Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-11-15

miles from the village Every night
Rocky would 60 in, collect the tools
we needed and we would work until
almost dawn, when he would return
the stolen" equipment until the
next night. That kept up a week
while Little Swede" complacently
refused to respond.
Five miles across the channel from
us we could see Japanese ships at
anchor or moving to and fro. We
learned via bamboo wireless''-still
a close friend because of that single
mercy act we performed at the
native village far to the north-the
enemy was operating vital mining
properties in the area.
At dawn on August 26, with the
American flag flying from our main
mast, we set sail again for Aus
tralia. Rocky was so mad at Little
Swede" and the Japanese in general
he steered within shouting distance
of the japanese base before he
swung the tiller south again. It's
hard to analyze our thoughts during
those days. We had hour after hour
with nothing to do but think and
little to think about. Most of my
thoughts were about home and
about the Philippines. I was filled
with a desire to see my wife and
family, and yet was also filled with
the desire to get back into the
Philippines and. fight the Japs on
even terms for once. Rocky felt the
same way. We both wanted to keep
fighting, but we were anxious to see
home just once before we started in
on the Japs all over again.
Disaster at Sea.
: There were hundred setbacks to
break the voyage. We ran aground
three times on hidden coral reefs
and the Ruth Lees bottom was
punctured in so places 1t took all
our ingenuity even to keep her
afloat. Another time we were be-
Gained for four days while a merci-
less sun almost burned us to a crisp.
We could watch Japanese ships
Steaming by within miles of US.
One night we caught our anchor
in coral bed and Rocky and had
to take turns diving almost Is feet
into the shark-infested waters in
attempts to break it loose. It took
two days to accomplish the job.
But our worst disaster with the
elements came early in September.
For several days the ocean had been
gradually taking on dull-gray
color, while the wind shifted SO
times, always with increasing We
locity. There's typhoon on the
way" Rocky gloomily predicted.
That was on Tuesday morning.
BY early Wednesday his predic-
ton had been fulfilled. The full
fury Of nature on a mad rampage
was loosed on our tiny Ruth Lee.
We pitched and bobbed around like
cork and our fragile vessel shud-
dered as If it would break apart
every time gigantic roller would
bury it-and us.
Three times the raging wind tore
down our sails and three times
Rocky and I clambered up the flimsy
mast to put them back in place.
Little Swede" groaned and sput-
tered, agonizing, as its propeller
would climb atop a roller and grind
into thin air, seemingly for hours on
end. We were nearly 400 miles
from land when the typhoon struck.
Our only hope was to fight 1t out.
Rocky was at the tiller for is
hours at q stretch, while I nursed
our laboring Diesel engine, plugged
the constantly recurring leaks in
the hull, somehow cooked reason
able facsimiles of meals and re-
lieved him long enough to eat.
Neither of us slept a second during
the 48 hours during which the
typhoon seemed to vent its full
wrath on US. But Little Swede, .
Ruth Lee. our -four sacks and Rocky
and ! came through substantially
unframed.
A. No greeted the third day with