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Show ? ' .9 THE LAST MOMENT sfy? M BY J. OLIVER CURWOOD H 1 I 'J (Copyrlcht, by Iiobb.-Merrlll Co.) Connoly, head and shoulders out of tho cabin, wns In time to seo Svenson, I tho Swede, burst like n tunnlac from tho group of men flghtlvg llko shadows In the mist of tho forward pump. Ho caught faintly his yell of deflnnro na Flick, tho ccond officer, ran out from, among tho shndows nnd Intercepted him with n blow from n knotted flat thnt rent him reeling Into tho drowning drown-ing wash of thn sen. Ho shouted as tho llttlo gray titan followed up Svon-son's Svon-son's hugo bulk, like n terrier, and other figures staggered out of tho blinding spume, naked armed, barn chested, with Bvnson' panic glenm-Ing glenm-Ing In thalr eyes. Flick saw him ns ho came across tho deck and planted his bank ngnlnst tho port davit, whoro tho top of tho seas swept ovor him In smothering rushes. "Thoy'vo loft the pumpst" ho shouted ns Connoly camo up, "I'm dnmned " ton of water breaking over tho rail sent him reeling out among tho men. Ho picked himself up and staggered stag-gered to Connoly, his thin, gniy-benrd-cd fnco questioning him eagerly. "Sho' a llttlo better, boyil" shouted thn captain. "But wo enn't tako her out Into thnt!" He pointed out Into the groynes of tho fen, broken only by tho foaming tup that rodo rail-high with tho ship. ".My Hod, men, no bont would live" The volco of a sciinimi roso almost In a shriek. "We're full! Wo'ro full to a foot of tho hatches, I tell y'l She's got to go now or nover!" Thero was sullen assent In a dozen wntor-bllstored eyes. From early morning nntll noon theso men had clung to a sinking ship becnuso each chrrlshod In him a memory of tho woman. Becnuso of her thoy had fought until their hand bled and their brcnth came In gasps. They had watched Iho schooner sottlu Inch by Inch und foot by foot, struggling stubbornly for tho precious minutes which would give life to her, until arms hung limp and effortless and men fell exhausted upon tho deck when other took their turns at tho pump. And nbovo them nil Svenson hnd worked and urged and cursed those whose nervo began to fall them, until, when tho last uilmito scorned riding on each whlto-crostcd rush of thn sea, something broke within- him, nnd ho turned In hi despnlr to tho boats. It was Svenson now who rushed to tho falls. In an Instnnt Connoly Con-noly wa among tho pnnlc-itrlcken men, "You can't llvo In that sea!" ho shouted. "Fight It out another hour, men ono more hour!" Tho schooner rodo tnoro easily now, Sho had settled until tho resistance sho gave to tho sou wa a solid n that of a mass of stool, and the ramming ram-ming of her sides only sent Jarring throe thrbugh her timbers, a though a thousand-ton weight touched her guntly each time sho wa struck, A fow minute tnoro, a sudden swoop of wator ovor tho rail, and Connoly know thnt she would go down, quietly nnd without sausutlon, but with merciful mer-ciful quickness. Ho turned toward tho cabin, and at tho threshold of the door that led to where the woman lny lio paused for an Instant nnd fought for tho strength thnt ho knew ho would need. Then ho opened It nnd entered. At tho end of thu room n woman tay upon a cot, her btrnugely whlto fnco turned expvctnntly toward tho door. As Comioly camo through tho smiled, nnd her beautiful eyes brightened with a glad light. "It hn seemed su long, Jim," sho tald, her volco rising baroly nbovo u whisper. "Tho storm frightens mo. But It's quieter now, Isn't It?" "Yes, door!" Tho man took off his dripping lint and coat nnd tat down boshlu hor. The woman, n he did so, drew down tho coverlet n fow Inches so that ho might seo the llttlo pink face lying ' against her bosom, ifu leaned over, more to hldo hi own whiteness thnn to carets, and stroko tho baby's cheek with u big forefinger. Tho I woman took his other hand und pressed It happily. She apoko no word, but when the man raised himself him-self to look Into her faco ho aw the great dawn of (he now llfo shining adoringly in her oye. ,Aftor n tlmo the womnn ald: , "Jim!" "Yes, dear." "Aro yuu very glad?" Tho man pressed her fnco to him with pnsslonato tnndornee. He did pot answer In, words, but tho womnti was satisfied. 'Hum he gontly drew himself awtty, the young wife' eyes following him Inquiringly. "You're not going back now?" sho nched. "I thought-" "Yes Flick I In charge," ho said quickly. "Hut 1 must see that everything's every-thing's all right" Between his word ho hesitated, listening (o n sound under un-der hi feet that thrilled him. It was like tho bumping of floating cargo nxnlait tho deck. Tho watair wn rising ris-ing fnstor thnn he supposud, but he showed no sign of the tear thnt wa In him. "You will be back soon 7" "Hlht nwty. Jen!" He cuihe beck to k: hr, tho sick-eillhg sick-eillhg throbbing at hi heart almost nffoantlng blni us ho looked down Into the woman' confMeut Vy, luminous with a touch of live old fever. Ho wue glad that bo did nut know. It would make the end eailur for hlm-nnd for her, If the end had j to come. Ar.d ho knew there wtu only one olianco lu tun thousand against It. As he passed out of the cabin ho snw the life belt strung along the celling. cell-ing. For mi Instant II llasbod Into his mind that ho might use them. A quickly the thought passed from him. They would only prolong their mlsory n llttlo longer, nod the womuu ho shuddered us ho pictured whnt those tew minute of llfo battling In the sea would moan for her. The end would come onsler in tho cabin. In the last minute she would understand, und would lovo him for It. So he passed yt. clpslnu ihe door carefully behind him, and scanned the deck for FJtck For a fow moment ho listened' foi thu Sound under his feet. But he heard and felt only the Jarring ol jH tho ship which camo of tha Bent jH pounding against hor. With hi eyct on Flick ho went to the midship hatch and thrust an nrm through the hole JM that had been made for n pump. He did not expect to touch water- The fact that ho did brought him to til. feet as though something hnd hliten him. Flick had seen him, and stooil huddled Juct out of tho shoots' of sp;ny thnt shut over the bow, watching ns It the sight of tho man rising troit hi knee wn curious and lntoresio? il jH Connolj beckoned to him, 'H A grout shudunr ran through the schooner. If alio had pokBoxsnd n tight hold Connoly would have thought lhat hu hud struck a rock 'JM Tho loownrd drift thnt had won these Inst hours of existence far her against 'H the rushes of thu sea seemed sudden ly stopped, ns If alio had steadied her .H self for tho llnnl engultmcnt. Conardy turned nnd ran for tho cabin. Ho 'H henrd Fllok'n cry behind him and cnught a glimpse of tho llttlo man hs 'H he staggered out of tha mess forward. Hut It wns too late to atop, oven to give A last word to Flick. Ovor his 11 shoulder ho snw tho starboard mil hidden In n mum of seething water, nnd n ho reached tho door It awlshcd 'H about him ankle deep nnd followed lilm In n torrent Into tha cnbtn. Again H ho heard that cry of Flick', but he jl shut tho door, a ha had planned, ami bolted It to glvo himself n fow lust moment of llfo with thu woman. Jl When ho turned to her With the LmXW tragedy that had overtaken them written In hi fnco, his outstretched nrms dropped slowly to his sldo. Only jH her name fell from his Hps. Tho wordB tliat ho had meant, to say were iH loft unspoken, Tho woman vuh jH asleep, Her face was towurd hint, und iH In tho dim Innip glow lie aw deepen- 'H Ing in her cheeks tbo flush of return-Ing return-Ing fuvcr. Ono white hand hnd fullen over the sldo of tho cot, and on It 'H gloamed their Wedding ring. Like an animal Connoly foil upon his knee. 'H Tho water trickled about his fingers a ho crept to hor. At tho bedside hu jH stretched nn nrm ovor her, so guntly .jH that she did not awaken. Then hn 'H turned his fnco to tho door, gtlm with terror of this Inst moment, but til ed .H with thu splendid sanity of his rosolvu. Tho sen would not got tho beet of him. He would havo the womau, at tho last H nnd so firmly that tho hell of a thou- H Band sens could not separate tlitm. Hut It would not bo until tho lr.iit-r-the vory Inst. Then bIio would uwulien -JH only to know that ho wa there, nnd would dla beforo the misery and the ijH terror of It all camo to her. Tha man fancied that ho heard the beat- jfl Ing of water against tho panols! his ' JH staring oye saw It pouring faster mi- 'H dor tho door ha heard it straining against tho cabin wnlls. Tho floor IB seemed lifting him up. Bow first, thn schooner wn diving to hor doom. HI nro grew heavier ovor the woman, HI other slipped under hor head. , JM Then ennio another shock, longer than ' iM the ono that had preceded It, nnd after that thero wn absoluto quiet, Thero camo a knock from otitaldc, again nnd again, nnd then n sudden Jjt pressure that burst oft the bolt, and Flick stood there, babbling words that. scorned to have no meaning. Ho went HJ a suddenly an ho camu, and Cunnoly could hear hi Bobbing volco dying HJ nvay on deck. Ho drew hi arm -fiom tho woman and followed. At the door ho paused for a moment, 'flfl then slipped out. Thu woman' faver-itrlcken faco 'Hj moved u little. Her eyelid trembled, HJ and after a moment iho opened them, jjBJ "Jim!" ho called wenkly. "SJ A gust of wind Rlammod the door "Jim, where aro you 7" vfll Shu drew herself up ou nn elbow, frightened, and saw tho water run 'SJ nlng black and ugly on tho floor. VJ "Jim Jlhi Jim " A man Bprang through the door. It wn Connoly. Ho wrapped her close -HJ In his wot hi oast, and tho laugh thnt JM fell from bin lips wn filled with an IJ lnnnu Joy. Ovor his Dhouldur. stand- -HJ Ing In the doorway, thu womun .nv -HJ Flick. "Had quite u time of t, but It'n ;i 1 -J over now, swecthenrt!" whispered flj Connoly. "Whero do you think tho IJ old tub 17 Couldn't guess, eh? Well, HJ the' settled as soiudly us tho Hock -HJ of Ages somewhere on tho Thunder bay shore! Tiled lo tight her ott.'hit ',BJ wo couldn't do It. Now all wo'vo got iHJ to do Is to eat nnd sleep until some- U body come tu pull us off. Kb, Flick?" Fllok had gone. Out on deck, with 'jVJ his fnco turned to the Indistinct out- 'VJ lino or thb shore, nnd the gleams of minllght bursting through tho ragged flj clouds, he bowed his grny head and "HJ softly whispered what tittle he could jl remember of the Lord's Prayer iM |
