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Show MORNING', MAY 22, 192L LAKE TRIBUNE, SUNDAY THE SALT L ur-MlilL-lA -7 r. 1 JL :- J 1 Martin Hubbard aama announced aa naatar at tha teat and eomortable liner Enterprise, Samuel Oarflnkl removed a email, neatly tapad packet of papara from' a pigeonhole la lb daak and lack ad it up Is tha amaU ataal box ha always carrlad with him as huatssM trips "Why. I protested, "do you load yaw salt daws with tha dull record ft a ptrfaetly honest, eapabla, and suooaaatul seaman? Tba Enterprise la a worthy vessel., Hubbard ever bad aa aaoidest Tour bualaass Ilea only with tha sinister aide ot htppla. Tet her tha papers tall us Hubbard has got promotion and you dip up his story and pack your kit and prepare to b oft. Purely, you base nothing against Hubbard? Oarflakla smiled faintly. Sid you evar hoar that eld slassio about the man who lay awake for hour waiting for the lodger upstairs to drop his other shoe? Jid or Martin Hubbard drop a shoe? Z asked wtth soma hesitation. Hare you beau waiting all this time to eatch him a By John Fleming Wilson Ha shut hi Upe In a grim line. "Tou stick, mister! Well show 'em! We arrived In the Columbia over a dirty bar and antered st Astoria-- . The log raft was atm ther lying at anchor below the Middle Sands, snd (we were actually informed) likely to go permanently aground ' 4 4 V v Y.1 . X. i 'yv . V V - A i f s' i &$t y xs xr k s v second time?1 Aji 9 X;. S' V i y a A 1 never lie awake over such things, It's Captain Oarflakla responded tartly. Hubbard who's bean listening all thaaa years at the looked box k moment, It and opened It, He removed tha packet of papara he bad just stowed away.Xntaped It, and spread tbs documents ' earefuily en his desk. H ehoee one and handed It to'm. " That was my first notlo of the existence of Martin Hubbard. Oarflnkl murmured. Z read the letter, which was signed by the then bead of a large line long forgotten. It ram San TranoUeo, 17th April, 1101. . Oar Ankle, Cpt.-g, , Supfc Bureau Marine Investigations. Dear Bin , Tor oight months our BS. Vulture h been under command of Capt. Martin Hubbard running as regularly as poeat-- " hi between this port and tha Columbia He looked J ' seised ten , j " River. We note that Capt, Hubbard has twloe Insisted upon the discharge of mates. In both instances tha mates, men of goodX , , reputation, have reported sighting a small boat adrift with a body or bodies in it off the bell buoy nr. Pt, Reyes. Capt. Hubbard denies that ha has ever, while In commnd.of'the Vulture, sighted such small beats nor has he at any time n emitted to report anything In that that has com under his observaOn Mil three occasions tion. j Z. mate Mr. of the Tain, at present lot spread on the desk and handed It to Vulture, has aeoretly reported to u that It was a clipping from the Duncan's Mills on tha last voyage ot tha 88. Vulture, Hews, dated March, 1811. It read: Ha 14, at 4 a. m, weather thick, eky On Thursday of this week the body ot . overcast, with a heavy sea running, a the young woman which was washed up whaleboat appeared out of the mitt and on the beach on Tuesday was buried by hailed the Vulture. Capt. Hubbard, who benevolent citlxena Nothing could be had come to the bridge at 110 a. m., ascertained about her history, andher and who bad been apparently anxious, Identity is still a mystery. Deputy Sher. refused to acknowledge seeing this email iff Henley reported that the clew of the boat and kept his ooursa check found in her pocket had led to In View of these facts, and of our do nothing. It was apparently drawn to the aire io retain Capt. Hubbard in our em order of Tb. Howard and indorsed by ploy, we beg to submit the matter to you him to Ii. Aston. So this tragedy of the tor a report in due courea sea adds one more to the insoluble mysits, do do teries of the Paclflo. Z laid the letter down and said sharply, "Tou Identify this unknown girl, then, as Ho man that I know aver accused Martin the Ashmun, or Ashton reported by Aston, Hubbard ot turning aside from the plain, the tree mates of the Vulture , I remarked. rescue those par duty of every seaman to "But who the dickens was this Th. Howard?" isblng on deep wstera Garflnkl drew out a little bit of paper X nodded. investigated the mat , Garflnkl written over in his own bandwriting. neatly ter and mads my report which la her and It. he said: Consulting which Ill aummartsa I need not say that In May, 1901, on the night of th 26th, I the owners of tha Vulture retained Captain we smoking my pipe In the after smoking Hubbard as master. But on my advice they room of th Mail Liner City of Peking when gave him another run. n young man I took to ba a seaman entered And he saved his money, earned further (there was no on els there), handed me n promotion, gotinto the passenger trade, and letter, and asked me to post it for him tn now has the Enterprise, I remarked. m Hongkong, He explained that he was leavMy friend was silent. Presently I went on. , ing th City of Peking at Tokohama. His "But how did you explain the matter of asms was Theodor Howard. Th letter was those three different boats adrift oft Pt. addressed to Martin Hubbard. From the Reyes which Hubbard swore he dldpt aea? man manner I saw that he was much overI iidnt explain 'em," Oarflnkl returned wrought. I, ordered th steward-tglvo him I found both the mates who had quietly, a drink. But I gained nothing except n eas- - ' been discharged and got their stories. Thoy ual remark from this Theodor Howard that were utterly preposterous, incredible, and 'some day Mart Hubbard would atop. I the men were ashamed themselves whan mailed th letter and took occasion long after they repeated them. But Taines was exactly to ask Captain Hubbard in n perfectly matter similar. I gathered one point from these. ot fact-wawhether he had ever known n recitals and briefly It is this; on nil three seaman named Howard Theodor Howard. occasions the solitary living person in the He denied that ha had. Later he returned to boat rose and called shrilly a name which th eubject nnd asked me. in turn, what I was variously given me by the three men as knew about Theodor Howard. Naturally I Luke iikmuLliste Ashton and Lucy Ashton. knew nothing, and said so." In each case the Tnttnrs kept beseouro "Well?" I suggested. tinder Hubbard's direction and the boat each Oarflnkl pressed a button at)d his ffloto-turn- , time disappeared in the mist astern.' The tb excellent and discreet Henry, apexact location cf the Incident was the same peared. on every occasion some eight miles off Pt. "Bring me th last report ot th tug Gleaner," Garflnkl ordered. Reyes The weather was always tbs sam This brought, my friend thrust It under my heavy sea, light wind and thick." Tou asked Hubbard about it?" I In nose and I road 's long crew list, some memoalsted. randa about stores, and looked up In bewilfrowned. Garflnkl Not yet I found derment. Garflnkl drowned and laid hie ut a little that mad me understand ho finger tip on th first item he wished mo to would deny the matter strongly. 8o I simeee: Th. Howard, Master. ply filed it nnd waited." He paused and " All right," I admitted. " Suppose such to atared at me with a profound and meaning . lookr "I knew that some day again Hubbe the cas and th two men identical. Her bard would catch night of n small boat w have the man who lndored thchock . adrIfiiThs Other shoe' will drop. Because over to th girl. Lucy Aston, and who after I must avert a disaster to tha Enterprise, , ward wrote a latter to Martin Hubbard, which and because 1 can trust you and need your jrdu posted In Hongkong. He is skipper jf help, Im telling you what no other man tb rotten old tug Gleans. Hubbard la com besides myself knows. I nor any other man mender of tho big liner Enterprise. Nearly knows all of Martin Hubbards seerst. But n score of years are past: what's tbs anZ know enough of his to put two snd two swer?" Oarflnkl pointed out another item: together and It makaa four. STORES SUPPLIED Tug Qlamer by , " Four what? I demanded. U. T, A Coy. - Four men." 7 Tou and I and Hubbard snd and M2 fathom 1 stud cable.. ..XU tons " Good heaven! " I murmured. " What can Garflnkl picked another paper from the na-tur- (As steam schooner like the Gleaner want of an anchor, chain cable that would held a euperdread naught in a gala of wind?" Thats your end of it," Garflnkl returned. and summoned Henry again. He gave his orders curtly: I'm. away for forty days and forty nights, Henryk If you want me wireless me th Steamship Enter-prisfirst cabin. I sail for Honolulu on th Sonoma at noon tomorrow I Joln the Enter prise a a passenger ten days hanoa. The Enterprise Is duo In San Francisco six days thereafter. " That," said th capable Henry, " accounts for seventeen dayn Where shall you be the other t & twenty-three?- X " Garflnkl rose. "That Is what puzzle me," he remarked. He turned to me. Flees ge down to Oakland Long Wharf, where the Gleaner is loading cement for Astoria. Capmate Sign on with him tain Howard need for th voyage and stay with him till you hear from me." X What if h won't leave me? , Garflnkl shook his bead reprovingly. " If you are as wise as I think you are you will convince him that you arc a first chop tugboat man. Tou have good papers and plenty of experience. While th fact is unannounced and you will not allow him to suspect that you have any Inkling of it, I have good reason to believe that Howard is going to tackle a big lob where such a man as you i j will represent youreclf to be would ba extremely valuable Beside, you are an utter stranger to him which is so mueh the betI ter." U I But If h doesnt want me? " Oarflnkl stopped in his preparations to leave and mot my eyes squarely. " Just 1st drop that you were quartermaster with Hubbard tom years ago. Dont be y i solitary living person in the beet rose end celled shrilly n neme, specific. I left hla offlea puzzling heartily over th Intrigue that seemed ripening about th Enterprise With fill th tacts that Garflnkl had euppliad me with I mad Uttl of It I had long sines learned that my friend worked lowly until he had made all possible deduction from his painfully gathered data. Then he acted with a swlftnee which none could follow until the event made the affair dear as water. Rut what ht would ever make ot that faraway drowned girl, the mystery ot three boat adrift at long Intervals In tb amt spot, the calling out three times of a name which was atlU In doubt, a half tug. tested feud between Martin Hubbard and Theodor Howard, and 110 fathom of huge chain cable on a steam schooner-tu- g baffled - m.Xh gist of it wts be suspected peril to the Enterprise and her passengers and cargo , and was bent on averting It, But bow? . Where? When? 1 gave the problem up, and went to Oakland and sought the Gleaner. I found her lying in tbo shoal on th West aids of th A small fores of stevedores long wharf. were loading cement into her half ampty hold. A cursory glance told-m- e thet when all the barrels in sight bad been put aboard their steam schooner would be less than half laden. Z went on board and discovered f ' In sack eas the Vulture kept bet course.1 Howard In hla little cabin aft under the tory of Theodore Howard. It was th beginbridge. ning of th Northwest weather, and the old team schooner bucked the driving sea day Garflnklee talk had built up for me a long with dogged and almost futile persistmental' picture of a Theodore Howard who ence. As we gained Northing the air grew was a patient, tire eee, vigilant, chiller and ths gale fresher. Off Heeeta seeker of revenge. The Captain Howard Head we came to a standstill, and Howard who received me was a middle-age- d seaman cursed. It was my first gitmpee of ths smolof mild and worried expression; n little dering Urea that at at hla vitals awkward in his movements, ungainly of fig"One must expect this kind of slant this ure, nnd sparing of speech. As h sat In time of year. Z reminded him. th cramped room and studied my credentials b gave me the impression of being "One never gets over hoping for better luck." be confess fatigued by the endless endeavor to make sobering instantly. H profit out of petty voyage. There was nothslumped down on the rail. " Ive never found luck on my aids" he said in nn altered tons ing large about him; nothing dashing nor " A man gets sick of it" He frowned over me like an old woman confronted with n bargain In an later he remarked: "Ive always ml seed artiol badly needed and He things by an hour. Only by an hour! Now, questioned me about my experience, about if a man lsa day late, or a week out of hla my knowledge of handling cargo. H sugreckoning, he cant blame himself eo much. gested that th Gleaner was small, unhandy, But aa hour hell- ie full ot mea nn hour and difficult. "An unsatisfactory kind of Intel" t ahlp was his expression. "That reminds me of ths story of Capn While I thought over all that Garflnkl Hall," I remarked, with every Intent to divert had suggested about this man. Z answered bis mind. " Tou remember - " hla questions, professed my competence, nnd Howards fingers dug into my arm and his signified my willingness to put Up With hla , furious face was ' thrust dote to mins ship. At last Howard pushed my papers back " Remember? " X do nothing N shouted. ho to me. but remember UI And he flung away and I need a mate, mister," be said, and the went below. compact was made. Later he came up and muttered an apology. The rest of the day I spent getting ac" The truth is I hare a little scheme on to quainted with the steam schooner. 8he was make eome good money, be told ms "X fitted with little tha? was modern, nnd was, , dont xnaks much on this craft, owning her In fact," an of the old fashioned craft con-as I ds tructed to eesry cargo up and down th t Mentally I aald, "And you paid 121,099 coast on th least poaslbl draft nnd with a chain cable which you try to make me for th least posslbls expenditure of coal. I , believe la freight for Astoria. Aloud X reto her ba about Judged gal eight knots an " I hop this wont Interfere, sir." sponded, hour, nnd tended that against n heavy Nor', foot log raft "Theres an wester ah would do well to keep steerage ' ' lying In ths Columbia waiting for com vesway. 8he w as dirty, also, as old ships get sel to tow It down South, he went on. " Evfor lack of paint and minor repairs. But erybody steers clear of the job. Theres for all her commonplace she had on astonthousand la It for th man who can thirty feature: Ina modern machine ishing touring manage It stalled aft, where the superstructure bed , I laughed. Osxflnkles carefully detected been out away. A new and vary heavy wire plot simmered down tp nothing at all: the hawser completed this outfit Gleaner was going on a perfectly legitimate " It struck me. Where is that chain cable?" errand, which might use even that enormous I found It stowed in No. 1 hold-bad Invested heavily on oabls Howard chain No man of womanlike feel tug can lock at chanca of getting the job that other an ths a huge anchor cable without profound In- - "rftore careful owners shied at I felt a sudtoreet It ie eo unbelievably tremendous , den relief from a strain. Each Unk weighs so much, is sc carefully tha Gleaner handle one ot those "an forged. From shackle to shaokle It is marked rafts?" I asked, and promplj? added, We with the hieroglyphs of workmen whs warcan try, at all events. rant their Job. who offer their honor in pledge "If ws get there In timer he answered. of the Integrity of their handiwork. It repHe went on to explain that tb raft which resents the ultimate of human faithfulness was eight hundred feet long and drew thirty-l- x and material endurance, strength and loyalty. feet of water, had been against I looked up to find Howard gloomily a rising market for log. for a monUu- me. 1 remarked on ths oddity of seeing tucb a eabl on the Oleaner, and he told me scary skippers and timid owners are totting ths money lia They wont ante he told ms somberly that It was consigned to a firm in "I reckoned I'd just bet a little and draw Astoria. cards for tb pot "Tts second hand. he went on. "A devil W discussed the matter during the next of a Job It was to stow it" two day, and called the chief engineer up Sines when are they building to have Us opinion. Ht us both, la tb polumbla? " I asked, with aa and he signified that hs would quit rather than to humorous attempt " Freight is what pay th bills of this risk weak anginas and untrustworthy boiler on such a job. "Bettar found steamships packet mleter." Bo we sailed for th North oa what was to have been lost trying it." be eonoluded. "No help there!" X told Howard. prove ths final episode la ths drew hls- single-minde- d sight-hundre- any hour. " That make it the better for us," Howard aid with hardly suppressed' glee. "Those log raft owner will jump at my offer. To make a long story short, Howard closed tha deal within ilx hour. Th owner ot the reft were desperate Th bar at the mouth of the Columbia had bees rough for two weeks. The two steamers they had engaged to do the towing had waited, given notice, and departed. Any day the bar might smooth sufficiently for the raft to go to eea but ther was no vessel available to take hold ot It. Howard signed a contract to tow the huge, unwieldy effair to a point Inside the Golden Gate for forty thousand dollars. Within an hour North Head reported a imooth bar. Howard fairly tor th Gleaner "from her berth and down the river to the raft Within alx hours w had it test on th and of our hawser and at sundown w were heading Into th setting eun. " When we get outside its all plain tailing," "Howard 'exulted. "The noreeter will aim. ply blow us down at elx knot par hour " It didnt do quite eo well, but we mads good time, though th Gleaner labored heavily and began to live way In weak spots M an old ship will, It was too much for her strength. But Howard hung grimly on and listened to no complaints or arguments. And on th sixth day after leaving Astoria ws wallowed pact Mendocino and into the smoother stretches of the California eoast W ought to mak th Oolden Gate in three more days, I told Howard. We both turned and stared hack at th hug, low bulk that followed ns. It toy Ilk s long Island, awash to every breaker, smothered In foam and spray, hut steadily surging southward to tha pull of our hawser. "We better get that anchor chain cabl over there," my commander eald euddenly. I looked at him In amazement. To tell . the truth. I had forgot that odd part of our equipment. And the need for It. if there could ba imagined any need, was past Inside three days we would have Our tow In port It is seldom rough in late May off th central California coast And (to tell th truth) If this enormous oabls were to be used tt should have bean got on ths raft before we left ths Columbia. All my suspicions were roused again. But Howard was adamant to my representations. Th Gleaner and 'her tow floated motionless. We began the killing labor of breaking the cable, length by length, eut cf the hold and hauling ft to tha raft on a traveler which mn along th wire hawser which the Gleaner kept taut. It took tour precious days to get this useless weight Into ths cabl well built among th logs of th raft. At last th task was don a I came back to ths steam schooner and said to Howard: "Iv got your chain cabl stowed over there and no anchor to band on it And youve spoiled the trim of your vessel so ' that ah cant tow half eo well." Howard laughed la my race and rang th tngines ahead fun speed. Two dayn followed during which we made fair progress. Then th wind began to haul Into th southard and th sky became overcast and Inshore the storm clouds piled above the mountains Tb third Bight after onr Resumption of the voyage tt was thick and drizzling. Th next day we saw nothing and X began to impress on Howard the danger of meeting other vessels which could not seo th extent and weight of the thing we towed. "A steamship might better run on solid rock than on that raft," X urged. "Its a deadly menace to everything going up and ' flown tho coast. Tou ought to haul In on your hawser, mak test astern th raft and Ue by. blowing signals till It clears. "I was an hour 1st one," h told me. hi reddsned eye glaring 0B mtna " Keep ' . v OnP d , d dread-naugh- ts pooh-pooh- - And la the end X had to acknowledge that Theodor Howard was Insane. ' Some train peeelbly that of risking hla all oa such a venture, had broken down th man's mental Integrity. H kept th bridge and roared blasphemies down th speaking tub to th engine room, bawled curses st the crew, snd shook his fist toward tho leaden skies. I was at my wits ends. W wer nearing tb rowded channel off Pt. Reyes and th weather was growing worse. , Tha Gleaner was steadily steaming ahead though her seams were opening, her boilers leaking and th engineer desperate But something loyal and faithful kept us at our work. After all (we told each other) Howard had tolled for yean without much recompense. Now a fortune was within hla grasp. To tend th great raft inaid- - th Golden Gat would be a triumph indeed, in which we should hav our share. That h was demented was true; but It was a temporary craze .induced by sleeplessness, worry and strain. And the Gleaner drove alowly on into th misty, veiled waters where the tides take hold among the reefs and shoals that guard th Golden Gate Within twenty hours of our goal Howard rang tho machines to standstill and ordered me to gre aboard the raft and abackl th lengths of th cable up and pay tt out, after making fast to the great chain slings that held the logs Into a compact, cigar shaped bulk. He gav me a perfectly reasonable explanation; the Olezner must go on to port for fuel W would leave the raft to drift (Continued on following page ' |