Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-01

CluLCneQ the girl shoulder
in a rough grip.
she's moving!' he cried.
Silent and fascinated, they watched
for an aWed moment. Beyond QueS-
ton, the ship was moving. She had
been just without the path of the
moonlight on the sea when they first
glimpSed her. Now her bow cut
slowly into 1t, and presently her whole
hulk was silhouetted against the
white light.
They've left us, Sidney
He dashed to the rail over which
they had come, the girl following.
The great hawsers which had
linked the two vessels were no longer
taut. They disappeared loosely into
the sea, Stating against the side of
the bark. The breeches buoy was
where they had left it, rising and fall
ing sullenly in the waves.
The sea anchor had been cast
adrift!
He raced across the deck again and
stared out at the moving steamer.
She had passed out of the moon path
now and seemed to be gaining speed.
In a. frenzy of CONSERVATION he
raised his voice in a series of shouts
and ''halloos." The girl joined hers
with it. When at last they paused,
breathlesS, Trask shook his head In
despair.
They're over half a mile off, he
gasped. They'll never hear US
Cant we make a signal? A light?"
He dashed back to the cabin, stun
bled down the step, and returned with
the candle. Sidney was already
flashing her electric torch, having
climbed to the top Of the deckhouse
In order that the signal might be
more easily seen. A puff of air blew
the candle out and Trask threw 1t
from him angr1ly.
Keep your lamp going! he called.
She stood braced against the niZzen
mast, bravely waving her pocket
torch. while Trask began hunting
about the deck in feverish, haste. If
he could only build bonfire on the
deck!
Everything that he touched was
dripping wet, and he gave up the
quest and rushed once more to the
cabin in search of something that
would burn He remembered the dry
bedding in the upper bunk, where she
had put the kitten. There was an
agonizing delay while he lighted an
other candle. Then he lurched
heavily through the water that chung
about his knees and entered the state
room.
With a swift jerk he snatched the
bedding and mattress from the berth.
The kitten fell out, uttering a fright
ened meow. He picked it out of the
water, tossed it into the lower berth
and charged out into the cabin with
his burden. A chair f1oated across
his path and the rungs got between
his legs. He went headlong, carrying
his precious load with him.
When he picked himself out OF the
water he was in darkness again, and
the once dry bedding had Joined the
soggy fiotilla that voyaged dismally
back and forth with each movement
of the vessel.
with an oath. Of desperation he
CROPPED his way back to the steps and
ran to the deck. The girl was still
at her post, waving her little white
light. It was pitifully puny. There
was scarcely chance in a thousand
that it would be seen, Trask knew.
The Gulf Stream steadily widened
the distance between her and the hulk
under their feet. She had swung
about, presenting her stern to them,
and every minute was carrying her
farther and farther from them.
Trask Joined the girl on the deck
house. :.
"r can't find a thing that'n burn"
he cried. "Everything's soaked. Have
they given any sign?"
She shook her head and continued
Trask ragged incoherently al he
watched the receding ship, her lights
still knocking them from across a.
long expanse Of sea.
"But we're doing our best, Billy"
she said quietly. "We can't do any
more"
Presently she glanced at her torch,
made a little shrug of resignation and
tossed the useless thing away. The
battery was exhausted.
How far away is she now?' Sid
ney asked in a voice that astonished
him by its steadiness.
"A mile and half at least. They'll
never see us!'
mo, I'm afraid not. How could
Il have happened?"
''Blodgett must have decided to
move on and just cast loose his
hawsers. He would not bother to send
boat out to unfasten them at this
end"
"And the buoy. too?"
Evidently just let everything go
adrift. He wants to make Galveston
as quickly as he can"
"But Keeler! she exclaimed sud-
denly.
God knows what happened to him."
said Trask grimly.
But he wouldn't deliberately let
them go away and leave us, I'm sure!'
Trask shook his head, as If he did
not understand and as If 1t were not
worth while trying.
The image of the steamer was
smaller now, her lights growing faint.
or. They stood beside each other,