The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1934-09-28

SuSlF way tit. 1neif 0FeHcHSu py1a-
mas eiung to them. Their faces were
gay with laughter and excitement
but the rain was too heavy for them,
and they were hurrying for shelter.
AS Flint sped to execute his or
ders. Captain Wong 30 relieved the
man at the wheel but did not at
once alter the course of the ship.
The first officer had come on the
bridge. and thinking very quickly,
Captain Wong Bo realized that It
would be necessary to let this man
and several others into the secret of
what was going to happen. and buy
their silence by giving them share
In the returns. If he had not stolen
the guns this would not have been
necessary.
In point of view Of time, when a
Chinaman gives an explanation
mixed up with a lot of orders. he has
great advantage over white man,
because the man to whom he is max
ing the explanations and giving the
orders makes all his admissions Of
complete understanding and Of
readiness to obey at the same time.
For a minute or two then. Captain
Wong 30 and his first officer both
talked at once. The first officer,
beaming then at the thought of I'M
expected wealth, hurried OF to obey
the orders which he had received.
He waste see to it first that doors
were so fastened and matches bat
tened down that the passengers who
had gone below could by no means
at their disposal return to the deck.
They would be at the moment in
their cabins changing into dry
things. 80.
He had his pass-key on a ring. He
was, IL it could be done without de-
lection, to lock them in. II detected
he had his automatic. Let him use it.
THE first officer had not long de-
l. parted upon his GRAND Of rat
trapping when Flint, who had been
all the way down into the bowels OF
the ship. returned to the bridge.
Captain Wong Bo meanwhile had
altered the course of the Boldero.
and now the doomed ship no longer
ran parallel with the reef but APP
preached it on long diagonal.
Flint reported that the sea.valves
were rusted solid and that he did
not believe that they could be moved
by any human force. The lightning
flashed and the rain and the thun-
der doomed and roared.
Since the sea-valves had failed
them, it was necessary for the Boil
dero to hit the reef as hard as pos.
sible. Captain Wong DO ordered full
steam ahead.
There was no wind.
How long it would be before the
Boldero struck the reef. Captain
Wong Bo himself did not know ex.
aetly. but he knew that it would be
soon. Flint, upon the impulse of
what sounded more like an exclama-
ton than an order hurried on to the
wireless-room and began at once to
broadcast messages of distress.
Three shorts, three longs, three
shorts. s O s! s O s! 8 o S! The
Boldero had hit a reef and was sink.
ing fast. (Flint smiled grimly. She
hadn't hit it yet but she was going
to. Damn herb He broadeasted the
ships position.
1 To Wong 30 at the wheel, the
cracking and spluttering OF the
wireless were pleasurable sounds.
To him they did not spell latitude
and longitude or the despairing let
tiers s o s. They spelled rather
"Alibi! Alibi! Nice. Heap nice!
| Alibi! -. :"
| Suddenly the waters ahead were
Iightened by a bright fash. The rain,
it seemed. had stopped, for the wa,
1 tiers looked mirror-smooth and not
as if they had been pitted with
| smallpox. Now they split open like
a ripped coat, and for a short frac.
ton of time showed a white lining.
/ Then the seam closed. pHf
The ship was going to hit in a
very few seconds, and as Wong Bo
did not propose to be thrown VIC.
Iently against the wheel, he let go
the spokes and laid himself fat
down on the deck.
Almost Immediately with O
great shock and a great sound OF
erunching and crashing, the Boil.
dero struck. The engines were still
going full speed ahead. Captain
Wong Bo got to his feet and ordered
them to be stopped and then re-
| versed.
Flint, his nerves no longer jump
ing, ana Jerking. came out of the
wireless-room. The world upon
which he had called for help was
trying to tell him that help was on
the way. But he was all through
with being a wireless operator.
(cOSwiSLt. 1884. By GOSvsrssss N0rsisJ
70 q