| Show I I 1 WORTH 0 R T H SA S AV I N G EUGENE By ZONES JONES ES I. I Illustrated by by Curt Gfroerer HERE were two reasons why T THERE Jack Homer and his pretty young wife sat huddled between the ponderous smokestack and the forward ventilator First it was the only spot on the helpless ship that the big yellow seas left untouched as they wonted over her windward rail and spilled aft att Second Homer felt that the end was I near and he wished to be alone with the girl he had just won and was so sosoon sosoon sosoon i soon to lose Jose I In the shelter of the main cabin house a few of the more determined passengers were were attempting to launch the last lifeboat but to their Inexperienced Inexperienced inexperienced and frenzied hands the blocks and falls tangled hopelessly The frail craft w would uld have been dashed dashe to pieces a dozen times had not one of their number the number the gentleman of ot mystery as he had been dubbed by his fellow travelers travelers taken taken command In quick short sentences of perfect English he directed operations but at ata ata I Ia a safe distance from the ever advancing advancIng advancing ing water When When- the vessel had struck some little time previous most of the crew had promptly manned the three life crafts and gallantly put off oft while the she men women and children aboard the doomed liner had screamed and cursed in an agony of despair Now it was an open question whether or not another another another an an- other soul left the ship before she broke up The young young- couple on tho the hurricane deck Were In the attempt attempt to launch tho the last lifeboat They sat bra braced ed against the stack with the tho salt spray flying over ovel them and the wind Whipping through their water soaked clothing He held her safe sate as as- the vessel was lifted T by y one foamy mass after another another another an an- other and hurled back torn tom and helpless helpless helpless help help- less u upon on the knifelike coral ral reef roof With Witha a mighty rending crash His young young- face tace reflected the tho misery running in his brain It seemed unjust unjust unjust un un- un- un just unfair unfair this this terrible ending to their honeymoon He looked up with a defiant appealing appealIng appealing appeal appeal- ing glance at the gray gray- hurrying sky and drew his arm ann a trifle trine closer around the slight girlish figure that lay so still come out all right dear he whispered over and over come out all right right right-r I know it will H Her r brown eyes wandered to his face she snuggled closer and he kissed her reassuringly Far oft off just sharpening sharpening- the horizon line Une lay laya a faint pencil mark the mark the southern coast of Florida and Florida and many mil miles s to the northward the steel skeleton skeleton skeleton ton of Flowery Rocks lighthouse c climbed imbed up lip out of the white smother of ot the reef Beyond the the light was quiet water beyond that Biscayne bay Miami l and safety safety- I. I Just then a huge sea lifted the ship on its Hs soapy yellow crest and dropped her from a dizzy h height ight back on the jagged torn reef With a face as s white as the tails of the thunder thunderheads thunder heads skimming low above him Homer waited for ithe deck pl plates plates' to buckle but they they- did not Then he glanced toward the stern and the open open ocean desper desperately tely hoping for tor a rescue vessel but the wide expanse was unbroken unbroken un un- un broken save where the whitecaps re relieved relieved relieved re- re the sullen gray waves The a small passenger and and ana freight steamer bound t for r one the of-the South American ports had become become un un unmanageable manageable some hours earlier when she had crashed headon into a a half half- submerged d derelict r her propeller propeller and and rudder had been torn away and several of the crew thrown overboard by the tho shock At the time of ot the the accident accident she was running due south about forty miles forty miles off orr the coast of Florida The captain and first officer had hid been swept to their death while at attempting attempting at- at tempting to learn the extent of the damage and helpless the ship had drifted into the great Florida reef where a big bIg- sea was now reducing her to scrap iron n at alarming speed Homer Honer shifted his posItIon slightly t to better brace himself to the motion of ot the ship and in sa so doing caught sight of the gentleman of ot mystery Ho lIe was making his way cautiously cautiously- along the tho hurricane deck toward then them and because of the constant roll and pitch of the vessel he was compelled to halt often and hang onto the rail for his life It was a hazard hazardous us task and Homer wondered wondered what what his his object t could be In attempting It IL Five minutes later ho he rested against the stack and wiped the salt from his eyes and nose I say my friends I thought rd Id run over and and- let you know that that our our fellow passengers have a neat little plan to put off In the last Jast lifeboat I lifeboat I sort of remembered seeing you two start In this direction He spoke with an ease and unconcern unconcern unconcern cern strangely out of place on the heaving deck His IDs manner suggested a 0 gentleman announcing the next dance dace Louise Homer looked up at him fearfully Dont be alarmed madam lle continued continued continued con con- there is time enough if you hurry but the ship cannot withstand this hammering much longer He squeezed a few drops of water Continued on on- page e 6 5 L l Cr f i. i i S them i J cS c'S c- c k B flying c S 'S v mist r t l J r h f a j d y ys s I sh r a q a s 's f P rs u k kr y r iy 7 a h i ia ir ir a r r WORTH SAVING i Continued from page 4 from his bedraggled handsomely cut coat and smoothed down his hair hairon on th the narrow w intellectual head Then Thea he pointed to port You can probably make out the opening in the reef where the s sea a isn't breaking If it the boat reaches that shell she'll be all right Homer helped his wife to her feet and steadied her until the stranger took his place on her other side Theres a a. faint chance he said that one of the steamers we signaled by wireless will come along in time I doubt it it though Were We're too far from the beaten beate track Together they supported the girl along the slippery deck holding fast to everything that looked secure The lay at such an angle that the theseas theseas theseas seas rose with ease over her battered battered battered bat bat- bow and rushed aft ripping up deck fittings swashing by the companionway com com- steps and roaring off the stern life a a. giant waterfall The They carried with them sometimes a portion of ot the rail raU sometimes a screaming passenger Homer and the stranger had all aU they could do to keep the girl from being swept overboard but they reached the shelter of ot the stern cabin in safety S S S There in the lee of ot the vessel rode a lifeboat packed jammed with cursIng cursing curs curs- ing screaming fighting human freight One man had climbed to the bow how and was holding fast to the ship with a boat hook hook hook-a a thing Impossible to do except for the peculiar formation of ot the pocket which was almost like a miniature harbor A chorus of cries greeted the appearance appearance appearance ap ap- ap- ap of the trio and the fellow tellow Inthe in inthe inthe the bow raised two ominous long fingers Two Two he shouted through the whine of ot the wind We cant can't take but two The stranger spoke in his quiet au authoritative authoritative authoritative au- au voice When the bow of the boat swings in Y you U and your wife drop Its It's your only chance Now dont don't miss it ItI Th The Themen men will will will- Homer lIomer turned a bewildered face to himMan himMan him Man an I cant can't cant can't- Youve got a wife Jump or Ill I'll throw you in The young fellow hesitated The Tha frantic people yelled Louise touched I the strangers stranger's hand and flashed a loo look at him from eyes brimming over The stern of ot the lifeboat was pulled I In Homer stepped back determinedly hut but ut the stranger understood Before Beton Homer could resist he was taken talen b b by bythe the waist and forced overboard At the same instant his wife jumped into the waiting arms and the craft swung clear as twenty fear maddened maddened maddened mad mad- men put the strength of ot desperation desperation desperation desper desper- into their oars The stranger watched them disappear disappear disappear pear into the flying spray caught a glimpse of the tiny craft craIt as she shot forth on the crest of a wave saw her dive again from sight night With a smile hovering about the corners corners corners cor cor- ners of ot his well weil shaped mouth ho he made mad his his way ay to the opposite side of th the ship and holding fast to that portion of ot the rail still sun Intact scanned the s so- so eagerly There on the gray horizon now quite distinct was the smudge from a 3 steamers steamer's funnel As he strained his eyes It grew perceptibly Gee he muttered im Im glad I saw It in time to steer clear lear of ot that cockleshell cockleshell cockle cockle- shell lifeboat Its It's a gift gilt of fortune Then he lIe went below and placed a a. charge of powder under the safe inthe la in lathe I the pursers purser's office The carried carried car car- ried ned in American notes Later ter the liner hove to and brought off a man from the wreck He Insisted upon carrying with him his valise vaUse As he climbed on deck the captain stepped forward Well Vell he demanded where are the others I dont don't know know drowned drowned I guess They took to the tho boats And alvage anything salvage anything worth saving saving saying sav say ing on board No No nothing Its It's quite a worthless wreck Copyright by the Frank A Compa Company y |
