Montana oil and mining journal., 1937-11-27
By DOUGLAS NEWTO


BRAwN AND BRAINS FIGHT
THE SEA TO WIN SUPREM
ACY AND THE HEART OF
A FAIR MAIDEN.
IN TWO PARTs-PART ONE
~N HE Aurelian carrying four hum
dred and fifty giit-edged passen
gers on a deluxe cruise In Soukl
- American waters, struck 9 meaH
and barnacled hulk thak haE
once been q Cayenne timber drogher
Seventeen minutes later her S5,00(
tons Of scientific luxury, her two cap
tains, most Of her 600 deck, engius
room and steward ratings, her phone
and shop girls, electricians, sanitary
engineers, musicians, life men and bel
hops had vanished from existence.
The night was Just black and dirty
enough TO give rise to confusion; but
Third Officer Gatrie was not confused.
He had wits enough to snatch at Carol
Milton, as, bewildered, she passed him
on the arm of q lank steward. Carol
Milton was not assigned to his boat,
but Gatrie knew by the feel of the
ship under him that this was no time
to be particular. Also he recognized In
such crises as this a man got his
chance-and Carol Milton was his
ne WIS IAEllI. ElE AAt0 bA1C k9NAN
steward had just helped the tall, fair
girl to a seat, when frantic orders
! heralded the end Of the Aurelian.
! Gatrie dropped his boat down the side
| of the liner with perfect craftsmanship
/ and, in spite of the tricky sea, made
a safe getaway BY the way the girl
gripped his arm and grasped as the
long, lit bulk of the Aurelan upended
and plunged to eternal darkness, ne
knew she recognized that he had saved
her hfe-he and the cub steward, only
stewards don't count
Even though he heard Lyman B.
Troy comforting her, and the stream
lined clubman, Rawson, scrambled from
his seat to do the same at the sound
Of her voice, Gatrie only smiled. They
and their wealth and position might
mean more than nobody OF third
officer on promenade deck, but here,
here he was their master.
He let them know 1t. The curt snap
of his voice drove RaWSon back TO his
thwart; at his command even the mil
lionaire Troy moved over TO the
weather side of the stern bench to give
the women, there was a mrs: Shrady
with Carol. the sheltered position. Inls
was a real man, strong IN training,
sense Of command as well as body, |
taught even the great of cities how little /
they mattered. And Carol, who had
found his big, rugged strength worth /
her smiles even on the Aurelian, was
beside him ali night realizing that it
was he alone who fought the boat
through danger to life.
Dawn showed them an entirely
empty sea, stark with troplc sun
vet evil with squalls. 1t also revealed
a boat load of trouble. Gatr1e hao
with him five roughs Of the black
gang" led by the husky BROKER ana
-. ~-o.,Txr lass TaVOPrOI1E I1eV1lln.
They were a mutinous lot, whose tenn
per was not sweetened by the way the
seven male passengers, including Sucn
heftv suortSmen as RaWSon ana
Kearne, still took 1t for granLed tnaL
they could lounge aloof IN loleneSs
while the lower orders SweaGed 10 save
their hides. Bunt, the quarCermaSteI,
snd two deck hands were all he could
depend upon-and his own dominating
The Tbs. first trouble came quickly. Raw
son with old Tim Millions helreSs 70
olay UP to, was very much the Capin
Glass Sir Lancelot. Watching tlle cuD
steward breaking out their stores unoer
Tatrie's eye. he cried largely:
"a bottle of brandy-good! Wen nave
. shot all around We need it after last
T'hev i1rI; needed nothing of the sort for
he sun had already restored tnenn-
Satrie said evenly;
Half q pannikin OF water ana one
biscuit each, three times oays Wllt Ia5ios ~
he ration. Serve now, steward, laoleS
nd workers first"
arirst and mostl" BROKER snarled'
tIre that the situation meant enlanCl
,ation from discipline and the rule OF
he strong man. "An' the WorkerSA
ave the brandy, too.
You heard my order, steW7aIo' lazy
n" Gatrie said, and thrlueo as nc
elt Carol stiffen beside him
Devilin, the sea lawyer, snapped
yasnishly: There's no need Tor any
ationing. Everybody knows we are near
he mainland"
THAT was true enough. BY dead
ackoninp Brazil was no further Jnan
day or SOS rowing, but Gatrle knew
ow easily the vagar1es OF the bTs1n1
IN current might mean danger. MOI
aa+ he Attempted to explain. This was
he moment for a showdown II nus
ord was to be law; he made the most
He re- hit BROKER full and sweet on
1e law dropping him over atnWart,
hen that brute's snarl turned 70 &C
on. He heard Mrs. Shrady screen as
'evilin and the three stokers rose as
ne man but Carol sat quiet, her eyes
Iight as she watched him
TTnat nut extra power into the punch
,at sfretched Devilin cold; made him
godlike as the others came
him with knives. But Bung ana Ine
acLr hands were in it by then, yes,
1d Rawson and Kearne, anxious 70
o1,re as late Towering heroes. In
mute it was all over, the "blaekgang
,I1en and back at their oars with
atTie's order to the cub steward 70
iSIT them and throw any weapons
leriboard as a crowning contempt.
He. Gatrie, had come out on TOP as
real man had to and the looks Caroi
we him as she bound his cracked
buckles showed him what that meant
her. Rawson, who had come on TINS
10 solely to win Tim Millions neiresss
n nav his debts, did not IKE II;
sither did Lyman B. Troy. who had
.cided that Carol was to be figure
al of his financial career; though
: small. thin figure showed u more
IietIv. They weren't going TO TAKE
Is 80 easily, Gatrie guessed, yet ne