The Washington times., 1937-12-09

call, and wave from the pIat1orn
of the commuters train, as /
passed around tae curve where tn
Harlem River joins the Hudson
One morning she looked ant
looked, but couldn't see John OF
the deck OF the Sinister-lookinl
black and red boat that noSed 1t!
way through the swinging rail
road bridge from the Hudson intc
the Harlem every morning at thai
time.
Ethel was conscious of 6
strange sinking in her heart and
a wave of foreboding. She was
glad that it was Saturday ano
that she'd see him the next day
She had made up her mind tc
something.
RISKY JOB
Always dubious about his doing
it, she had allowed John to per
suade her that It was really quite
safe for him to act as loader and
unloader on the powder barge
The frequent trips and heavy
overtime made a great deal Of diff
ference, John said, and anyway
there wasn't any danger.
Aboard the powder barge Blast
John Doyle had no time to be
thinking of the deck above him or
the fact that Ethel would be ex,
pecting to see him.
For two hours he had thought
of nothing but the desperate prob.
lem at hand, and his white face
was drawn with concentration
as he braced himself against a
bulkhead.
The voyage had begun normally
enough. They had loaded in
Bayonne, and the square wooden
boxes of dynamite sticks, so per
cent nitroglycerine, had slowed as
easily as usual in the space re-
served for them.
They were rounding into the
mouth Of the Hudson, just oppo-
site Battery Park, and John was
having morning coffee with Tor
rens, the mate. He was telling
Torrens what a swell girl he had,
and why he was working double
shift.
"It keeps me out of trouble, for
one thing" John laughed, "and I
can save money. And, Of course,
I make Just about twice as much.
My girl"
It was then that TorrenS, sens
ing a peculiar rumbling noise for.
ward Of the small cabin, inter.
rupted him.
DO you hear that, Johnny?"
The mates head was cooked to
, one side, and his whole manner
radiated tensity.
A peculiar feeling. He looked
at TorrenS again. "I don't hear
anything, Torrens," he said. "I
. sort Of feel q funny movement. d"
The mates face was grim, and
he leaped to his feet. That's it
] was hoping I was crazy, just
dreaming" He looked out a port
hole to the whitecaps on the Hud.
son.
And in a sea like this" he
added bitterly. 1--WE got to see
the skipper" He left the cabin,
and John felt bewildered. That
something was seriously wrong,
he knew, but just what he
couldn't think.
1t was sure that anything
wrong on a powder boat would
be- just 10 times as wrong as it
would be any place else. He fol
lowed Torrens to the bridge, ar.
irving in time to get the tail end
OF the conversation in progress,
I'VE could run for shore" Tor.
rens was proposing, but the skip.
per's, face was set stubbornly.
Nothing doing. Do you want to
take a chance on blowing up
twenty blocks of waterfront. At
least if it happens out here, we're
the only ones to be hurt-that's
what they pay us for. To take the
responsibility and the risk that
goes with it,"
Torrens hesitated a moment
AS he began to talk, John inter.
rupted.
Whats the matter, anyway?"
Plenty" The Skipper's eyes
were kind through their worry
It was a shame that young man
Ike this had to go with them
The cargo's shifting, Johnny, ]
guess you know what that means
with this choppy water"
John knew. Packed in sawdust
as they were, the sticks of dvna
mite would loosen as the huge
boxes slid back and forth across
the hold In time to the pitch o1
the barge. The friction could, per
haps would. set up a charge Of
static electricity.
Then one spark, and il wouIr
be curtains for them. He under
stood now why the skipper wanted
to keep in midstream. There al
least the effects of the blast, II
1t came, would be minimized.
ar?" W.
I've already given orders tc
set out danger signals. Of course
We use Seacocks to sink her, the
friction would increase. and she
might go before we filled with
water. There's only one thing K
do"
.sG ONLY SOLUTION
John looked at him and though
quickly. It was true they could dt
only one thing. Run for their des
~ Il