Evening star., 1940-07-19
Dangerous Voyage
--by Potrieid Morgan 81 ;l1lF| s!a1 H.

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1t wasn't a minute after Algae
noticed the lifebelts that the fire
bell rang through the ship. The
passengers in the game room, be-
yond the point of hysterical scream.
ing now, got to their feet almost
simultaneously, looking at one an
other with frightened eyes that
seemed to protrude from their pale
faces. No one said anything as the
bell continued to ring. No one even
moved from where they stood until
Algae. waiting until the floor leveled
out of steep incline, crossed quickly
to where the lifebelts lay and grab
bed as many as he could carry. The
other men quickly followed and in
dead, frightened silence they all
strapped them on.
Algae helped Phyllis on with hers
and she helped him with his. Then
like people in dream they began
to move toward the door. What lay
beyond that door they didn't know,
but the fear of what it might be was
registered on every face Phyllis was
white as ghost and Algae could
feel her shiver beneath the arm that
he held around her waist. He looked
at her. saw her try to smile up at
him, then felt her go suddenly limp
and saw her eyes slowly close.
"Phyllis!" he said hoarsely, hold
ing her tight against him. Phyllis,
don't faint now for Gods sake!" But
there was no response to his words
as she hung limp in his embrace.
Phyllis Hard to Garry.
It was hard enough walking alone
on the rolling ship and when Algae
tried to carry Phyllis in his arms
he could do little more than stand in
one position, bracing himself against
each pitch to keep his balance.
For fully a minute after the last
of their companions had left the
CAMERON he stood there where
Phyllis had tainted, holding her like
baby, talking to her, rubbing his
cheek in her hair. trying to awaken
her. And when he got no response
he knew that he would have to get
her outside and into a lifeboat be-
fore trying to bring her to. Through
the open door he could see a blue,
smoky haze and although he couldn't
be sure, it seemed that the room they
were in was insufferably hot now.
He could hear the clank of pulleys
outside and the shouts of sailors as
they worked the davits that would
lower the boats. He tried to move
forward but could tell that he was
going to fall and pulled back, brac-
ing himself against the sloping floor.
He wondered confusedly why it was
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she wasn't heavy, and then he real
lied it was because of his lifebelt.
He couldn't hold her close to him,
close enough to let him keep his bal
ance. He waited again until the
boat was between rolls and at dead
center he lowered her to the floor,
putting one foot on either side of
her to keep her from sliding when
the ship heeled over. Then he pulled
of his lifebelt. picked her up again
and made for the door.
Scene of Horror.
When he reached the deck Algae
found scene of such horror and
despair as he never could have i'm
agined without actually seeing it.
He was glad in a way that Phyllis
was unable to see what he saw; and
at the same time, if she had been
conscious he might have been able
to prevent the disaster that took
place before him.
They were on the port side of the
ship and the mountainous seas that
rose above them as they plunged
into each trough seemed always to
fall just short of the rail. There was
a heavy spray, almost like rain that
splashed on the deck and swirled
around his feet, but the laundering
impacts that shook the BOAT at every
plunge came from the other side.
Having come on deck as the port
side was rising, Algae was able to
see the danger of slipping on the
wet planking q moment before the
actual danger arose: Accordingly he
got a firm grip on the knob of the
door he had just slammed behind
him and, holding Phyllis with his
other arm, kept from sliding out to
the rail when the ship rolled on
their side.
But leaning over the rail directly
in front of them was one of the men
from the gameroom. Algae recog-
nized him as one of those who had
rushed to the assistance of the
woman who was the first to be hurt
while back. He wondered for an
instant what the fellow was doing
with his arms and the upper part of
his body stretched out and down.
ward over the rail, his feet slipping
and scraping for hold on the deck.
Then he saw the reason.
Sees Two Drown.
Holding to the mans fingers-not
his hands but his fingers-was a
woman with bandage on her fore
head-the woman Of the game
room. Their arms and faces and
bodies drenched with sea water,
their faces contorted with unheliev-
able terror, these two hung there
waiting for the inevitable wave that
would break their perilous grip.
The man could not pull up without
going over himself; the woman was