Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1925-10-23
ALL SPOKE
A DIFFERENT
LANGUAGE
BY ALFRED E. BENNETT
20 by Short Story Pub. Co. ]

~ HE trans-Pacific mail liner Mon
golia lay for two days In mid
ocean, helpless, from an ac-
cident In her fire rooms, and
then proceeded on her way. The fol-
lowing are fragments of an exhaustive
and carefully written account of the
accident in the ships log:
AT IL O'clock post meridian,
July 20, 10; Longitude 1876 de-
grees 80 minutes W; latitude 8
degrees N, quantity of escap-
Ing oil In the forward fire-room
caught fire. When the firemen
rushed on deck some one gave
the fire alarm. In spite Of the eff
forts of officers and crew panic
ensued among the passengers.
Second cutter was cast adrlft,
presumably by two Storage pas
sengers that are missing. Hon.
James Wellden, Barrlster, Lon
don, first cabin, missing,
Supposed to have fallen overheard
during the excitement"
When morning broke on the drift
ing cutter her occupants studied each
other curiously. The English jurist
remembered the giant Slav and the
big, coarse Italian. He had seen them
often among the other steerage pas
sengers around the break Of the fore
castle when he took his daily prone
made. The Slav and the Italian turned
to each other, knowingly. This was
the little man with the slde-whlskers
that had nodded approvingly when the
mate kicked and swore at steeragc
passenger for failing to observe the
sign:
"STEERAGE PASSENGERS NOT
ALLOWED ABAFT THIS
NOTICE"
And 1t was quite natural that this
superior person should even now be
In the after part Of the boat while
they found themselves forward There
was no attempt at conversation. BY
the frightened cries that had followed
their separation from the liner the
men learned that they all spoke a
different language. The sea was
smooth as glass, and there was moth
Ing to be seen but the eternal sun
and the sky's colorless ring.
1t was about the middle Of the fore
noon when the Slav licked his dry
lips, swallowed hard several times,
and leaned toward the water-beaker
and box of sea-stores that lay In the
bottom Of the boat. But the Italian
moved at the same time and the two
men looked at each other. From the
big, watery, paleblue eyes, and the
dull, Ox-like orbs there flashed n light
that might blaze between deter
mined hyena and stubborn jackal
over the body of lamb, or lone
watering place In the desert. Then,
they turned to the whlte-haired jurst,
who sat strangely still.
The men We're hungry and thirsty
The aged Englishman was even faint
And food and drink-there were the
boat-box and water-beaker that are
kept In all the boats Of an ocean-go-
ing vessel.
Again the two men forward gazed
long at the precious provisions and
then Mt the old man.
"He did not pull an oar; he Is use
less" With this thought they both
moved; their shoulders touched, and
they thrilled at the contact-the
knowledge Of comradeship. Here was
unity Of purpose. They were brothers.
Not a culver Of this sinister pan
tOmime had escaped the Englishmnn.
He felt a great wave Of selfpity. He
realized that he had been condemned
by the highest trlbunal-a majority OF
the people-and that there was no ap.
peal Hls-vote was the minority.
Grasping at a last straw, his judicial
mind thought of mixing religion with
pOlitlcs-it had been done to advan
tage-sO keeping his eyes steadily on
the now on-coming Italian, he made
the sign Of the cross on his forehead
and breast. But the blackbrowed man
did not pause. He climbed over the
last thwart There would be plenty
Of time for the cross It would serve
when the water and food were gone
Slowly edging back until he crOuched
upon the gunwale by the idly swing
ing filler, the condemned man watched
his executloners advance. BENDING
low. shoulders together, hands claw
like the twin beasts crept relentlessly
on.
When they put their feet together
on the coXswan's seat, the man on the
aunwaie lifted his face once TO per.
,.,Hs nj NtsIt hn
callnness and dellberation OF one get
ting into bed. let himself over the
stern into the sea.
Strengthening up the italian drew
back the corners Of his long mouth
showing two rows OF ivory, sharp,
sharp as a dogs and white as milk
The Slav answered his brother by lift.
ing thick lip from dirty, irregular
teeth, after the manner Of Gagged
jaguar that places his paw on hunk
of bloody meat. Neither man could
wipe away the smile. The Italians
face stiffened like CHASTITY mask
and the Slav, try as he might could
not bring the upper lip back over his
teeth.
They sank down on the after.
thwart, back to back, and sat long in
deadly silence. Suddenly, the same
thought came to both. Whlrllng,
llghtning-llke. they recolled for an
instant at the ghoulsh grins, and
flew at each others throats.
Long into the night they fought
Perfectly matched, neither could gain
IN advantage, and rolling in the bot