Evening star., 1923-07-01

straps.
The slow time dragged along. and
now they were past the eastern tip
of Garden and heading for Stony
reef ahead. Even here in shelter Of
the reef the waves ran high.
Yell not catch him. yelled old
Nels
HE amt around Pismire yet
we got him." sang out Bowery.
Mind the tiller while con the way"
He went leaping forward to the
bow. where he stopped and threw out
the lifebelts in a loose mass. then
stood up on the PROV watching the
bowlder- strewn water ahead.
Straight for Stony reef they drove,
a long line of shoal running out from
Garden island and ending off to. the
left in two shallow sand spits where
the waves burst high.
The Eleanor wallowed over the
shoal water and began to zigzag
back and forth. with Bowery stand
ing UP on the tossing PROV and put
ting out his arms to right or left,
while old Nels showed his weight
against the tiller.
A wild yell came from Bowery as
he sighted the Icelander's boat at
last. Back aft came Bowery. paus-
ing at the engine to pour IN OIL, then
jumped to the stern and seized the
tiller. He put the Eleanor square at
the reef
over with ye"' he shouted to old
Nels. "Over and make the sand
spit-ye can wade it,
Just then she struck, came free
struck again with a rending smash
and stayed where she was. Bowery
leaned forward and threw the engine
into neutral. then came UP and grip
ped the arm of Nels. "Over. or I'll
throw ye" he roared.
Nels scrambled. cupboard and with
his weight gone the boat lifted. Bow
cry threw In the clutch and she began
to forge ahead though she was TAX
ing in water fast from the crash
Nels gained his footing and scrambled
toward the spit OF sand. and the
boat slid of into deep water and
headed out into the channel welter
Straight south across the bow OF
the Icelander's boat Bowery held her
while the waves thundered down. and
broke over her with every crashing
impact OF the bow. Bowery hung q
tarpaulin over the engine. Better
man than I am. hey?" he yelled
Prove II. ye yellow-haired devil"
The larger boat drove straight fol
him while he still headed down across
her bow. The only opening aboard
her was aft, where Gisli Gislison sal
at the tiller.
* r xN
T>HE two boats held steady. un-
i swerving. while up before Bow.
cry rose a veil Of driving mist as
the whirl Of the fywheel churned VI
the rising water. The larger craft
hurled down at him, and suddenly
above her box appeared the yellow
hair of Gislison, he standing Will
foot on tiller and looking ahead with
the ice-cold eyes Of him, since from
below he could not see under heI
bow. Not forty feet Of water held
the two boats apart, and the Ice
lander's craft was headed to strike
the Eleanor fair amidships, for Gis.
iison would give no warning Of hii
intent.
Then, holding his upper body un.
moving, Bowery slid out his foo
through the sloshing water, and wher
his toes touched the clutch lever, hs
showed with all the strength in him
That reversed the enigma checking
the boats speed and pulling her back
and at the same instant Gislisor
swung tiller with his foot to strike
the Eleanor astern and send Bow
cry under with her.
At that play the Icelander lost. Tht
Eleanor seemed to jump backward
under his very eyes. then the bow OF
his boat rose above her on sea ant
came down upon her gunnel, and Tho
open boat rolled with the crash, ou'
drove her engine into the bow Of thu
other and ripped the planks out.
Bowery Gallagher was not undel
that bow as the Icelander wanted
him, for tho crash came forward Of
his seat, and he was in the air and
leapng for the bow space OF the
larger boat, forward OF her house.
Bowery hauled himself over th'
rail, and looked up to see the Ice
lander whirling at him, with foot up
raised. He took the kick, for he had
to. and came to his feet with hur'
ribs and a fist flung out, a moment
the two men stood in that little spac'
of deck and swung at each other
while the boat drifted about in the
trough Of the sea and rolled under
their feet, the bow slowly goinE
down into the water.
Better man than I am, hey? salt
Bowery,- and laughed as he struck
prove 1t, them
, A wave burst over their feet and
legs. Startled by that. the Icelande'
flung up his head. and fierce lool
came into his cold face as he saw
they were going down. then he sick
ened Bowery with q cruel blow under
the belt, turned, and went leapint
toward the stern along the side Of th'
box, and Bowery staggering aftei
him with white lips. BY now thu
rollers were bursting clean over th'
bow of the craft, and In her LEI
fioatsd the scattered life belts from
the Eleanor. as Bowery had nguret
Yhen hs loozened them