |
sea, he understood that she was TAX |
ing him Mt his word.
Set in with u.s." he said shortly. |
= Don't be silly-as / was" Then. |
lest she should mistake his senti |
ment: Mrs. Haardenworth is twice |