Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-02-03

captains cabin in response
to a sleepy "Heilo!"
The captain sat up in his bunk. He
snorted. rubbed his eyes, ruffed his
short-clipped white beard with the
palm Of his hand and peered through
the dim light from the overhead cleo
trio globes. 'Eh?" he mumbled
The quartermaster said: Fog, sir"
Then he added: Seas dropped con-
siderable, Sir"
rs that 500" grunted the captain.
Then he hoped out of his bunk. fling
ing back the warm blankets. He
CROPPED for his trousers. "Just a min
ute, Quartermaster." he called. "Give
me a cigar from that box on my
desk" Then, louder, as he straight
ened UP and pulled his trousers on:
Happen to have a match about you?
Seems I can never find blasted light
on this ship"
The Quartermaster unbuttoned his
oilskin coat and fumbled In his
Jacket pockets. Eventually he found
a match.
'That'n do" said the captain as no
pulled the cigar to a glow.
AYE. aye, sir"
Tho quartermaster went from the
cabin and closed the door softly.
A strange whirring came from the
oig-faced clock over the captains
desk. A tiny hammer beneath the
clock lifted and fell four times on a
tiny BELL Almost Immediately after
ward the sound of the clock in the
chart house could be heard. Then
the deep-toned ships bell over the
helmsman's head. on the bridge above,
took up the tale. The notes rever-
berated. muffied. through the en-
c!rcling white.
i'Six. eh?" the captain mumbled out
Of lips closed tight over his smolder-
ing cigar. And still dark"
He shuff1ed back to his bunk, lit
tie wisp Of a man with bright blue
eyes. His face was dusky red. still
unlined. despite his white hair. He
pulled on thick wool gloves before
leaving the cabin.
When he opened the door a watt Of
fog drifted in on him and he coughed
gruff1y. "B-r-r-r-r-r!" he said, and
thrust his hands into the pockets of
his oilskins-pockets he had specially
made. for few oilskins had them.
panion to the navigation bridge. He
peered into the glowing compass
bowl. Then he turned to the sailor
who was steering. a giant Norwegian.
stolid-faced, big-boned, ceaselessly
chewing Copenhagen snuf.
You're off your course, man." he
snarled.
The Norwegian dropped his eyes to
the compass, moved the wheel a spoke
or two, and took no further notice.
THE captain trotted to where the
. = mate stood at the tight-hauled
dodger. looking for'ard into the
Wilderness.
He turned as the other approached.
Pretty thick, SIR" he said. Game
down about half an hour back"
as that SOP responded. the captain
In an aggrieved tone. Happen to
have match about you? Seems I
can never find"
The mate held out a box. Here
you are, sir" Then, impatiently.
worried: rHear that liner snorting
away"
Above the b1eating hand horns from
small fishing schooners came the
coughing below Of a deep-sea ship,
monster by the sound. The cap
tain grunted as he removed one glove,
lit his cigar. and handed the match
box back. Good matches" he said.
The mate stared away into the
murk. He was a young man. It was
his first voyage as mate.
i've got a lookout on the foc'sle-
head, one in the crows nest and one
here on the bridge" he said. He point
in the glass windowed starboard wing Of
the bridge and started out on the beam.
The captain squinted at the tele-
graph near him. 1t was half speed.
He grunted. Then he rang for slow.
The engines pulse dropped tone or
two. The Carroway barely drifted
along the CLASSY, signing sea.
THAT liner" the captain grunted.
TOO near. Probably making twenty
knots. Never slow down. L know.
Carried, mails m'self once. Rules
says slow down in fog. Owners says
get mail in on time or get fired.
know"
Tho mate, who had caught part of
it, said, Yes. sir" still more mood
ily. He wondered what the fishermen
Of the fleet of tiny ships around the
Carroway were thinking about. Prob
ably uneasily waiting for the great
steel bow to tower above them and
cut them down.
The captain shouted suddenly,
Hard a-starbeard!' He damned the
telegraph full astern. One hand he
kept in his pocket. His lips still
4 chewed his cigar.
Out Of tho fog and dark for'ard
came a rending blare OF the liners
siren. Her light cleaned mistily.
Tho wash Of her keen prov could be
heard. muffied. The loom of her was
great, awesome. Tho Carroway's ST.
rem shrilled. and coughed. ..
There. was confused shouting.
The man In the crows nest screamed.
Tho man on the foc'sle-head shouted:
Ahead! Ahead. sir! Ship dead
ahead". Tho quartermaster in the
bridge wing faced in-board.. .. ..
I'VE get IT," he observed calmly.
The heimsman tore the wheel
round with nervous haste. The mate
screamed for all hands on deck.
Slowly the Carroway answered her
helm and. began. 20 SWING clear. ,.'
Butstne liners speed was too great.
Ter wall-liks sides grazed midships.
Her PROV cut into the. Carroway's
stern, and the Carroway shuddered
from keelson' to truck and heeled far
over on her beam. On the liners
great white bridge, far above the
Carroway's bridge, several great
coated officers looked down. white
faced They shouted, waved. A shrill
whistle cut the fog.