Evening star., 1925-11-15
BY Courtney Rwey Cooper.
and Now He Had a Chance

hand and rocking. heel and toe heel
| and toe.
Come on, Big Boy" he said with
the attitude OF a man taking new no.
tice OF things about him, and led the
way above. Al the galley he halted
and asked the ships cook what he he d
been feeding the gorilla lately. A week
or so later. the first mate, happening
into the chartroom, glanced over the
skippers shoulder to notice a freckled
ha nd, clutching q pencil. and working
al a crude dra wing OF house upon a
hill. with gallery about it like
promenade deck. and a contraptton I'm
front, awkwsrdly describing a bridge
and wheelhouse.
When the Lady West next numbered
| into port, 1t beca me known that Cap'n
Moat had his eve Out for cargo for
| San Francisco. Two months later.
| they were on their way.
Again was there gossip forward.
Here and there the crew had cha nged:
| there were new members to be told
| the story of that night when the
| former chief came over the rail and
| disappeared again. all in half hour.
Just what had happened. they could
not he sure. except that the Lady
| West was San Francisco bound and
| tap'n Moat at fiongkonR had asked
he bosn 10 mail a letter, the name
on which had been recognized. Things
| turned out that way. The Lady West
| plouGhed on.
on to day when those who lolled
did so under shelter from & white.hot
sun. and the black gang made more
| frequent trips above for air, while the
| chief. in petulant voice. signaled
| through the tube tn The first mate
| bout the ventilstors Which svailed
nothing. They were turned full the
| first mate said: the trouble did not lie
above. How could he gel air down TO
them when there wasn't breath stir
ring. and the ship trying to buck
| swell that was growing stronger every
| minute? Then the chief sent another
persona iity through the tube and the
| first mate responded:
| well. I'm not running The ship.
ASK the skipper about changing her
| course; don't ask me. He's Frisco
| bound: a point off course Is a million
mile 10 him. Best thing you can do Is
give 'er more steam; this swell's head
on"
| ''fiow can get steam without
draft" snapped the rejoinder from
| below, and there the conversation
| ended
The world of the sea had become a
| thunderous thing of black and flash
| ing green. revealing g stricken object
| like troughs. fought upward against
| The towering walls OF breaking water
all about. then fell again to new
| depths and greater efforts. Lights
were out, excepting one in the wheel
house. and faint gleam at the stern,
| dipping and rising. swaying with sick
| ening commissions, dropping until ii
| seemed the range must become perpen-
| dicular. then sweeping upward with
L "A n
| like some vagrant star in stsrIess
| black ere IL once more began It's down
| ward course again.
| Again and again. Cap'n Moat. on
| the bridge, gripping the rail in the
| darkness or giving with mincing steps
| before the heavy rolls. only to bring
up short at the bal la nee point. noticed
| Ihst for the last five minutes the
rise of the stern had brought no ces-
sation Of the propeller. but instead
constantly increasing vibration which
seemed to penetrate to the very heart
of the stricken ship. He veered. and
stubby arms paving before him. stag
| gered to the engine.room tube.
| Amt that indicator working" he
snapped.
| Yes the faint voice from beloN
was mingled with the swish Of pistons
and the clanking of heavy steel. Yes
| it's working, but
Then why amt YOU easing her
over? That propeller keeps right on
| going
| Yes. sir 1t came To the accom-.
| pa niment OF heavy era rankheads turn
| ing. and of certain strange. inter
mittent rumbiing which Cap'n Moat
could not fathom. We're having a
| bit of trouble"
| TROUBLE" Cap'n Moat raised his
head. That terrific vibration again,
| like A thing in the hand of an infuri
ated giant, being shaken. The angry
slap of a wave. rising high above the
| forward deck. lowering there for an
awful moment in the green nash of
jagged lightning. then coming down
fun TO slosh and swirl a nd batter itself
| against swaying fittings. then sweep
| again into the sea az If to gain new
| fury. The whine and rush and below
Of the wind, mingling its myriad
weird noises with the cacophony Of the
waters. Cap'n Moat brushed at his
| ears as II 10 improve his hearing. and
| then, head bent, resumed the tube.
| '"rrouble?" he asked in perplexed
manner.
Yes. sir" came the faint voice
| Main bearing. propeller shaft. Some
| things happened. sir-must've been
that bad wrenching We got while
back. sir She's of true, evidently.
| w caring on the main DedF1nS- ITettN
hot-althoush we're doing our best to
keep 1t drowned I'm OIL
Then save IT by shutting off when
| the stern's out"
| Afraid to- sir There was a mono
| tone of fatality In the voice. The
| last time--it blurred pretty hard. like
1t had started to freeZe-the bearing
sir. Against the shaft. Must be ex-
pa nded some from heat, sir"
J Cap'n Moat grunted. and again took
10 stumbling about the bridge. only to
return as that shiverins tore again
at the ship. He blew in the engine
room and waited. And agein--to re-
ceive no answer. For a third time.
Then he halted: the tube evidently had
been lifted from its hook by some one
waiting to give q last command before
answering, admitting tumble Of con-
fused sounds and comma nds before at
last the message travelled upward.
| It's gone. sir
The bearing"
Yes. sir. You'd better come down.
sir