Evening star., 1940-07-20


Phyllis kind of half sobbed and
half laughed. ut sure Is, Algae,"
she said. did you say fire? I
don't see any fire."
Almost as she spoke there was a
terrific explosion from deep down
In the ship and windows all along
the deck burst and splattered across
the wet planking like glistening
gravel. Men and women cried out
and clapped their hands to their
faces and necks. Phyllis was
shielded from the flying pieces by
Algae's body, but she gasped when
a thin red stream ran down his arm
from the shoulder and smeared over
her silk-clad leg.
Lie quiet" Algae said when she
started up at the sight and made
him stumble to keep his balance.
"It's just a scratch. Couldn't cut
deep through my coat"
Helps Ada Also.
The crush behind them was so
heavy now that when Algae lift
ed Phyllis up and the sailor In
charge reached to take her, Algae
himself was pushed over the gun
wales into the boat. He scrambled
to his feet and started to climb out
again but Phyllis grabbed at his
leg. He kicked loose and got over
the side onto the ships rail and
reached for the first woman at
hand. With himself and the sailors
pulling them in, the boat was load
ed in quick order. Seven or eight
men had been last to get in, and
then Algae saw Ada.
He scarcely recognized her. Her
face was blackened on one side and
her frilly blue evening dress was
mostly gone except for a few
scorched and struggling remnants.
She was holding on to the rail a
dozen feet from where he stood and
as he jumped down to the deck he
saw a man and a woman emerge
from a companionway that looked
like a chimney the way the smoke
poured from it. They were Dick
Wieland and Ada's mother.
The boat with Phyllis in it was
being lowered as Algae picked Ada
up IN his arms and carried her to
the loading gate He shouted and
one Of the sailors heard him and
called back, "No room!" but the boat
was only few feet below the deck
and he lifted her over the rail and
said, Catch her!" and let her 60
into the arms of one of the men
passengers. Then he ran back to
help Dick and Mrs. Burwick.
Dick Still on Deck.
The heat was so intense now that
sweat made his clothes stick to him
and the occasional wild spray from
the waves was welcome relief. He
tore of his coat as he ran, and he
got hold of Mrs. Burwick, who was
severely burned, just as Dick COL
lapsed and fell to the deck. Algae
wondered If he'd be washed over
board with the next roll. but he
couldn't stop then to do anything
because he could only see one more
boat that still wasn't being lowered
He ran to it. stumbling on the wet
and glass-flecked deck. and got
there in time to see sailor crack a
wailing man passenger in the Jaw
and then reach for Mrs. Burwick.
"Okay, mister" the sailor called
to the man he'd hit. Nov you"
But the man was still groggy
from the punch and Algae, seeing
he couldn't make it alone, grabbed
him by the coat lapels and slune
him like bag Of oats into the sail
or's arms. Then the boat lowered
away and Algae returned to where
Dick lay.
Dick was on his face on the deck
one arm from which the sleeve
was burned away crumpled awk-
wardly under him. He slid heavily
toward the cabin wall as the boat
plunged to starboard and Algae had
to take a deep breath and crouch
low under the flames from the win
doWs in order to get hold of his
charred coat and drag him out
again.
Algae picked him up, saw that his
arm was broken as we'll as burned
and carried him listlessly toward the
rear of the ship. He could see nc
more lifeboats: in fact he couldn't
see anybody. Maybe the smoke hid
them, he didn't know. Suddenly
something lashed out at him with q
whooshing sound and he Jumped
away from it toward the rail. Vague
ly he guessed that 1t was a flame
He stumbled on, and all the time il
was getting harder to walk. He
felt like he was climbing an endless
hill and the hill kept getting sleeper
Finds Small Cruiser.
Then he was out of the smoke
and he could feel a breeze on his
face. He looked up and saw a break
in the black clouds and light shin
ing through, dull yellow light. II
was the moon and he stared at II
in dumb fascination. He hadn't
realized that it was night, and that
his eyes had gotten used to the
darkness that was only penetrated
by the blood-red and orange of the
flames that jabbed and flashed now
from one end of the cabins to the
other and were slowly creeping
across the deck.
He stood there holding Dick ir
his arms and stared up at the moon
He could feel himself smile and he
could hear words that must have
come from his own lips. II see thu
moon and the moon sees me-" He
laughed and the laughter shook him
so that he swayed backward anc
lost his balance and fell down hare
with Dick in his lap.
The jolt seemed to wake him ou,
Of his stupor and he looked arounc
quickly. There weren't any wave.
dashing over the ship now, but thu
deck on which he sat was high il