Show LA TV A VOYAGE 5 A B B ell ca ne SYNOPSIS the story opens with the introduction of john stepi ens adventurer a massa chu man marooned by authorities a at t valparaiso chile being inte interested rested t in n mining operations in bolivia he was de bounced by ch ie as an insurrection st ana and a consequence was hiding at his hotel his attention was attracted by an englishman and a young woman stephens rese rescued ed the young woman from a drunk drunken n officer office he was thanked by her admiral of the peruvian navy con ve fronted 0 stephens told him that war had been d declared lar e d between chile and peru and offered offered him bim tl e office of calta n he dedred that that night the esmeralda a cl llean vessel should be captured stephens stephen accepted the commission stephens stephen met a motley crew to which he was assigned he gave them final in they boarded the vessel they successfully captured the vessel supposed to be the Esme esmeralda raida through strategy capt stephens gave d erections lons ions tor for the d de e of the craft he entered the cab I 1 and discovered the english woman and her maid stephens quickly learned t the he wrong vessel had been captured ed I 1 it t was lord do ra agton s private yacht ht the lords lord s wife and maid being aboard he e explained the situation to he her I 1 lady chip I 1 then hen first arst mate tuttle laid bare the plot lot saying that the sea queen had be been e n taken in order to go to the altare t tic C ci circle acle tuttle explained that on a former voyage he had I 1 learned earn e d that the donna isabel sabe was mas lost I 1 in n 1753 he had found it frozen in a huge case of ice on an island and contained much gold stephens consented to be the captain of the expedition he told lady dy darlington she was greatly alarmed but expressed confidence in him the sea queen encountered a vessel in the tog fog stephens attempted to comm licate this caused a fierce struggle and he was overcome tuttle finally squaring the sit U a tion then the sea queen headed beaded south again under tuttle a guidance the ves bel 1 made progress s a toward its goal de nova the mate told stephens that he believed tuttle now acting as skipper insane because of his queer actions stephens was awakened by crashing crashing of class glass he ile saw tuttle in the grip of f a spasm asin of religious mania and overcame bym h him the sailor upon regaining his senses was taken ill tuttle committed suicide by shooting hooting upon vote of the crew Step stephens tens assumed the leadership and the men decided to continue th the e tr treasure e asure hunt the islands a n ds being s supposed u to be only miles distant tuttle was burled buried in the sea lady darlington pronouncing the service stephens awaking from sleep bleep saw the ghost supposed to have formed the basis for tuttle a religious mania upon advice of lady darlington stephens started to probe the ghost he ile came upon sanchez the drunk en officer he had humbled in chile he found that at sanchez inspiration en alneer mcknight played ghost to scare the men into giving up the quest steph ens announced that the sea queen was at the spot where tuttle s quest was sup posed to be the crew was anxious to go on in further search de nova and steph ens conquered them in a fist list fl ht lady darlington thanked him the sea queen st started E arted northward she was wrecked in a fo tog 9 stephens de nova lady darl agton and her maid being among those to set out in a life boat ten were rescued stephens saw only one chance in a thou sand tor for life lady darlington confessed her love to stephens and he did I 1 dewise lady darlington told her life story how she h had ad been bartered for a title her yearning earn ng tor for absent love she revealed herself herself as the school chum of stepi ens sister she expressed a wish to die in the sea rather than face her former friends and go back to the old life A ship was a gated the craft proved to be a derelict they board boarded ed I 1 er she was frozen tight with but hut deeds of years of ice the ves sel bel was the donna donns isabel lost in I 1 aa years pre lous the frozen bod es of the former crew were removed they read the log of the isabel which told how the spaniards had bad died from cold one by 0 e lady darlington sang to prevent tl e men from becoming moody the crew commenced the hunt tor for treasure they found the iron chest said to contain a part of 3 pesos firmly imbedded in fart c e lady darlington expressed the belief ahat it would never benefit the men for she gaid said the donna isabel boull never reach port the men got a lust for gold stephens quelled it by whipping one the donna isabel showed indications of sink ing they prepared to depart with blat wl at treasure had been found CHAPTER I 1 I 1 continued the negro cole acted as though he had lost his mind entirely and after studying him awhile I 1 concluded to let him do as he pleased lie ate breakfast with the rest of us but with out speaking and after afterward vard when we left the table picked up the cleaver and made directly for the cazarette laz arette I 1 called to him but he merely rolled his eyes up at me from the blackness be low and disappeared the icy water blushing shing underfoot we soon heard him vigorously slashing away at the ice muttering constantly to himself I 1 went part way down the ladder with a candle in my hand whence I 1 could see him tolling away at the end of the hole the men had excavated in the tee though he paid no attention to my call the water was fully six inches deep over the cazarette laz arette deck splash ing back and forth as the vessel rolled and I 1 could see drops of sea water squeezing in through the sides of her and dripping steadily down there was nothing to do but leave the fellow alone so after telling dade to look down the ladder once in a while and keep an eye on him I 1 joined the others on deck gone clear nutty commented me knight tapping his head the very sight 0 them yellow boys was too much for him I 1 only hope it wasn gasn t my blow I 1 bald said soberly blow hell why that crack never hurt his skull mr stephens the fellow was plumb crazy as soon as the box was open he never thought there was so much money in the world why you ought to a heard him tell of the junk he was goin to buy when he be got his share back to the states oh he 11 come out of his dream all right it if we only let him alone tor for a day or so so we left him down there alone pegging away in the dark he came up however at the call tall for dinner eating avs ais hea bea ily without uttering N with all my strength I 1 flung myself forth straight out into the sea a word and going back to his solitary labor paying not the slightest heed to any of US when night came I 1 corn com belled him to remove his icy trousers and boots and lie ile down in one of the bunks when I 1 looked in a few min utes later he was sound asleep that the wreck was slowly settling down under us was beyond doubt and laden with ice fee as she was the sodden hull would probably drop at last like a stone the thickening sky to the south ward made me exceedingly anxious and just before dark we talked the conditions over together each man having his say the decision was to i emain on board all alike believing the donna isabel would keep afloat several days yet unless the weather became serious everything was made ready however for a hasty escape and a deck watch set doris passed the greater part of my watch on deck with me and as kelly was on the poop we were the nearest to being alone together we had ever been it was an exceedingly dark night but still an awful sense of loneliness brooding over the black waters the canvas forward flapping mourn fully the huge rudder continually creaking to the slap of the waves and a taint faint gurgle of water sounding from below the dreariness t t f it affected us both in spite of an effort at cheer falness besides we had little to talk about except our perilous situation yet there was an acute pleasure in thus being together and so she lin on beside me her eyes wander ing from my face out into the gloom much of the time silent yet content finally after urging her to go in out of the chill I 1 took a turn forward even clambering up the ice hummock to the fore peak and testing the rise of water with a measuring rod As I 1 returned aft where kelly was slap ping himself to keep warm a light flaky snow began falling and soon powdered the decks I 1 did not undress but flung myself on the couch in the main cabin after replenishing the fire and lay there some time staring up at the smoky deck beams listening to the slush of water in the cazarette laz arette halt half frightened by the of the hulks roll ing et my conviction that she would keep afloat for hours yet finally lulled me to sleep de nova woke me with a fierce grip on the shoulder and I 1 started up no ting the gray dawn on the front win dows and reading the truth in his face before he uttered a word Is she going oui out oui out by gar she sink quick call all hanc ban s get the boat clear and ready to swing bring the women the men were tumbling out as I 1 pounded on the after stateroom state room door A glance through the stern ports brought my heart into my throat the thel crests of the pursuing waves were so close lose knowing that both women would bea be fully dressed I 1 flung open the door and began hastily gathering up their belongings within a brief minute we were outside on the deck A single glance told us there was no time to ta waste the sea ran somewhat heavier yet with a regular swell the donna isabel reeling and staggering like a drunken man the vessel had sunk so deeply that her main chains dipped while her list permitted the wa ter free entrance through the gap in the port bulwarks and flooded the deck there was a desperation to her mad wallowing which made me think each plunge would prove her last I 1 awl wi ng doris into the stern of the long boat bidding her hold tight now jump men lively or she shell 11 go down under us de nova john son tumble in and handle the ropes sanchez fend off and have an oar ready now then tall on the rest of you and let her go easy there easy slide down the line everybody and cast off oars men oars or she 11 swamp us the dip of the th chains missed us by the barest inch then we swung clear tossed high on the creamy crest of a huge roller which enabled us to look straight down on the sloping deck Is every one herec I 1 asked all but jem cole sir cole where is he hea it was johnson who answered well all I 1 know about it Is I 1 hauled him out 0 the bunk and shook him wide awake then I 1 left him to go out and rout out kelly that s the last I 1 saw of him sir but it s a sure thing he ain aln t here de nova had hold of the tiller and I 1 sprang forward pushing past san chez who was in the bow lay her nose close in where I 1 can jump for the chains I 1 ordered sharply we can t leave cole behind to drown it was a bit of a ticklish job the way the sea was running and that lumping wreck sagging under but the mate knew his trade and as the boat rose high on the swell I 1 leaped and hung on my feet dangling in the froth As the sodden hull swung reeling over I 1 clambered up and dropped to the deck the missing negro was nowhere in sight I 1 leaned over staring down at the bobbing boat being hurled back by the rebound of the surge yet seeing only the white face of dons doris upturned appealingly toward me pullout pull out boys strong now give her plenty of room so she wont uck quck ou down when she drops I 1 ve got to try the cauin I 1 got aft that far I 1 even got fair ly within the door and my ears caught the dull muffled sounds of blows be tween decks my god the fellow had actually gone back into that icy hold to dig for gold As I 1 stood there trem bling wondering it if I 1 could dare the passage I 1 felt a sudden quiver of the deck heard a sharp ripping sound forward a yell of mingled voices and turned and ran for the rail rall with all my strength I 1 flung myself forth straight out into the gray sea I 1 went down down down feeling as it if the very life was being sucked out of me every muscle paralyzed by the icy coldness of the water As I 1 came up gasping struggling scarce able to move a cramped limb the suction caught me dragging me bar back 1 and down again I 1 battled a against ainest it like a madman every instant an agony and then all at once I 1 found the crest and breathed in the welcome air my y stiffened limbs moving mec mechanically hanica ay my brain throbbing with pain I 1 co could id see nothing until a huge roller flung me upward buffeting my face with icy spray and there below in the hollow tossed the longboat every pallid face staring up at me I 1 saw them tran fran back water as the great surg surge hurled me down headlong I 1 was be side them they clutched at me and missed the stern swung suddenly about by the blow of the sea loomed over me an and d then my fingers gripped a dripping oar blade god knows how I 1 ever clung to it wrenched by that sea how the strength remained in my numbed hands but some one twisted a boat hook in the collar of my jacket and so they hauled me drip ping and halt conscious over the gun wale I 1 saw doris I 1 looked into hei eyes I 1 felt her bare hands on my wet cheek I 1 think it was the simple touch of her that gave me back life and comprehension of my condition I 1 endeavored weakly to lift my head fighting against the awful numbness that held me prostrate everything seemed a dream yet in that dream I 1 heard de novas voice take him for horard ard zare dam quick strip ze wet clothes off or he freeze dead by gar jump you kelly an get blanket roun him 1 I hardly know what they did tor for I 1 scarcely retained sufficient life to re alize that I 1 was still alive but when I 1 was fairly warm beneath a pile of ol blankets I 1 saw doris sitting where she could look down into my face and the men busy stepping the masi mast and getting up sail I 1 pushed mj my hand band out from under the covers and found hers bers don dont t cry little girl I 1 whispered tenderly it Is all right now she bent down her cheek pressed against mine unable to speak D d did the donna isabel gc downa I 1 asked after a moments sl st lence yes and and it nearly caught us her voice sobbing as the memory ol 01 it all came back I 1 I 1 saw you jump and then there was nothing nothing atthe sea oh ohl how did god avei save ave you ever bring you back tc mea I 1 could only press her hand dundei the warmth of the blankets still feel ing it difficult to breathe did did you see coleb she ques cloned at last more calmly no but I 1 heard him he was down in the cazarette laz arette chopping at the ice poor devil I 1 felt her shiver then she lifted hei head looking forth over the sea to the very end the dead are doomed to guard that gold she said soberly I 1 wish we had none of pf it 11 aboard I 1 lay watching the delicate profile of her face happy yet with a little of foreboding lift me up a little dear until I 1 can look about she did so with much gentleness and I 1 leaned against the gunwale II 11 was a raw cloudy morning sea and sky the same dull dreary expanse oi 0 gray with nothing anywhere to re lieve the awful loneliness of water OB on which we tossed our eyes met and our handclasp tightened CHAPTER in which we fight death I 1 remember distinctly enough th first six days of that boat voyage i seems as it every detail was barnec upon my brain with fire I 1 see tb faces of the men constantly becoming more haggard and hopeless as thea the stared dull eyed and aimlessly out over the endless waste of water to th dun sky we were so tired of it ii 11 had grown so hateful in its vacancy its dull dreary oid old II 11 seemed to me that with every re curning dawn those within the boal boat appeared older grayer more deemi lined their exposed flesh caked more heavily with the salt |