Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 71, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 17, 1915 Page: 4 of 12
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GALVESTON TRIBUNE, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17,1915
FOUR
Gordon Craig
ahead, my brain inert, my hand hard
by Randall Parrish
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TRIBUNE TELEPHONES:
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Copyright, 1912, by A. C. McClurg C Co.
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glanced back across my shoulder.
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prepaid:
the onslaughts of the
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MOST COSTLY WAR.
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SANCTUM SIFTINGS
cent as a result of last year’s op-
per
erations.
(To Be Continued.)
Foreign Representatives and Offices
Tastern Representative West’n Representative
PER WEEK .
per MONTH
PER YEAR..
swer
gers
fore i
allies.
It is interesting to learn of Russia’s
intention to assume a defensive role be-
Teutonic
Bukowina
Russian
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..45c
.$5.00
sition.
fore.”
and
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say?
now?
there,
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The German ambassador probably real-
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while making it, but Germany no doubt
felt it necessary in order to make her
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“Are you afraid to*speak to me?” she
■ . asked, pleadingly.
Of
17
front of the cabin stood a man staring
aft. His huge bulk even in that dark-
ness told me it was Herman.
I heard his heavy step on the deck
“The quicker you can get to that sec-
ond rope,” I added seriously, “the bet-
ter your chances.”
“But—but what are you going to do?”
“Jump for it as soon as you are fairly
afloat. I’ll be aboard before you know
it. Are you ready?”
She was looking forward, and her
hand gripped mine. Her failure to an-
dark, mechanically guiding the Dou
although every thought centered on
her motionless figure. What should I
- %®k
77 w
This, in spite of the fact
East Prussia
“No. not in words. That was not
necessary, but I understand.”
“Do you. indeed?”
I stared toward her, puzzled, bewil-
dered, yet conscious that the hot blood
was surging through my veins.
“You cannot mean the other?” I
questioned. "That—that you love me?”
“And why not? Am I so different
from other women?”
I held the tiller still with one hand,
but the other arm was free, and I
reached out and drew her toward me.
There was no resistance, no effort to
break away. I could see her face up-
lifted, the wide open eyes.
Ae
“li
armies, while the Teutons are making
slow but steady progress against the
Slavs in the Carpathians and in Poland.
All things considered, it is to Russia’s
interest for Germany and Austria to
take the offensive. The further the
Teutonic armies penetrate into Russia
the more precarious will be their
plight. On the other hand, if the Teu-
tons were to fortify that great natural
parapet, the Carpathians, and compel
the Russians to take the aggresive un-
der unusual difficulties, they would
have little difficulty in wearing down
the' strength of the Russian bear.
Germany’s announced intention to
blockade the British isles has been,
from the first, obviously in retaliation
for British efforts to prevent food from
reaching Germany for either civilians
or soldiers. Were Germany permitted
to feed her enormous civilian popula-
tion from sources outside of the em-
pire the Teutons would be under no
handicap whatsoever concerning their
food resources. The chief utility of
England’s mighty naval fleet has been
to destroy her opponent’s commerce
and cut off food, war munitions and
have been cleared of
The American Medical association,
acting in harmony with the ideas of
leading members of the American bar,
has prepared a bill to be introduced in
the various state legislatures designed
to end the farce of “alienist” testimony
in insanity cases. This thing of paid
experts voicing the needs of their
clients in criminal cases, rather than
their honest convictions, should be
stopped. The proposed bill provides for
for one to three experts, to be sum-
moned by the court, and paid by the
state. Such a plan appears to offer a
very satisfactory solution of a flagrant
abuse.
now?”
“I hardly know what to put you at.
Ob, yes! Here is a tin, and you can
bail out this water sloshing about in
the bottom. That will be valuable
service.”
“What will you do?”
“Rig up the sail the best I can in
the dark. There is breeze enough to
give us some headway and ship the
rudder.”
’ “Do you know which direction to
steer?"
“Not now, but I have a compass in
my pocket. A northeast course would
be sure to bring us to the coast, and '
towns are scattered along. I found
that out from Broussard yesterday.”
God pity us if we ever fell into Hen-
ley’s clutches again. There was in
my mind, now I had leisure to con-
sider, no doubt as to what those on
board that vessel would do after they
discovered him. They would realize
we were somewhat astern, and, in the
hope of sighting up at daylight, would
cruise back and forth in those imme-
diate waters. Any moment the Sea
Gull’s sharp prow might loom up out
of the black wall. As she carried no
lights here would be no warning. It
occurred to me that they would be
more apt to take a course well in to-
ward shore, anticipating I would en-
deavor to reach the protection of the
coast under cover of darkness. Some
one would discover the loss of the tell-
tale compass, which would naturally
confirm that suspicion. Convinced of
this I steered more to the eastward,
feeling of the face of the compass
again to assure myself of the direction.
I brought a tin of biscuit from the
bow locker, more as an excuse for
opening conversation than from any
feeling of hunger.
“It must be pretty close to mid-
night.” I said finally. “Are you hun-
gry?”
The shapeless form in the oilskins
straightened slightly, and I knew she
had turned her face toward me.
“Hungry! Oh, no; I had not thought
of that.”
“You have been crying?”
“Yes; it is so foolish, but I am so
frightened out here in this little boat.
The darkness and that awfnl water
How was I to approach her
Those were long minutes I sat
speechless, gazing straight
then he went over, whirling througn
the air.
“What is it?” she asked. her voice
barely audible. “What has happened?"
‘ Her voice seemed to recall me in-
stantly, to restore my numbed facul-
ties.
“Why, really I hardly know,” I an-
swered, yet stepping back to grip the
ropes. “The fellow bad hold of your
dress, didn't be?”
“Yes. Oh, I was so frightened! And
—and then he jerked me horribly.”
“That was when I hit him. I must
have got the big brute just right. He
went overboard.”
She looked down into the swirl be-
neath, clutching the edge of the boat
with her hands.
“Is—is he down there—in the water?
Do you—you suppose he is drowned?”
“I don’t see what else he could be.”
“I—I cannot bear to think of it!”
“Now, see here,” I said, coming back
to my senses. “This is all foolishness
and losing us time. I’m not sorry he
is out of the way. It was either bis
life or ours. Have you got the knife?"
“Yes.”
“Then get hold’of that stern rope. I
am going to lower away.”
She obeyed me, but it was mechan-
ical, her eyes still fixed upon the wa-
ter.
“Be quick now,” I said sternly, and
my band pressed her shoulder “Your
life depends on your promptness."
I loosened the ropes, permitting
them to run slowly through the blocks.
There was no creaking, and I rejoiced
at the ease with which I sustained the
weight as the boat descended. Slow-
Iv it sank below into the darkness un-
F@
days of ours,” says the writer, “and
not the least those of hapless Germany.
All accounts agree that the price now
being paid in terms of healthy young
German life is enormous. There are
limits to its quantity. For example, it
is well known that the amount of con-
sumption in Germany is appallingly
high. But the consumptives are spared
now. Even though Germany should
win and take territories all over the
earth, she would, in almost ruining the
future quality of her great race, still
have to pay the longest price of war.
“Some, again, prophesy political ruin
for Germany—loss of territory and in-
ternational influence, and so forth. I
know not whether these prophecies be
true or false, and I care comparatively
little. A politically weakened Germany
might be worth more than ever to
mankind. But what if Germany were to
be racially ruined? What if the vigor
of her future were now being .spent
and lost in France and Belgium and
Poland, and if the world that is to be
were the worse for such a loss? There,
to my mind, is the most tragic and piti-
ful question of all.”
has got upon my nerves. You—you
mustn’t scold me.”
“Of course not. I feel the weight
myself,” I replied kindly. “This expe-
rience is almost as new to me as to
yourself. You must remember I am
no sailor.”
Then I described the change in my
plans. She listened quietly, asking a
question now and then.
“What papers did you find in the
desk ?”
“Letters mostly, establishing the
identity of the captain.”
"Who is he—really?”
“Charles Henley — Philip Henley’s
half brother by a negro mother. Did
you ever hear of him?”’
“No; I was never told there was such
a man.”
“I doubt if any one outside those
immediately interested ever knew the
circumstances. Of course the family
kept it a close secret. This is where
the man had all the advantage. As
soon as the judge died he determined
to represent himself as Philip and
claim the property.
“As Philip had been absent so long,
no one could dispute successfully his
claim to be that individual. He pos-
sessed ample evidence that he was the
son of Judge Henley.”
"But surely he would anticipate that
my hus—Philip—would bear of bis fa-
ther’s death?"
“He took the chance of getting the
property into his bands first. As I
understand the matter, he possessed
no knowledge that the judge was iu
communication with Philip. He be-
lieved the latter had disappeared ut-
terly and would only learn of his in-
heritance through accident. To pre-
vent this he dispatched a man north
to discover him, if possible, and keep
him under surveillance. He thought
he had every avenue guarded.”
“How did you learn all this?”
“From Broussard first. He talked
more freely than he intended to do,
and later I verified all he said by the
letters found.”
■“Then, strange as it sounds, it is
true?”
“Without doubt. Moreover”—and I
lowered my voice in sudden embarrass-
ment—“within the last two weeks the
captain bad received news from his
agent in the north which gave him
fresh confidence. The man reported
that he had found trace of Philip Hen-
ley; he told of the life the man was
leading and where he lived. I think
all this must have been immediately
after your separation, as he mentioned
no wife. However. be described some-
thing even more important.”
“You must tell me!” she burst forth
as I hesitated. "Don’t be afraid to
trust me with all you know.”
“I am not afraid.” I returned stout-
ly enough, “not in the sense you mean
at least, yet it is never easy to be the
bearer of evil news.”
“Is it evil?”
“Misfortune, certainly. The man re-
ported the.death of your husband.”
“His death! You are sure? Tell me
now what he said; how it happened.”
“The report was specific and would
seem to be true. He says that Philip
Henley while intoxicated was struck
and killed by an automobile. The date
given was after you left him. His
body was found by the police, but his
pockets had been rifled. and there
were no marks of identification on his
clothes. He was buried unknown, but
the informant claimed to have visited
the morgue, viewed the body and
states positively the dead man was
Philip.”
“And—and you think—tell me what
you believe, Gordon Craig.”
“There is but one conclusion to my
mind I have no doubt as to the en-
HUMANITARIANISM IN WAR.
San Antonio Express.
It is a remarkable and convincing
tribute to medical science—particularly
to modern surgery—that one derives
from an Amsterdam publication’s com-
parative study of mortality of war.
This review, by the Tijd, takes one
through the centuries; from the whole-
sale slaughter of Cannae to the de-
cisive battle of the Balkan allies’ war
against Turkey—from a mortality of 80
per cent to a mortality of 5—and re-
serves for its surest proof that civili-
zation brings humanitarianism, even in
war, the relatively low per cent of
deaths in the engagements of the cur-
ren conflict.
GALVESTON TRIBUNE
(Established 1880.)
On Wednesday the English chancellor
of the exchequer stated to the British
house of parliament that it would cost
ten billion dollars during the current
year to maintain the present force in
the field and to bring the remianing
two-thirds of the forces of the allies
into action. Very few of us have any
idea what is meant by a billion, and to
multiply the figures by ten merely mul-
tiplies the inability of the human mind
to grasp any adequate idea of the cost
of a modern war. But this cost to the
allies represents but a portion of the
total. In all probability the outlay of
German, Austria and Turkey is to
be measured in similar figures, to those
representing the tremendous price be-
ing paid by England and her allies for
the privilege of engaging in the work
of death and destruction.
Nor can the sum total of the tost
of the war be shown by adding togeth-
er the vast sums being paid out by the
belligerent nations. The bit of fric-
tion that has of late developed be-
tween the warring nations and the
United States is because of the indis-
position of this country to pay any
greater amount toward the perpetua-
tion of the war than has been placed
upon us in the-way of restricted trade
and increased cost of living. And as
is true of the United States, so is it
with all the other nations of earth
who are not arrayed on one side or the
other in this titantic struggle. These
nations have been driven to extraordi-
nary expense in carrying on such frag-
ments of commerce as is left them by
the arbitrary seizure of the sea and
the transforming of trade channels into
hazardous paths beset with danger to
life and property.
Not only are the neutral nations
compelled to, tax their own people for
the additional funds necessary to meet
unexpected and unwarranted expenses,
but the same neutral countries are in-
vited to take care of the non-combat-
ants who have been driven out of the
zone of battle, to organize relief corps,
equip hospital ships and supply needed
food for the wounded and later will
no doubt be asked to contributte lib-
erally for the rehabilitation of the
country for whose devastation they are
not in the remotest degree responsible.
And in addition to all this, if the neu-
tral nation dares to even so mildly
protest against conditions imposed
against the commerce of the peace-
pursuing people, they are sharply re-
minded that the price of neutrality is
uncomplaining submission to whatever
burdens and inconveniences the war-
ring countries may choose to place
upon them.
But the heaviest toll of war is not
in billions of dollars, nor destruction
of property, nor disruption of com-
merce, nor suppression of industries,
but the longest price of war is what it
takes of human life. Dr. C. W. Saleeby
has contributed to a late number of
the Youth’s Companion a remarkable
article along this line. “Alas! then, for
the innocent, the helpless, the unborn
of every land, the best men of which
are being sacrificed in these fearful
“Can you still see the vessel?”
“Just a shadow against the sky. I—
I think she is moving straight ahead.”
“Then we have not been missed nor
the mate. Doubtless he was going be-
low for his supper. Now lean well
over to port—yes, the left—and balance
the boat. I am going to climb in.”
til it was merely a black, shapeless
shadow outlined against the water. I
felt the strain on my arms as the swell
gripped its keel. Then the stern swung
free, and I knew she was scrambling
forward, knife in hand, for the other
rope. Almost before the boat could
swing about the second stay dangled,
and all my straining eyes could per-
ceive was a dark, indefinite shadow
drifting out of sight astern. With-
out uttering a sound or wasting a sec-
ond I dived from the rail.
“It’s all right!” I called, loud enough
for her to hear. “Throw out an oar
on the left and hold her. I’ll be there
in a minute.”
I made it, almost breathless, when I
finally gripped the gunwale and hung
on to regain a measure of strength.
“Oh, thank God,” she exclaimed,
staring at me; “I—I thought you were
lost!”
“Don’t think of it. The danger is all
over. You needn’t pull on the oar; just
hold it straight out. That will keep
the boat’s head forward.”
“Can you get over the side?”
“In a moment—yes; as soon as I get
my breath back. Did you notice any
alarm on board the Sea Gull?”
She shaded her eyes with one hand,
holding the heavy oar against her
body, and looked ahead.
“No; I was not thinking about that—
only of your danger and my awful po-
Putting Every Ounce of Strength Into
the Blow, I Struck.
and began to explore with one hand.
Apparently he touched something
strange—the edge of her skirt it must
have been, for there was a bit of cloth
in the lifted fingers. Noiselessly 1
arose to my feet, planting myself firm-
ly on the wet deck. There was but
one means of escape now, and. big as
the fellow was, I must accept the
chance. Another minute would mean
discovery, and his bull voice would
roar the length of the ship. He nei- •
iher saw nor heard me, his whole at-
tention concentrated on the boat.
Without warning, putting every ounce
of strength into the blow, I struck. .
landing square on the chin. There was
a smothered groan, and he collapsed,
hurled back bodily, his arms flung up.
I heard him thud against the rail, his
great form bending to the shock, and
as he came slowly forward around the
supplies. The British are quite unlikely | bulge of the cabin. The very manner
to forego this important advantage, of his advance, told me his uncertainty.
that it had sustained a considerable
loss as a result of the quarantine and
slaughter of thousands of cattle af-
flicted with the hoof and mouth dis-
ease. And still the positive assurance
, is given the world that the present
high cost of meat is owing altogether
to the shortage in the supply of meat
animals.
CHAPTER XVI.
The Open Boat.
“ASPITH a struggle, I made it.
A/#, rolling over the low gun-
WW wale, the water draining
from me into a pool at the
bottom.
You are a fine, brave girl,” 1 said
sincerely, unable to restrain my ad-
miration.
She dropped her head and began to
sob.
“Oh, no, no! I am not,” she replied
tremblingly. “I am such a coward.
You cannot know the terror I have
felt.”
“Of course. But my being here makes
a difference?”
"Always,” she confessed frankly.
“Somehow I can never be afraid with
you. But—but what shall we do
THE GOD OF PROFIT.
Beaumont Enterprise.
We have been close followers of the
various and sundry elucidations on
the rise in the cost of meats. But now
we are quite certain that somebody has
been trying to put something over on
the public on the latter proposition.
One of the leading Chicago packing
houses declared a dividend of 37 %
was a warning of danger.
on the tiller. Suddenly, with a swift
thrill which sent my blood leaping, I
felt the soft touch of her fingers.
“Are you afraid to speak to me?”
she asked pleadingly. “Surely I have
said nothing to anger you.”
“No, it is not that.” I returned in
confusion, not knowing how to express
the cause of my hesitancy.
“I am sorry—yes.” very slowly, “but
perhaps not as you suppose. It is hard
to think of him as dead—killed so sud-
denly, without opportunity to think or
make any preparation. He—he was
my husband under the law. That was
all. He was no more. I do not believe
I ever loved him. My marriage was
but the adventure of a romantic girl,
but if I once did his subsequent abuse
of me, his life of dissipation, oblit-
erated long since every recollection of
that love. He is to me scarcely more
than a name, an unhappy memory. I
told you that frankly when I believed
him still alive. We were friends then,
you and I, and I cannot conceive why
his death should sever our friendship.”
“Don’t,” I burst forth impetuously.
“You talk of friendship when all my
hope centers about another term.
Surely you understand. I am a man
sorely tempted and dare not yield to
temptation.”
She drew her hand away from my
clasp, yet the very movement seemed
to express regret.
“And we are to be friends no longer?
Is that your meaning?”
“You must answer that question,” I
replied gravely, “for it is beyond my
power.to decide.”
Her head was again uplifted, and I
knew she was endeavoring to see my
face through the gloom.
“I am a woman,” she said, “and we
like to pretend to misunderstand, but
I am not going to yield to that inclina-
tion. I do understand and will answer
frankly. We can never be friends as
we were before.”
My heart sank, and I felt a choke
in my voice difficult to overcome.
“I was afraid it would be so.”
“Yes,” and both her hands were upon
mine, “in our position we cannot afford
to play at cross purposes. You have
been loyal to me even when every in-
ducement was offered elsewhere. I
permitted myself to come south with
you, knowing your purpose to be an
illegal one. I placed myself in a
false position. In doing this I was
actuated by two purposes. One was to
save this property which had been will-
ed to my husband by his father. Do
you guess the other?”
“No,” I said. impressed by the ear-
nestness with which she was speaking.
"You will tell me?”
“I mean to: the time has come when
I should. It was that I might ave
you from a crime. You had been kind
to me, sympathetic. I—I liked you
very much, and I knew you did not
understand; that you were being mis-
led. I could not determine then where
the fraud was, but I knew there was
fraud and that you would eventually
become its victim.”
“You cared that much for me?”
“Yes,” she confessed frankly, “I did.
I would never have told you so under
ordinary conditions. But I can now.
here. where we are—alone together m
this boat." She paused, as though en-
deavoring to choose the proper words.
“We both realize the changed relations
between us."
I drew a quick, startled breath.
“That—that I love you!” the excla-
mation left my lips before I was aware.
“Yes,” she said calmly. “I could not
help that. At first I never deemed
Buch a result of our friendship pos-
sible. I was Philip Henley’s wife, ana
I gave this possible danger scarcely a
thought. Indeed, it did not seem a
danger. While it is true he was hus-
band in name only, yet I was wife
forever. That is my religion. Now
the condtions are all changed, instant-
ly changed, by his death.”
“You believe, then, he is dead?”
“I am sure of it as though I had
seen his body. I feel it to be true.
Do you understand now why because
of the fact we can no longer remain
friends ?”
“Yes,” I burst forth, “because you
know how I have grown to feel to-
ward you. You—you resent”—
“Have I said so %
,228 €94
W23Y, >sc.
g J
TEXAS CITY AGENCY—3. L. HOP-
KINS, AGENT.
Leave Orders at Goodson’s Drug Store.
Phone 105.
The Tribune is on Sale at the Follow-
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Newsboy at Interurban Station.
Newsboy at Grand Central Depot.
Newsboy at Rice Hotel Corner.
Soldier of Fortune
gee
tire truth of the story. The silence
and disappearance of your husband is
evidence that he is either dead or in
some other way helpless.”
“I—I—really I have thought this all
the time. But about those others?”
“Vail and Neale, you mean? It
seems to me they fit in exactly with
the story. Everything had been re-
moved from Philip’s pockets and all
ordinary means of identification de-
stroyed. There must have been a pur-
pose in this.- and it must have been
done by a second party, as there is no
suggestion of suicide. My theory is
this—the body was either found by
others before the police arrived or else
the automobile party which killed him
paused long enough to ascertain the
extent of his injuries, In either case
his pockets were searched and all con-
tents removed. Do you comprehend
what that would mean?"
“I—I think so. but tell me yourself.”
“He certainly had papers with him
dealing with his inheritance. To a
shrewd, criminal mind they would be
suggestive. He also undoubtedly had
keys to Ids apartments. Then there
would be nothing more needed except
a man capable of passing himself off
as Philip Henley.”
“And Vail was not a lawyer,” she
asked breathlessly, “nor Neale one of
the executors?”
“In my judgment the fellows merely
took those names to impose upon me,
to help bolster up their story and make
it appear probable. They were simply
two crooks, willing to take a chance
for a pot of money. I happened to
be the one selected-to pull their chest-
nuts out of the fire.”
I saw her head sink into the support,
of her hands and knew she was sob-
bing silently.
“You think my conclusions must be
correct?” I could not refrain from
asking.
“Yes, even without seeing the letter;
but,” and she glanced up quickly, the
ring—Philip's ring—we found?”
“I forgot to mention that. Its pres-
ence here alone is convincing. It was
sent to Charles Henley by his agent,
who claimed to have removed it from
the finger of the dead man”
“Then every doubt is removed; the
one killed was my hus—husband.”
There was a long, painful silence,
during which I stared out into the
Something had occurred to arouse sus-
picion. He had heard a noise or seen
a shadow and was investigating cu-
riously. He came up to the stern rail,
standing still, a huge bulk in the
gloom, his gaze on the swinging boat.
Then, unsatisfied, he leaned forward
It costs the United States, roughly,
around one billion dollars per annum
to conduct various functions of the gov-
ernment—maintain the army and navy,
transport the mails, pay the gigantic
pension rolls of the civil war, and so
on. Russia, France and England will
spend ten times this amount in the
present war to carry on their united
conflict against Germany and Austria.
Ten billion dollars in gold is a sum en-
tirely beyond the comprehension of the
human intellect. Only in terms of
other enormous units can any adequate
conception of its potentialities be
grasped. Yet the allies will spend this
amount in one short year, and like
amounts from year to year, if the war
continues. Of this vast treasure, it is
of interest to know that a very large
part will be spent in America.
CHAPTER XVII.
The Revenue Cutter.
“T could not have been long, not
8 to exceed a moment or two,
I when a sudden leaping of the
boat brought us back to a real-
ization of our position. As soon as I
had regained control of the craft I
reached out again and touched her
hand.
“This is all so strange, so unexpect-
ed, I can scarcely comprehend what
has occurred.”
“Strange, yes, in the way it has hap-
pened." she coincided. “But we can-
not afford to dwell upon that now.
We are in peril. Do you really know
where we are—for what you are steer-
ing?”
“It is largely a guess. There is
nothing to give me guidance except
as I unscrew the face of this compass
and feel the needle.”
“Then we may still be within view
from the deck of the Sea Gull at day-
break?”
“Yes. That will depend entirely
upon luck."
“Why, look there!” she exclaimed
quickly. “See—to the right! Merciful
heavens! It is a ship!”
It was hard to determine the nature
of the vessel, the sides looming close
above us, but it was not the Sea Gull.
I was certain of that from the height
of the rail and the outline of a square
foresail showing dimly against the
sky. I called out:
“Ahoy there! Take us aboard!”
I shouted twice before a head popped
over the rail and stared down in ap-
parent amazement.
“Hullo, the boat! Who are you?
What do you want?”
“Small boat adrift; two passengers.
Throw us a rope!”
“All right! Stand by!”
I could hear his voice up above
shouting orders. There was a rush of
feet, and a rope’s end fell within
reach. The head bobbed over the rail
again, and a moment later I had help-
ed her up a swaying boarding ladder
and felt the solid deck under my feet.
The intense darkness puzzled me, not
a gleam of light showing anywhere.
Suddenly a hand touched my arm.
“This way, sir. Help the lady aft.
The deck is clear.”
“What kind of a boat is this?” she
whispered.
“I’m sure I don’t know. Not big
enough for a passenger liner.”
We were at the head of the compan-
ion stairs and descended carefully,
clinging to the rail. The officer, grop-
ing in the darkness, opened a door at
the bottom and hurried us into the
lighted cabin. Facing us, one hand
resting on the table, stood a short,
sturdy man in uniform. He began
questioning.
“Who are you? How did you come
to be adrift in these waters? Answer
up, sir. You’re no fisherman.”
“We escaped from a vessel last even-
ing, sir.”
“What do you mean by escaped—run
away?”
“Yes, sir.” And I stepped aside so
he could see her more clearly. “We
were being held as prisoners.”
His eyes flashed to her face, rested
an instant, and then his cap was in
his hand.
“This is the revenue cutter Saline,
which I have the honor to command.
Mr. Smith, assist the lady to a chair
and have the steward bring a glass of
wine. Now, sir, are you ready to an-
swer?”
“lam. We were prisoners on board
the Sea Gull. It is a long story, in-
volving a will, in which the master of
that vessel was interested. We es-
caped in a small boat last evening and
have been floating about since.”
“The Sea Gull? Do you remember
the name, Mr. Smith?”
“No, sir. Perhaps a description”-
“A schooner rigged steam yacht,” I
explained briefly, “clearing from New
Orleans for Santiago. She is en route
to Spanish Honduras, with munitions
of war.”
“Exactly, under command of a man
named Henley. Smith, this sounds
too good to be true.”
He walked across the cabin twice,
thinking, not even glancing up as he
passed us. Suddenly he stopped, fac-
ing me.
“Where did he get you two?”
“In a bayou off the Alabama coast.”
“And you got away last evening-
how ?”
He walked back and forth as I re-
viewed the events swiftly. I hardly
think he asked so much as a single
(question, his eyes upon my race ana
then upon the face of the girl.
"A’ rather strange tale.” he com-
mented when I had concluded, "and
perhaps the whole is not told. How-
ever, that is none of my affair. Now,
listen. This is a revenue cutter. We
were ordered out of Pensacola four
days ago to intercept this boat on
which you two were prisoners. We
haven't even sighted the vessel, and
if we did would be perfectly helpless,
as she can steam three knots to our
one. Only some streak of wonderfully
good luck would ever enable us to
capture her. I half believe you are
the good luck, if you do what I sug-
gest.”
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Galveston Tribune. (Galveston, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 71, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 17, 1915, newspaper, February 17, 1915; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1438314/m1/4/: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rosenberg Library.