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CONTINUED.
"Nothing whatever. It Ih a bit of
good luck to meet such weather here.
We can keep as far south as we like
until daybreak, and by that time
How did It look when yon eanie In?"
"A trllle better, I think."
"1 have sent for some refreshments.
Let us have another look before we
taekle them."
The two ollleers passed out into the
liurrieane. Instantly the wind endeav
ored to tear the chart house from ofT
the deck. They looked aloft and abend.
The olilcer on duty saw them and nod
ded silent comprehension. It was use
less to attempt to speak. The weather
was perceptibly clearer.
Then all three peered ahead again.
They stood, pressing against the wind,
seeking to penetrate the murkluess In
front. Suddenly they were galvanized
Into strenuous activity.
A wild howl eanie from the lookout
forward. The eyes of the three tnen
glared at a huge dismasted Chinese
junk wallowing helplessly In the
trough of the sen dead tinder the bows.
The captain sprang to the chart house
mid signaled In llerce pantomime that
the wheel should be put hard over.
The olilcer In charge of the bridge
pressed the telegraph lever to "stop"
and "full speed astern," while with bis
disengaged hand lie pulled bard at the
siren cord, and a raucous warning Bent
stewards (lying through the ship to
close collision bulkhead doors. The
"chief" darted to the port rnll, for the
Sirdar's instant response to the helm
seemed to clear her nose from the
Junk ns If by magic.
It all happened so quickly that while
the hoarse signal was still vibrating
through the ship the J utile swept past
her qnarter. The chief officer, joined
now by the commander, looked down
Into the wretched craft. They could
pee her crew lashed In a bunch around
the capstan on her elevated poop. She
was laden with timber. Although wa
terlogged, she could not sink if she
lield together.
A great wnve sucked her away from
the steamer and then hurled her back
with Irresistible force. The Sirdar
was Just completing her turning move
ment, and she heeled over, yielding to
the mighty power of the gale. For an
appreciable instant her engines stop
ped. The mass of water that swayed
the junk like a cork lifted the great
ship higli by the stern. The propeller
began to revolve in air, for the third of
jlcer had corrected his signal to "full
speed ahead" again, and the cumbrous
4 'hiue.se vessel struck the Sirdar a ter
lihlc blow In the counter, smashing off
the screw close to the thrust block and
Wrenching the rudder from its bearings.
There was nn awful race by the en
glues before the engineers could shui
off steam. The junk vanished Into the
wilderness of noise and tumbling seas
beyond, aud the line steamer of a few
seconds ago. replete with magnificent
energy, struggled like a wounded levia
than in the grasp of a vengeful foe.
She swung around as if In wrath to
pursue the puny assailant which had
dealt her this mortal stroke. No longer
breastlng the storm with stubborn per
sistency, she now drifted aimlessly
lieforc wind and wave. She was mere
ly a larger plaything tossed about b.
tltaule gambols. The Junk was burst
asunder by the collision. Her planks
and cargo littered the- waves, were
oven tossed In derision on to the decks
of the Sirdar. Of what avail was
strong timber or bolted Iron against
the spleen of the unchained and form
less monster who loudly proclaimed
Ids triumph? The great steamship
drifted on. through chaos. The typhoon
bad broken the lance.
Hut brave men, skillfully directed,
wrought hard to avert further disas
ter. After the first moment of stupor
gallant British sailors risked life aud
limb to bring the vessel under control.
By their calm courage they shamed
the paralyzed Lascars Into activity. A
sail was rigged on the foremast aud a
sea anchor hastily constructed as soon
as It was discovered that the helm was
useless. Kockcts flared up Into the
sky at regular Intervals In the faint
hope that should they attract the at
tention of another vessel she would fol
low the disabled Sirdar and render
help when the weather moderated.
When the captain ascertained that
no water was being shipped, the dam
age being wholly external, the collision
doors were opened and tho passengers
admitted to the saloon, a brilliant pah
ace, superbly indifferent to the wreck
and ruin without.
Captain Boss himself came down and
addressed a few comforting words to
the quiet men and pallid women gath
ered there, lie told them exactly what
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By LOUIS
TRACY
Copyright. 1903, by
Edwtrd J. Clode
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bad happened.
The hours passed In tedious misery
after Captain Boss' visit. Every one
was eager to get a glimpse of the un
known terrors without from the deck.
This was out of the question, so peo
ple sat around the tables to listen
eagerly to Experience and Ills wise
saws on drifting ships and their pros
pects. Some cautious persons visited their
cabins to secure valunbles in case of
further disaster. A few hardy spirits
returned to bed.
Meanwhile In the chart house tlie cap
tain and chief officer were gravely
pondering over an open chart and dis
cussing a fresh risk that loomed
ominously before them. The ship was
a long way out of her usual course
when the accident happened. She was
drifting now, they estimated, eleven
knots an hour, with wind, sea and cur
rent all forcing her In the same direc
tion, drifting Into one of the most dan
gerous places In the known world, the
south China sea, with Its numberless
reefs, shoals and Isolated rocks and
the great Island of Borneo stretching
right across the path of the cyclone.
Still there was nothing to bo done
save to make a few unobtrusive prepa
rations and trust to Idle chance. To
attempt to anchor and ride out the gale
in their present position was out of the
question.
Two, 3, 4 o'clock came and went.
Another half hour would witness the
dawn and a further clearing of the
weather. The barometer was rapidly
rising. The center of the cyclone bad
swept far ahead. There was only left
the aftermath of heavy seas and furi
ous but steadier wind.
Captain Boss entered the chart house
for the twentieth time.
He had aged many years In appear
ance. The smiling, confident, debonair
officer was changed into a stricken,
mournful man. He had altered with
his ship. The Sirdar and her master
could hardly be recognized, so cruel
were the blows they had received.
"It is Impossible to see a yard
ahead," he confided to his second in
command. "I have never been so anx
ious before In my life. Thank God, the
night Is drawing to a close. Perhaps
when day breaks"
His last words contained a prayer
aud a hope. Even as be spoke the ship
seemed to lift herself bodily with an
unusual effort for a vessel moving be
fore the wind.
The next instant there was n horrible
grinding crash forward. Each person
They looked down Into the urctvhed crnft.
who did not chance to be holding fast
to an upright was thrown violently
down. The deck was tilted to a dan
gorous angle and remained there, while
the heavy buffeting of the sea, now
raging afresh at this uulooked for re
sistance, drowned the despairing yells
raised by the Lascars on duty.
The Sirdar had completed her last
voyage. She was now a battered wreck
on a barrier reef. She hung thus for
one heartbreaking second. Then an
other wave, riding triumphantly
through Its fellows, caught the groat
steamer In its tremendous grasp, car
ried her onward for half her length
and smashed her down on the rocks.
Her back was broken. She parted In
two halves. 'Both sections turned com
pletely over In tho utter wantonness of
destruction, aud everything masts,
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funnels, boats, hull, wltli every living
sou! on board was at once engulfed
In a maelstrom of rushing water und
far flung spray.
CHAPTER II.
HEN the Sirdar parted amid
ships the floor of the saloon
heaved up In the eetitir with
a mighty crash of rending
woodwork and Iron. Men and women,
too stupelled to sob out a prayer, were
pitched headlong Into chaos. Iris, torn
from the terrified grasp of her maid,
fell through a corridor aud would have
gone down with the ship had not a
sailor, clinging to a companion ladder,
caught her as she whirled along the
steep slope of the deck.
He did not know what had happen
ed. With the Instinct of self preserva
tion he seized the nearest support
when the vessel struck. It was the
mere Impulse of ready helpfulness that
caused him to stretch out his left arm
aud clasp the girl's waist as she Mutter
ed past. By Idle chance they were on
the port, side, and the ship, after paus
ing for one awful second, fell over to
starboard.
The man was not prepared for this
second gyration. Even as the stair
way canted he lost bis balance; they
were both thrown violently through
the open hatchway and swept off Into
the boiling surf. Tender such condi
tions thought Itself was Impossible. A
series of Impressions, a number of fan
tastic pictures, were received by the be
numbed faculties and afterward pain
fully sorted out by the memory. Fear,
anguish, aniazenient none of these
could exist. All he knew was that the
lifeless form of a woman for Iris had
happily fainted must be held until
death Itself wrenched her from him.
Then there came the headlong plunge
Into tho swirling sea, followed by an
indefinite period of gasping oblivion.
Something that felt like a moving rock
rose up beneath Ids feet. He was driv
en clear out of the water and seemed to
recognize a familiar object rising rigid
and bright close at hand. It was the
pinnacle pillar, screwed to a portion of
the deck which came away from the
chart house, and was rent from the up
per framework by contact with the
reef. He seized this uulooked for sup
port with his disengaged hand.
A uniformed figure he thought It
was the captain stretched out an un
availing arm to clasp the queer raft
which supported the sailor and tho
girl, but a Jealous wave rose under
the platform with devilish energy and
turned It completely over, hurling the
man with bis inanimate burden Into
the depths. He rose, lighting madly
for his life. Now surely he was doom
ed. But again, ns If human existence
depended on naught more serious than
the spinning of n coin, his knees rested
on the same few stanch timbers, now
the ceiling of the music room, and be
was given a brief respite. Ills great
est difficulty was to get his breath, so
dense was the spray through which
he was driven. Even in that terrible
moment he kept his senses. The girl,
utterly unconscious, showed by tho
convulsive heaving of her breast that
she was choking. With n wild effort
he swung her head round to shield her
from the flying scud with his own
form.
The tiny air space thus provided
gave her some relief, and in that In
stant the sailor seemed to recognize
her. He was not remotely capable of a
definite Idea. Just as he vaguely real
ized the Identity of the woman In his
nrfns the unsteady support on which
he rested toppled over. Again he re
newed the unequal contest. A strong,
resolute man and a typhoon sen wres
tled for supremacy.
This time his feet plunged against
something gratefully solid. He wus
dnshed forward, still battling with the
raging turmoil of water, and n second
time he felt the same firm yet smooth
surface. His dormant faculties awoke.
It was sand. With frenzied despera
tion, buoyed now by the Inspiring hope
of safety, he fought his way onward
like a maniac.
Often he fell. Three times did the
backwash try to drag him to the
swirling death behind, but he staggered
blindly on, on, until even the tearing
gale ceased to be laden with the suffo
cating foam, and his faltering feet
sank In deep soft white sand.
Then he fell, not to rise again. With
a last weak flicker of exhausted
strength he drew the girl closely to
him, and the two lay clasped tightly
Jjgether, heedless now of all things.
How long the man remained pros
trate ho could, only guess subsequently.
The Sirdar struck soon after day
break, and the sailor awoke to a hazy
consciousness of his surroundings to
find a shaft of sunshine flickering
through the clouds banked up in the
east. The gale was nlready passing
nway. Although the wind still whis
tled with shrill violence, it was more
blustering than threatening. The sea,
too, though running very high, had re
treated many yards from the spot
where he had finally dropped, and Its
surface wan no longer scourged with
venomous spray.
Slowly and painfully he raised him-
lf to a sitting posture, for he was
bruised und stiff. With his first move
ment he became violently III. He had
1 swallowed much sait water, and it
was not until the spasm of sickness
liad passed that he thought of the girl.
"She cannot be dead," he hoarsely
I
murmured, feebly trying lo lift bor.
"Surely Providence would not desert
her after such an escape. What a
weak beggar I must be to give In at
tho last moment I I am sure she was
living when we :ot ashore. What on
earth can 1 do to revive her?"
Forgetful of his own aching limbs In
this newborn anxiety, he sank on one
knee and gently pillowed Iris' head and
shoulders on the other. Her eyes were
closed, her lips and teeth firmly set a
fact to which she undoubtedly owed
her life, else she would have been suf
focated and the pallor of her skin
seemed to be that terrible bloodless
hue which Indicates death. The stern
Hues In the man's face relaxed, aud
something blurred his vision. Ho was
weak from exhaustion aud want of
food. For the moment his emotions
were easily aroused.
"Oh, It Is pitiful!" be almost whim
pered. "It cannot be!"
With a gesture of despair be drew
the sleeve of his thick Jersey across his
eyes to clear them from the gathering
lie titayyercd blindly on.
mist. Then he tremblingly endeavored
to open the neck of her drpss. He was
startled to find tho girl's eyes wide
open aud surveying him with shadowy
alarm. She was quite conscious.
"Thank fJod!" be cried hoarsely.
"You are alive."
Her color came back with remarka
ble rapidity. She tried to assume u sit
ting posture, .and Instinctively her
hands traveled to her disarranged cos
tume. "How ridiculous!" she said, with a
little note of annoyance in her voice,
which sounded curiously hollow. But
her brave spirit could not yet command
her enfeebled frame. She was perforce
compelled to sink back to the support
of his knee and arm.
"Do you think you could lie quiet un
til I try to find some water?" he gasp
ed anxiously.
She nodded u childlike ncqulcscence,
nnd her eyelids fell. It was only that
her eyes smarted dreadfully from the
salt water, but the sailor was sure
that this was a premonition of a lapse
to unconsciousness.
"Please try not to faint again," he
said. "Don't 'you think I had better
loosen these things? You can breathe
more easily."
A ghost of a smile flickered on her
lips. "No no," she murmured. "My
eyes hurt me that is all. Is there
any water?"
He laid her tenderly on the sand and
rose to his feet. His first glance was
toward the sea. He saw something
which made him blink with astonish
ment. A heavy sea was still running
over the barrier reef which Inclosed a
small lagoon. The contrast between
the llerce commotion outside and the
comparatively smooth surface of tho
protected pool was very marked. At
low tide the lagoon was almost com
pletely isolated. Indeed he Imagined
that only a fierce gale blowing from
the northwest would enable the waves
to leap the reef, save where a strip of
broken water, surging far into the
small natural harbor, betrayed the po
sition of the tiny entrance.
Yet at tills very point a line coconnut
palm reared its stately column high in
air, and lis long, tremulous fronds were
now swinging wildly before the gale.
From where lie stood It appeared to
be growing In the midst of the sea, for
huge breakers completely hid the coral
embankment. This sentinel of the land
' had a weirdly Impressive effect. It
was the only fixed object In the waste
of foam capped waves. Not a vestige
of the Sirdar remained seaward, but
the sand was littered with wreckage,
and mournful spectacle a considera
ble number of inanimate human forms
lay huddled up amid tho relics of the
steamer.
This discovery stirred him to action.
He turned to survey the land on which
ho was stranded with his helpless com
panion. To his great relief ho dlscov-
! ered that It was lofty nnd tree clad.
I Ho knew that tho ship could not lmvo
drifted to Borneo, wldchjUlll lay tnvjq
the south. This must he one of the
hundreds of islands which stud tho
China sea and provide resorls for Hal
nan fishermen. Probnbly It was in
habited, though he thought It strange
that none of the Islanders had put In
an appearance. In any event water
and food of some sort woro assured.
Hut before setting out upon his quest
two tilings demanded attention. Tho
girl must be removed from her present
position. It would be too horrible to
permit her llrst conscious gaze to rest
sr.uii those crumpled objects on tho
bwivli. Common humanity demanded,
too, that he should hastily examine
each of the bodies in case life was not
wholly extinct.
So be bent over the girl, noting with
sudden wonder that, weak as she was,
she had managed to refusion part of
her bodice.
"You must permit mo to carry you n
little farther Inland," he explained
gently.
Without another word ho lifted her
In his armi marveling somewhat at
tho strength which came of necessity,
and bore her some little distance until
n sturdy rock Jutting out of the sand
offered shelter from tho wind and pro
tection from tho sea and Its revela
tions. ,
"I am so cold and tlrcu," murmured
Iris. "Is there any water? My throat
hurts me."
He pressed back the tangl?d hnlr
from her forehead as ho might soothn
n child.
"Try to He still Tor a very few min
utes," ho said. "You have not long to
suffer. I will return Immediately."
His own throat and palate woro on
fire owing to the brine, but lie first
hurried back to the edge of the lagoon.
There were fourteen bodies In all, three
women and eleven men, four of tho
latter being Lascars. The women wore
saloon passengers whom he did not
know. One of the men was tho sur
geon, another the first officer, a third
Sir John Toznr. The rest were passen
gers and members of tho crew. They
were all dead; some had been peaceful
ly drowned, others wero fearfully
mnngled by the rocks. Two of tho Las
cars, bearing signs of dreadful Injuries,
were lying on n cluster of low rocks
overhanging the wnter. Tho remainder
rested on the sand.
The sailor exhibited no visible emo
tion while he conducted his sad scru
tiny. When he was assured that this
silent company was beyond mortal help
he at onco strode nwny toward tho
nearest belt of trees. He could not tell
how long the search for water might
be protracted, and there was pressing
need for It.
When he reached the first clump of
brushwood ho uttered a delighted ex
clamation. There, growing In prodigal
luxuriance, was the beneficent pitcher
plant, whoso large curled up leaf, shap
ed like a teacup, not only holds n last
ing quantity of rain water, but mixes
therewith its own palatablo and nat
ural Juices.
With his knife ho severed two of
the leaves and hastened to Iris with
tho precious beverage. She heard him
and managed to raise herself on nn el
bow. The poor girl's eyes glistened at
the prospect of relief. Without n word
of question or surprise she swallowed
the contents of both leaves.
Then she found utterance. "How
odd It tastes. What is It?" she In
quired. But the eagerness with which she
quenched her thirst renewed bis own
momentarily forgotten torture. His
tongue seemed to swell. He was nl
Holutely unable to reply.
The water revived Iris like a tnnglu
draft. Her quick' Intuition told her
what had. happened.
"You have hud none yourself!" she
cried. "Go at once and get some! And
please bring me some more!"
He required no second bidding. Aft
er hastily gulping down the contents
of several leaves he returned with a
further supply. Iris was now sitting
up. The sun had burst royally through
the clouds, and her chilled limbs worn
gaining some degree 'of warmth nnd
elasticity.
"What is it?" she repeated after an
other delicious draft.
"The leaf of tho pitcher plant. Na
ture Is not always cruel. In an un
usually generous mood she devised this
method of storing water."
Miss Deane reached out her hand
for more. Her troubled brain refused
to wonder nt such a reply from an ordi
nary Bcaman. Tho sailor deliberately
spilled the contents of a remaining leaf
on the sand.
"No, madam," he Hold, with nn odd
mixture of deference and firmness. "No
more at present. I must llrst procuro
you some food."
She looked up at him In momentary
silence. . .
! TO BK CONTINUED.
L . -
Indlsiiittlon.
"Say, boss," begun tho beggar, 'Tin
outer work an' "
"Seo here," Interrupted Goodart, "I
' gave you f0 cents last week."
"Well, yer've earned more since, alu't
yer?" Exchange.
ot IIIh I'rlvlloKP.
Employer (to presumptuous clerk)
Aro you the boss here, I'd llko to
know? ClorkNo, sir, lint Employ
erWell, don't talk like a fool then.
t Boston Commercial Bulletin.
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