Evening star., 1928-03-09

| lII0tCilcN ifSdU-Nhpe. JoSSpIiuS MuHitA1
the tawny beard pointed sharply,
Stiffly. upward Peter shouted at the
other. There was no answer. Instead.
the head went under. Queer! The
man must have been hurt when he was
flung out Of the boat. He seemed help
leSS--drowning, i'll cold English.
Peter swan for the spot--dlved with
ont avail--and divcd again. No so!
And then few yards off the head
came up again--and this time Peter
| grabbed the other. and turning on his
! back. rested the little red-haired skip
per'S head on his chest.
"Hurt?" Peter coughed the water
| out of his nose and throat.
| No more than an inarticulate. gur-
| Cling sound answered him.
| "All right" said Peter. STEADY does
it! just lie quiet. Don't novel Don't
struggle!'
| A strangling sound came from Capt.
| Mumm--the expulsion Of water from
his lungs. Then the mans voice--gasp-
ing:
"You-Blake?"
YES" said Peter. Where are you
hurt?"
Amt hurt" Capt. Mumm jerked
out. Cant SWIM
Cant swim!" This sounded sud-
denly very funny to Peter-as though
the man were cracking a joke under
abSurdly and ironically apt conditions.
He heard himself laugh! What a
I,Strange place to laugh! Cant swim!
Forty years at sea, and can't swim!"
No. blast you!" snarled the little red
haired man furiously. Il can't swim!
So let me go-you can't hold both OF
us up"
Let go!" snarled Capt Mumm again.
for! They'll have their boat out.
Maybe they'll never find you-but you've
got a chance. Let go of mel"
mol" said Peter.
Won't you?" growled Capt. Mumm
and began to struggle madly to free
himself
Twice Peter went under, but came
up with his grip still upon the other.
You do that again." he choked
savagely, "and Ill break your damned
head!"
The little red-haired man made an
other wrench to free himself. Peter
raised himself, freed his right arm from
the water. and his fist swung with a
crashing blow to the others jaw.
Capt. Josephus Mumm lay quiet on
Peters chest.
There vas a strange ringing in Peters
ears-there had been for quite little
while. It was the water probably. He
had been too much occupied with Capt.
Murnm to pay heed to anything else.
He didn't know whether he had stunn-
ed the other or not-but the man was
quiet at all events.
The ringing kept ONT came in
steady throbs-a metallic clangor. All,
he had it now! A ships bell! That's
what it was! 1t was being rung steadily
-clang. clang. clang. clang. Out there!
Where? He'd make toward 1t, If he
could only place it; be sure OF its direc-
ton. II was much better than blow
ing siren. With siren blowing they
couldn't hear shouts for help. Why
hadn't he shouted before? They'd lose
their own boats likely enough in the
fog IL they got too far away, but they'd
have them in the water ready for use.
Perhaps that was It.
Peter began to shout with all his
might. Again and again he shouted.
He couldn't keep that up. It robbed
him of his breath, stole the air from
his lungs. At intervals. then! He
waited for an instant and shouted
again. 1t seemed to him that the clang-
ing of the bell stopped, as though those
Oh NGAE SiiI[ Al1S
voice rang out-but hoarser, weaker
now.
He thought he heard shout In an
swer-and the next moment, he was
sure of it. II came distinctly. though
1t seemed 70 be long way of.
Peter shouted grimly again. He must
keep on shouting It was question of
finding him In the fog-and that was
the only way they could find him.
Capt Mumm was becoming weight
dragging him down q bit. Ought not
to! But perhaps he, Peter. wasn't as
fully conyalescent as he had thought
he was-not up TO strength. The man
was mumbling now-coming TO. He
must have dazed the little skipper with
that smash on the jaw.
What was that?
The rattle Of oars, wasn't Il? A hoatl
Damn 1t. the man was getting heavy!
The top of that swell went over both
their heads. Just matter Of sticking
Ii out, though-must be done!
"Cheer-O!" gasped Peter to the man
on his chest. There's boat comingl
Shout bit. If you can"
Capt. Mumm made spluttering
sound-then his voice cleared little.
"Ahoy!" he scrceched weakly. "Ahoy!
Boat. ahoyi"
Good" cried Peter. Now togetherl
| Ahoy! Ahoy!"
A hail came back--close now. clear.