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Show ttM-M . . .mi ..X-f ffnint . . -n .. -r- HI p , i ..-,-lL" . -.;,-- i - - STTTTS! J.i - 1L1!!!1" J ! !.' ' '! 'J 1 I f THE RULE OfI I THE ROAD I! WHAT THE DIAL TOLD I By JOHN TLXMINd wiLCOtf H T KE cargo steamer Amphlon wa HI dnramlng through tho fog off Til H Inmook Ileatl on thoO'igon coit. Tho H sklpp-r vraa tamping hack and forth en U 'the bridge, volubly Imprecating d-en W throncment on tho weather god. Noir and then ho put hit hand Irresolutely ou I, the lever of the englnroora tclcKraph. which polntM. In sclto of ulcs and reg- ulatlonn, to "Full Seed." Once ir twice 1 , 'he addressed a question to tt third I officer. The latter reluocrl to commit ,1 ' himself. Finn'lr his supMor glanced at f I ,r, ' tho clncW under the hood, lU'-ned for -1 vi, , an answer In the nlgliv to tho bellow of J 5, tho siren, and said: "I guest we'll let vl her go. If e can keep up the gait we J v can mako Astoria by the morning tide. ' and there's ro shipping to be afraid of 0 ,. a, to-night. Half speed's all right for the lower coast, but up here there's no need i j of losing time that way." , Si ' From the note of Indecision In the t ' captain's voice, the third mate thought that encouragement was wanted. But , , , ho stared Into the blind haie that hid from view the very wash from the cut-f cut-f ' water, and only grunted. "I don't see why we shouldn't hit her along," the sklnper went on. Irascibly. "Wo aren't moro than agod 30 from he light, and when we get,rrt there wo can I Mow down and crawl In) by daylight 1 ain't a coward to lay her to when there's no need." "Shall I keep her at full speed?" the ! mate asked. "Well, I wouldn't alow down yet awhile. Maybe It It get much thicker, Sf and I ain't on the bridge, you better let . her down to half speed. Just tell the engineer en-gineer to drop her a couple of rovolu-u rovolu-u lions." . ' Tho watch ofllcer nodded. He had ' - served on several ecas, and It was no new thing 111 his experience for a con- i sclentlous captain to put his telegraph , . at half speed, or even dead alow, and warn the er)neors not to obey too literally. lit-erally. l( can't be done any more, for the new (olograph marks revolutions and must tally with the Indicator on the engines. The mate did not like the look . of the night, and the perils marked on the chart rose before him distinctly Dut he unei stood quite well a young master's anxiety Ret Into port on ' time, and moreover he told himself that ... If they ran diwn anything It wasn't his fault. So he nodded aesln and walked rt over to 'the speoklng tube. tTb hlf , enlnr nwri'd him t", 1 ffom tho working' platform. "Captain says when he rings to slow to half speed, j- Jlit to drop her a couple." came the ' 4' . . (Irawllng voice of the thl'd mate. ' ' ' The chief looked Up at the dial where - ' the Indicator pointed steadily at full t speed ahead, "All right," ho replied. $ "The skipper's keeping her going In ' " this tog," suggested the assistant eq- .' ; -'hsln'n, N ' ", he wants to get In. It's pretty thick weather to be steaming a good ' ' 12." , I ' "Dad coast; too," continued the atslst- 1 ant, fllrt'in his lamp Into tho champing eccentric well. , "It's always I ho way with youngsters," 11 .hlef responded, acidly. "They don't like to lose tliro by rules. Petersen's all right, ro ho thinks, but h hasn't been on this coast as long as I have, or la. wi titrln't bo driving her In this muck. He's alwijj throwing It up to me that I alt.t th- skipper so I reckon I'll mako ' no' fin k If he Is tr-. Ing to hit the Amphlon through contrary to rules." ' ' "Well," Faid the other, glancing up at the djal, "If anything happens, all we've got to say Is: It was orders from the bridge. That telegraph won't lie. ShnUjI-oaseilier only a couple when he signals h5it'ped?" The grayhalred engineer put his hand 5 - en hl'suborfllnate's shoulder, His voice 6 ' rogJab(1vithe"wh,lrr of the dynamo and , lw the clankwfthe majn pump "Thatlsnt jP m ordfs,?reTald. "Our orders are on J " . that dial there, if that says half speed, II ' , by Jimmy Crlpps, half speed It Is." f ' "Then no talk from (he deck goes, i B,rr i "Take your ordors, from the telegraph, 1 - when It's working," the chief rosponded. , I - "If It Isn't working then tho speaklng- m r, tub will do." 9 ' An hour later the Amphlon was still J beating away through the big, oily eas. -St' the fog streaming away from her bows II tosvlrl back and across the y'low glare 'H ' ' of tho deck lights before piling up Jn a 11 ' r murky wall mtern. Tho captain kept watch with his mate on the bridge. Thi engine-room telegraph stood at full 1 speed. Down below In the engine-room the third engineer wnt quietly, about his work, while his chief stood on the working platforj, under the huge steam V fva've' mt),:,nK l'8 p'p- i Afftcr his rounds, the assistant came v rrfts and stood by the old man's side. "lt; an aw.My dirty night," he said 1, "fn the stoke-room you cm tee the fog PfUflngTiw tho ventilates like steam. . ' strikes me tho shipper la runm.ig big 1 ,; "rltl-s." r .( "Yes, he's reckless to-night. I'm prct- ty will used to young rhnps with hot-' hot-' "S ' hcH'led notions, but the older I grow . , ( th Jessntk" 'ho captain who boasts In ' ' port tliat ho never wnt half speed. 1 ' BoQuor or lat . hegetaa lesson. Some- tf- Ih.i 'nglne-room pays for It. Mostly, Most-ly, . might my." . Tho younger resumed his rounds througt the piachtntry, his light had on assuring, a swift tnuchon a driving rod, , , aulnt at an oil cup. a turn on a valve. Th swerving bed.i cs, th thundering cylinders far fbove, the clacking pumps. I" ;1 ire whl.rlng shaft sang about him as he MLi '" Suddenly the steady roar of tho ,wMiugfl engines was dulled. Tha hard- f pressed thrust blocks ceaiod their shrill .cry, Tho pluuglnE pUton rods slewed jyLji.i- .M.imr . i . ft up. With a sigh the engine-room took up the lower beat for half-speed. But the assistant "lad noticed one itrange thing. He m'l . ly Jol-.jd nl cj.ia', and ' w.ed at e o-'i of th teler Jl. It allli pointed is ll had for thetai. hoar The eider man answered his inquisitive glance with a low, "I don't know what the deck weans. Before another word was said, there came a stow, sucking ?'t the Amphlon rolW o er llll the lantern dimmed She recovered ltb a surge, and as the chief euglneer wrenched tho steam valve shut, thn plates beneath their feet bulced upward. up-ward. A moment of tense itialfclnglti the stilled machinery, and then, an If freed ffora some elantlc bond, the steamer steam-er la vd forward again. Thero vvas the sharp clang of a door, and a stoker puii"d his awoaty face aboVe the RTB.I-log RTB.I-log with a cry. But tho old engineer threw the steam Into the cylinders again, and .ho engines throbbed In response. 'The propellor'a still there," he cried, shutting off ateam once more. The third aaalstant was gazing at the telegraph dial. The Indicator had not moved. With an oath he snatched a pair of nippers from the rsck and thrust the clawa up Into the wires behind the (ace. Then he turned In blazing triumph tri-umph to his superior. "He shan't put her over at half speed now," he shouted, "and then tell tho Inspectors that It ww us that ept her driving. Before the words were well out of his mouth, a Jolt threw them to the plates, ard as they scrambled up again thi Amphlon seem to crumple up under them. Then with tho screeching of riven plntes and drawing rivets, the steamer settled on the reef. A breaker flrng Itself In thunder agaMst thrvslde, and the ipray fell like rain through 4he skylight Thi. sharp clang of the gong filled the engine-room. "That was the half-speed tell," sfd the chief, dully. In the lull that followed the rattling boom. His assistant, while the awakened awak-ened engineers of the other watches peered curiously th'ouifh the darkness with ejes still heavy from sleep, caught up a lantern that was still burning, and threw Its beam on the dial of the telegraph. tele-graph. It still pointed to full speed ahead. "I knew he'd try It, and I fooled him!" ho cried. In thn turmoil that followed, while stoker and oiler and engineer fled from the water bubbling waist high, tho chief gathered up his own log-book, and care-fu'ly care-fu'ly tore It up. The fragment he cant on the foamy- brine that rose about his engines. "I ain't going to fight unfair." he muttered. On the brldgeof the wrecked Amphlon the crew huddled cheerlessly. Tho slow streaming sea that emerged from the for and nlghttowlndwsrd broke heavily on the submerged hull, and the spume ran In rhers from mast and stanchion "I had the englne-roum telegraph at Salt ipeed," said the captain. wb'"efaced "and I've gut It don.i In thelig that we slowed down a soon as we got Into I ho fog. 1 gu-ns that'll satisfy the Inspectors that I've done all right, and we'd not ha' run out of our course, unlets the engtne-rom engtne-rom had disobeyed orders and kept her full speed." ' The third assistant pushed forward and stated at thn captain with open mouth. Then he shook his fist, wildly "That alnt so." he bawled. "I knew yer tricks! I got witness down below! Ye don't l".e me my papers that way! Anj-body Anj-body with two grains of sense "ull k"ow this old hooker couldn't pile up this high on any half speed I tellye.yedon't lco me my papers!" He turned round to his fellows of. the englnee-room. "Whnt doa the telegraph down there read?" he yeUed. The old engineer, rubbing between his palms the omnipresent badge of his authority, au-thority, a bit of cotton waste, gazed at the pallid master of the wreck, and shared Ms shame. With a gesture, h silenced his shrieking men, and bullied the third mate with hi yes "I was on watch tonight with my assistant," he commenced, harshly. "I am responsible for this. I've lost my engine-room log, but It was my orders that kept her driving, driv-ing, It was all my dulngs, and I guess I'm old enough to stand by It. To hell with the rules of the road! Let's play this fair. "But " began the third assistant with a cry. "Shut up"' bellowed his chief. The yellow lanters on the tilted bridge flickered In the wind, but their unsteady flames wore not more wavering than the eyes of thn captain. "I put her over to half speed," he said, shrilly, laying his wet hand on the brass, "but it mightn't have registered in the engine-room. engine-room. You see" 'Wo must play fair," Interrupted the chief engineer, loudly The men crowded closer about him, their oilskins rustling In the dnrkness. "Wo mut play fair." said heold man, glibly. "The Amphlon's ptid up here, and some one's got to lose his papers, I ain't been friendly with the nklpnor. and I Just naturally kept her drtvluK. boys, It's my fault, my fault, boys, and I giiem I'm up a 'alnst It. That telegraph say half speed, and I kept her full ipeed, contrary to orders." The young skipper turned away his face and picked up a lantern that swung steaming from the rail. Raising t up he scanned the. faces that surrounded hlra Slowly the lantern fellwlthhlsnrm. He threw out his hand and caught the lever of the telegraph. With a Jerk lib threw It bnk an., then forward to full speed ahead The clsng of the be came up ft m the hslf-drowned engine-room and tinkled, a fading eho, n the fog. San Francisco Argonant. , |