Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1934-08-24

PLATFORM" said the chief; "then we'll
give her twirl afore we leave" He
suited the action to the word, spinning
the big wheels that actuated the val
YES.
Its to be hoped" said Seymour,
helping him, that she'll not go down
under our feet too soon."
Inside the engine room it was pos
sible to speak with a certain amount
Of ease, though the metallic protests
of the ship were noisy. Yet they were
less noisy than the roar of the gale
on deck.
"She'll no. sink this while. so longs
the valves are shut" said the engi-
neer. He probably hadn't intended to
accompany that statement with wink
but Seymour was hawkeyed.
Lets get back on deck anyway"
Seymour said.
They went back to assist in the
work, which was strenuous. Eventual
ly it was accomplished to Seymour's
satisfaction, although quite few men
took bad bruises in the operation.
Then the ferrying was resumed. Time
after time the lighter line with the
buoy was hauled back and forth across
yeasty void where high waves leap
ed in greed. Man after man left the
Bolsover and arrived, drenched, froz-
en- and semi-conscious, aboard the
Minotaur, to be hurried below into
warmth and dryness, to be ladled full
of hot grog that, coming on top Of
bleak exposure, eXerted an excellent
sleep-producing effect.
Came then time when only HIM
self and Jason remained behind. The
chief engineer having rushed back to
the top platform, had thrown the val
YES wide open again and reported
completion of duty before intrusting
himself to the buoy.
"I'll be the last to leave" said Jas
on, attempting the heroic and failing
miserably. But a convenient lurch
of the staggered hull sent Seymour
crowding against him and he slipped.
His head would have hit the rail only
mildly had not Seymour's hand helped.
Before Captain Jason quite tumbled
to what was going on, his sagging
body was bundled into the buoy and
it was halfway across the improvis-
bridge and Seymour was left alone
aboard an abandoned derelict. And
salvage on derelict is three times
what comes from manned ship.
Seymour fetched the first deep
breath he had allowed himself since
diving off the Minotaur and ran to
the engine-room. With the valves
closed he felt safer. He stood against
that white background and sema-
! phored again.
"Jason wants to fight his own
shadow" Morgan signalled back.
keep him just that way" advised
= Seymour. "Send me some men,
/ That meant harder work than any,
I
with his own hands. He hoped Nor
gan would keep his wits about him,
for if the Minotaur came too near
some bigger wave than ordinary was
pretty sure to crash her into the wal
lowing Bolsover. Then both ships
would sink in a tangled embrace, and
Dawn would lose promising husband
But Morgan seemed to have caught
the infection; though the Minotaur
all but scraped her paint off on the
Bolsover's top-sides, there wasn't ev-
en- plate bent by the time the re-
cruits landed on the derelict's washed
deck.
'Now that you're here, you've got
some work to do" Seymour informed
his volunteers.
"Just give it name, Cap'n," said
Hodgson, first to arrive.
The first thing to be done, accord
ing to Seymour's plan, was to get
deck-steam raised The main fires
had been drawn some while before, the
boilers were cooling. But the Mino-
taur's second engineer was among
the men who had come to assist; and
he was man reputed able to make
steam out of iron-scrapings and rope
yarns.
"A drop O. deck-steam, is that az"
ne asked. Come ava, ma buddies-
we'll gle him steam emo tae howk
the Ark AVA frae the hobs O. hell"
While this was in progress, Sey-
mour busted his few men about to
some purpose. The bitter cold encour-
aged action. A trickle of oil through
the scuppers made the Bolsover less
f;rb+f,,l -, Lo,, ..ll ~.