Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1937-01-15
CHAPTER w


indifference sat in the Curtiss' cabin,
crossed her silk clad legs and smoked
one cigaret after another, Struthers,
seconded by a sullen and chastened
Carnforth, clambered out on a wing
and so gained the deck of that big col
lier in whose lee they had come to rest
Struthers paused on the bow, being
careful always to keep Carnforth be-
fore him, for though the big mechanic
seemed tractable enough, he was far
from deceived by the others seeming
surrender.
When they beheld the wreck pack
ahead of them, it was weird sight
that met their eyes, one that beggared
description. From the raised bow Of
the great collier they found themsel-
YES able to see far off over the mex
tricable tumble of Wondering vessels.
The last rays of sunset tinted an end
less forest of towering canting masts,
booms and gaffs-some of which sup
ported thick tangles of matted and
bleached rigging. There must have
been hundreds of tunnels, according
to Struthers' hasty estimate, and that
was only in the immediate vicinity,
some bent and twisted, some so rust
ed as to permit blood red sky to shine
through.
"What a sight!" breathed Struthers.
cts regular marine museum" and
again he felt that alarming sense of
foreboding grip his being. Some
where in that tangled mass of ships
something was looking at him.
His heart commenced to beat wildly
but, though his eyes ranged over the
endless succession of wrecked and par
TALLY sunk ships, he could find not
the slightest trace or evidence of a liv-
ing creature. Then indeed a quick
movement caught his attention in time
to see here and there huge brown rats,
that perched on nearby ship, gazing
up at him from fearless red eyes.
Here was such a scene as only the
brush of Gustave Dore or the mag
ination of Gustave Flaubert might
devise, this apparently limitless con-
gregation of dead ships seemed the
epitome of death and desolation.
"Well', growled Carnforth at last.
where are we going to spend the
night? We can't all roost in that
damned seaplane-I guess the lady's
got to have a place to sleep. You
don't understand, Struthers," he COM
planned, "Miss Lincoln, she's lady
she's used to good things, like we
amt never SEEM"
Struthers smiled to himself at the
others excuse. If only he did not I'M
derstand so well! Liette Lincoln had
reawakened such host of painful
memories of the days before the
abrupt disappearance of his family's
fortune in a stricken stock market.
Engaged since then in earning a pre-
carious living as a pilot, there had
been small opportunity to associate
with people of the class to which he
was born and brought up.
After brief inspection he located
a vessel which seemed somewhat more
newly arrived than the others. She
was a fairly large passenger steamer
painted black and with two salmon and
black painted tunnels and lay with the
extreme end of her bows burrowing
under the weed, but otherwise, she
seemed quite sound. The remains of
dangling boat falls and a ragged tri-
color hanging forlornly motionless
from her packstaff remained as mute
testimonials of her downfall. 'Ile de
Tarascon," he read. "Why, she was
reported lost in collision five years
ago."
A certain excitement possessed him
as ne viewed the crumpled and twist
ed plates showing about the weed
grown water line. Sliding down a
rope end, he quilted the Golfers bow
Tor the bowsprit of dilapidated Span
ish brig damned alongside: then clam
berlng down its length, he gained the
sailing ships deck and found himself
gazing up at the high side of the
French steamer.
Making use of a conveniently dang
ling boat fall that trailed to the water
ne hoisted himself up to the C Deck
rail and there stood curiously inspect
ing the empty boat davits and the
clean swept decks. Hoping that the
upper decks might be free of the all
pervasive dampness, he found his way
up a series of ladder stairs until he
came to the first class quarters.
1t was indescribably odd to find
everything so lifeless and deserted:
there lay a box of shuttle board.
ScoonS and othaT dooLr o,onoo. 81 -