Evening star., 1938-03-06
Mosozins Section

better put the kid down till you get this on
Il don't want it" she said.
Listen" he began sharply, you've got
Il don't want it, she said without raising
her voice. PLEASE. It'd be in the way. IL
swim very we'll" She moved to the door and
out into the alleyway with the baby.
Give got the straps of the life belt in his
fingers, then picked up the confused little
boy, who showed every sign of going back to
sleep in his arms.
The decks, thank heaven, were surprisingly
orderly; the ship was listing, but not enough
yet to interfere with the boats on the high
side, three of which had been already lowered
level with the starboard rail. The PROV of the
wrecker had vanished from the great twisted
gap to port, though there was broad fllzz of
light in the fog beyond to give hope she was
standing by.
Give handed the boy into the waiting arms
of a woman in the first boat they came to.
then got the sister over the gunwale. He
took the baby from its ant's arms and
handed it to its mother. 1t blew wet, COM
Portable boooo sound at him as he let it 60.
Then he turned back to hand the girl across
the gap. She was gone.
A sincere oath snapped in his mouth. A
sinking ship, probably with more people to be
helped in the short time before the boats got
away. and Give with his own final project to
attend to in circumstances more fortunate
than any he could have planned - and this
damned willful baggage had to 60 off some
where, probably for her jewel case or some
thing equally nonessential.
''I'll be back with her in second, he called
over his shoulder, as he ran to the oompan-
ionway and down to the cabin. She wasn't
there. and as he turned away with another
curse, the lights went out. He got bag from
under one of the hunks, opened it and raked
it with his fingers till they came to his fash
light Then he went back on deck. The list
was greater. The starboard boats had been
lowered, were all but ready to cast off. He
flashed his light over the one directly below
him, but it was more by intuition than by
anything he could surely see that he knew she
wasn't beside, her sister.
He ran to the port side. The haze of lights
UC1MO ~lC 1O8 Woo NA8AUI1 uES1C wac AoAAAS
shouting from it, and the creak of tackles,
and, he thought, the sound of motor "a
power lifeboat to tow the others clear of the
ship before she went down. One of the port
boats was smashed on its davits; the others
were still in place aloft probably not
needed.
The deck gave slight, indecisive move
ment under him. as if in stealthy preparation
for a less hampered lunge And there was new
anxiety, new urgency in the shouts round in
the fog - a confused chorus he hadn't needed.
Damn the girl - blast the girl!
He dropped the extra lifebelt in corner
and started aft toward where the rail stopped
at the well deck, knowing how small was the
chance of finding her in such haphazard
search. And there suddenly in the focus of
the light she stood, leaning against the rail.
her head turned in proud inquiry. as if he'd
come into her room without knocking.
What the hell d'you think you're doing2"
he demanded. The boats are over. You've
got to jump now. Come on know where
there's belt
I'm all right" she said in sort of tense
hostility. Leave me alone. Go. and look after
the Others"
'.Are you cazy?"
NO." she said. Go away" Then with a
frantic explosion of restraint, For Gods sake
go a,oey!"
He caught her wrist in his free hand, and
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