The McDowell times. [volume] (Keystone, W. Va.) 1904-1941, 1941-04-25

ucT.
BY now Schmolz and his bench
men must have abandoned the ship,
after setting detonators in motion
Tor the explosion, he reasoned. limo
cent hands were seeing the vessel
through, a hundred seamen whose
lives would roar into pothingness
with his own.
Into the black hole there came the
soft yellow glow of ball of light.
Benning shook his head dazedly
against what must be phantom of
his tortured imagination. The ball
swung crafty toward him, gaining
In brightness, and a hushed voice
came to his ears from overhead.
Say, mister, amt you pretty hum
cry about now?"
Benning's voice leaped from his
throat as his mind oriented itself to
this Intervention.
Quick, Grimes! Get a rope down
here and pull me out of this hole!''
The ball of light ceased it's rota-
ton, grew stationary on thin cord
IN front of Benning's eyes Grimes
mulled through priceless seconds,
and countered, But the cap'n might
get sore when he comes back, and
kick me off the ship"
"Schmolz isn't coming backl"
Renning shouted. Quick, get a rope
for me or it's only matter of min
utes until we'll be blown TO pieces!"
Grimes did not answer, but jerked
the lantern back up out of the hold.
Benning's fingers bit into the palms
of his hands through an eternity of
waiting until the lantern reappeared,
hltched this time to the end of a
stout inch-rope.
Benning detached the lantern
when it reached him, passed the
end of the rope under his armpits
and tied a hurried knot He put
the force of his lungs into an order
to heave.
With legs braced across the open
hatch, Grimes put the strength of
his powerful arms into the job and
brought Benning to the deck Ben
ming staggered to his feet and start
ed for the rail.
Come on, Crimes" he ordered.
1--WE got to get off this ship!"
Under the soft light of a new
moon, as he ran to the rail of the
ship, Benning saw the thick con-
crete walls of the locks. Beyond
were the rows of squad tents of an
emergency guard detachment.
Ahead the electric locomotives
tugged at heavy cables.
Benning drove the force of his
lungs along the deck in warning to
the ew and climbed down the lad
der, closely followed by Grimes. At
coming abreast of the top of the
walls, he leaped, propelling himself
outward with his legs, and landed
on chest and stomach. For several
moments he lay stunned, then stag
gered to his feet and ran toward the
tents. Sentries barked a challenge,
a figure in pajamas burst out of a
tent to level q vibrant voice.
I'm the commanding officer
what's all this yelling about"
Benning painted: I'm Major Ben
ming, OF G-2. The cargo of this
ship is dynamite-it will detonate at
any minute! Get everyone clear
here!"
The commander swung on his
heels with cool promptness and be-
gan shouting orders. "All out! On
the run! Leave everything behind!
Get moving to Mindi-on the wagon
road-never mind formationl"
There was intensity rather than
excitement in the officers voice.
Benning saw that the crew was
bursting from the doomed ship.
Some, in their panic, leaped into the
water of the narrow locks, others
made the long leap to the top of
the locks. He ran after the officer.
Grimes trailing. A putting sprint
brought them to the railroad grade
that led into Mind. Another long
run and the officer halted in a deep
cup in the Sierra Quebrancha. He
commanded his soldiers to scatter
into the foothills.
Two miles lay behind Half an
hour had passed, Benning judged.
The captain introduced himself.
Marlin. He began asking questions.
suddenly suspicious that he might
have been tricked away from his
post of duty. Benning quickly es-
tablished his identity.
But how do you know the ships
cargo is"
Marlin cut off his query as his
cheeks caught the peculiar stir of
air as from gust of wind. Ben
ning's hands drove to cup his ears.
He felt himself pitched forward on
his face. The earth heaved violent
ly, his head rang with the pain of
the volcanic might of the explosion
that filed the world. All existence
had been reduced 10 roaring, crash
ing, maddening bedlam.
A clap of thunder shattered his
thoughts. II crashed out Of distant
hills and jungles far down the 18th.
mus from Gatun Lake. Bennlng
halted. There came second crash.
a third, a fourth. The detonations
followed one another successfully.
within the limits of q few minutes