The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 51, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 18, 1928 Page: 7 of 8
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THE CASS COUNTY SUN
|
u/fS Marked Man
cA Romance of the Great Lakes
Dy imiV. DETZER
V/. N. U. Soviet
Copyright by Tin Bobbi-Merrill Oi.
CHAPTER XIII—Continued
—14—
Nttierim'n UrmtKfd McCarthy past the
ithreulenliig II,v wheel und stowed lilin
forward under the Lpw deck, brac-
ing him down with . eta und a cork belt.
At the stern he lifted the trap and
staggered out again Into the sightless
Immensities of tlie night.
II was hideous this time. A mo-
ment Norman faltered. Then he
■felammed 'down the trap. A brazen
sen slapped his face. The tiller,
yanking at Its lines under foot,
banged against his left ankle. He re-
leased the lines and gripped the oak
bar between h' heels. The boat
Kindly answered the push of Its pro-
peller. Norman, clinging to the hand
rail, felt the wafer as It swept over
him, tearing the sou'wester from his
aching head.
When he opened his eyes, his fa-
ther's craft was rising high on the
top of another roller. The horizon
lay black on all sides. What did that
■mean? What could It mean? One
thing, -one only. Fog!
"What's a bit of thick weather?"
he asked himself groggily. "What's
a bit of thick weather to an Erick-
son ?"
It had become bitterly cold. The
night was far along. Mow nuiny
hours had he worked on that blasted
motor? Two anyway, or perhaps
three. Daylight must be near. Bui
how far had lie drifted? Was the
Shore a mil' ahead, or ten inlies?
Was It sand or reefs?
Eh? What was that?
Me heard a sound down the squall-
ing wind, mi Infinitesimal sound, fai
away. Wind? No. not wind. It came
too steadily, a distant and Indistinct
snore. Battle Ax fog signal? Blind
Man's Eye? No, too long a note for
either ot them. Me heard It again.
A vessel! That's what It was! A
vessel . . one 'ong, unbroken
suppliant blast.
"Distress!" Norman told himself;
he Squatted low against the cabin.
"Vessel in distress. Continuous
bias.."
His tired eyes picked through the
darkness. The night laughed. It
slapped a million new winds, booted,
roweled winds down upon him. A
faint luminance shone above the port
bow. U was day. The horizon ran
backward, halted at two hundred
yards, and held fast.
Five minutes blew past. Then a
blur of dark solidity broke out of
the watery walls. Me could make
nothing of It for a moment. Shape'
less, high a bulky Immensity, It
moved with a slow even motion. Then
from one side an Iron propeller took
oLape.
It was the stern of a freighter.
Gradually, as she came nearer, her
bow heaved into view, low in the wa
ter, with breakers smashing across the
pilot house, flooding the observation.
An ore carrier, she proved to he, of
old build and eight or ten hatches;
sinking, sinking by the bow.
The storm pushed her toward Nor-
mau. Mis eyes strained. The misty
forms of five men clung to the taff-
rail. Forward of the coal bunkers,
hanging to a line, he made out oth-
ers. Me saw empty davits swinging
like supplicating arms above the deck-
houses. Empty. Their lifeboats had
been lost, then . . . smashed, no
doubt.
Little smoke showed from the fun-
nel of the water-logged vessel. Fires
were dylnB evidently. Norman
strained his eyes for the name of the
wreck.
He made It out at last The Ad-
miral Burkett of Duluth. She wal-
lowed like a toy. Norman pitied Iter
there In that malignant water. His
own boat *7as getting nowhere. South-
west or east, which was he headed?
Once more the fog parted. Nor-
man squinted his eyes. He did not
believe what he saw at first. Straight
ahead, not three miles, loomed the
dunes of the Michigan coast At the
same time, through the murky half-
lights of early morning, a s'feat red
glow hurst forth upon the beach.
A Coston signal.
Life-savers . . . coast guards-
men I They had heard the Admiral
Burkett's distress call.
The men on the freighter waved
their arms. The flare was a warning
to their captain. It told him that he
was near shore. It might mean rocks
ahead and the loss of his vessel. It
might mean safe rescue, or perhaps
wet death. With his propeller high
above the vsaer and boiler flres out.
he was helpless.
Six men, clawing along a lifeline on
the Burkett's deck, teetered through
seas to the flooded chain locker un-
der the texas. They tumbled from
sight, and Immediately afterward a
bow anchor dropped. It slipped low-
•r and lower Into the water, dragging
<8>~
its chain down through the hawse-
hole.
The captain of the Burkett had let
go the anchor to keep from drugging
ashore. The Iron found bottom.
Would site hold?
Normun brought his boat Into the
wind for the third time. Again he
remembered the doctor. It had been
hours since he had heard a sound
from him. McCarthy might be
tlead. . . .
His own plight had become a thing
apart from him. Ills own life and
Gustaf's boat were Inslgnltlcant.
Scared? Sure, he was scared 1 Who
wouldn't be? He remembered what
Delong had said. Those men on the
freighter, were they scared, too? Of
course they were I
The ore carrier snapped at her
anchor. Fighting against it, she
backed shoreward.
Now she held. She thumped down
on the rocky ledge and stood tirin a
moment. Then a lumpy roller lifted
her and thrashed her mercilessly.
The men on the deck threw up their
hands. Norman fancied that he heard
them cry out all together. They slid,
slipped, scrambled. The freighter
poised for one brave moment. Then,
with a slow weary gesture, site rolled
upon her port side. A wave smacked
over her, and the funnel, still carry-
ing a wisp of smoke, tumbled end-
for-end, und pitched Into the froth of
waters.
Normun kicked over the tiller, lle'd
better watch his own going if he
wanted ever to see hopie again.
Home? Me tasted the word bitterly.
Where was it? What was It? To
whom was he going home? To old
Gustut? No. A chilly grief spread
through hi? henrt. He choked it
away. There was no time for re-
grets. Again be dodged tlie reef. No
chance of crossing it. Must go around
it. As be slid Into a trougi'., mount-
ed the next wave, and glanced shore-
ward, be cried out and gripped tight
against the cabin.
Blind Mnn's Eye! Stiff, unyielding,
unmindful of wind and water, it poked
up its head half a mile to the south-
west along the coast. At che same
instant u steamy grumble pressed out-
ward against the wind. Two short,
one long, two short. . . .
Norman's feet steadied on the tiller.
The husky voice of Blind Man's Eye
called uproariously to him. It wel-
comed him home!
Between the wash and the tower,
like grasshoppers on the sand, a coast
guard crew made ready their gun.
So It was one of Parish's men who
burned the Coston! They would send
a shot line across the wreck of the
Admiral Burkett, haul out the hawser
carrying the breeches buoy and take
in iter men.
Belief, like a soft warm breeze,
floated through Norman's spirit. Be-
lief! They were safe, those sailors.
Now he need only get his own boat
ashore.
A chill wave slapped down upon
him. Shoot a line? Shoot a line out
to Blind Man's Teeth? They couldn't
do that. He turned cold, sick. Cap
tain Parish had said so himself.
Well, they were trying It, anyhow.
On shore the brass gun exploded.
Its projectile broke through the mist
The shot line uncoiled, spun into the
air after It. Too short A second
nnd a thlr. time the line sagged Into
the water. Short Too much wind.
Too much weather.
Minutes, half hours were passing.
Ashore the surfmen stood Idly. Nor-
man guessed that they were debating
among themselves, debating Whether
they dared launch their boat. He
thought with a quickening heart of
the only other time that Parish's boat
had put out since he came to the
point He had mnde a poor figure
that night, remaining ashore. And
tonight, at home, lay Cat-eye Mc-
Coogan's letter.
A madness seized him. Afraid?
Scart? Coward? He'd never really
tested himself. If Parish's crew
wouldn't attempt this, why shouldn't
he do it for them? Why not?
Ho could try it But he must hurry.
Hours the vessel had wallowed.
He pointed Gustafs boat toward the
steamer. Breakers, white-headed,
white-bearded, like' giants Incredibly
old and unbelievably powerful, pom-
meled the side. But the motor
chugged unexcitedly. Norman's feet
worked nimbly along the tiller. He
glanced shoreward once. The surfmen
stood close together In a tight group.
They saw blm, undoubtedly. They
were staying ashore while he tried.
No power-boat could make It out
through that surf against the wind.
It was up to him. Parish had failed.
Would he fall, too?
He worked his bow closer under
the lee of the wreck. Twenty yards
away the deck tipped now. A sailor
with a colled rope on his arm crawled
to the rail. He flung down the rope.
It snapped directly over Norman's
head, uncoiled In the wind, whipped
down. He cuught It loosely under
Ids arm.
Norman took a full breuth and with
the line >still under his arm, set one
foot on the wet coaming alongside the
cabin. Cautiously, gripping the hand
rail, doused deep under mountainous
waves, he crawled to the how of his
boat.
He madi the line fust to the post
"Come on!" he howled, and the wind
ate up his voice.
Fresh blasts ripped out of the north.
The fish boat drew away from the
freighter until the thin line snapped
tight. Norman glanced overside. A
dark shape was rolling toward him
on the crest of a gray wave. A man?
No, a dog. The ship's dog! Me
reached out his arm One moment
he drew back his hand. Again he
leaned out, strained toward the ani-
mal. It was a big dog, a good swim-
mer. His fingers gripped the hair,
then a strong metal collar.
"Jump," he cried, "jump!"
A wave leaped high over til's coam-
ing and flung the wet dog groveling at
his feet. He looked up quickly at
the deck above.
"Come on, men, hurry I" he howled
again.
A pair of boots protruded over the
higher rail. They slid, Jerking along
the life line from the steamer deck.
A bulky body followed. Norman
dragged the fellov to his knees,
opened the forwaru hatch and flung
In the seaman. Me threw the dog
In, too, h«f..re he sluppeu shut the
cover. A second pair of boots kicked
out ot the fog. Again the hatch
opened nnd shut with a bang. This
time water poured Into the cabin.
Norman thought of the wiring, of the
stout-hearted engine doing its best.
Without the engine, if the wiring be-
came wet. that thin little line would
part in a second. Without the engine
there was no hope.
A third man glided the rope, hnnd
over hand; a fourth; a fifth. The
mist slit open and Norman peered
up through wet lashes, with aching,
tormented eyes. Five more heads
bobbed into sight. Farther aft, an-
other paying him no attention, stood
Immovably by the rail, watching this
hazardous rescue, tak'ng no part in it.
Six more to make the trip. That
last one . . . that was the cap-
tain, it flashed over Norman, a cap-
tain loath to leave his command.
What difference to the captain If she
were only a tramp vessel, what dif-
ference if her very heart were torn
out already? Mis own. Ids own com-
mand! Normun remembered his fa-
ther, who swam alone from the wreck
of his schooner on Mustache shoal
It would be hard to bring the captain
doWn. A sixth man slid, a seventh.
The eighth, the ninth . .
"Where are the rest?" Norman
screamed.
"Four washed overboard in the dark
trying to launch the lifeboats," the
tenth sailor answered. Mis great voice
was hoarse and blustery. "The old
man's there yet . . don't think
he'll come." He Jntibed a glove to
ward the broken ore carrier.
The ctptain had raised one foot
toward the rail. Norman saw his
fuce for a troubled second. Old, lie
appeared, with red whiskers. A sea
broke across the deck. Before It
came, the officer had drawn back his
foot. Deliberately, coolly as a man
tn his own fireside, he braced his
body while he fumbled In his pocket,
opened a clasp Imife and slashed the
rope. Me watched the fish boat ride
safely away. He waved once and dis-
appeared behind the rail.
He was not seen again. Such was
his code.
CHAPTER XIV
Home
Norman slapped shut the ..ahln
trap. Ashore men were running. Nor-
man drove the bow deliberately nnd
desperately against the high spitting
wash of the beach. He was risking
his father's boat. But why not?
Whose boat was she now, Gustaf's
or his? She was 1 great little boat,
wasn't she? Well built Brave. De-
pendable. Handle her properly, what
wouldn't she do? What hadn't she
done for Gustaf? For Gustaf? Ah,
but she was his son's boat now. She
would do as much for him. Ten sail-
ors . . . ten sailors nnd Doctor
McCarthy depended on him. He drove
the boat cruelly.
A boat could be mended. .
Forty yards from the beach Nor-
man made out the forms of men
running with a line Into the surf.
He screwed together his eyes that
were blue as his father's ' ad been.
He watched Captain Stocking, his fat
red face twisted into astounding con
tours, his mouth like a cavern.
He watched James Delong, bare-
bended, hauling with the surfmen.
He watched Sue Stocking thrash In-
to the waves with the men, and Julie
Blchaud, up to her knees In water,
fists to her checks, Immovable as the
light tower itself, staring straight at
him In an ecstacy of terror.
So Julie bad come? Come to pay
a Sunday visit In spite of what Cap-
tain Stocking had said? He would
convince her this 'line. Muke her sfuy!
The fishing Iiout Hung atop the lust
ot the breakers. It scraped against
bottom with an Impact that threat-
ened tn tour Norman's bend from his
shoulders und his bcurt from his
chest.
Trups to the cabin shipped off. The
sailors from the Admiral Burkett
tumbled up to the deck in ugoui/.ed
uttitudes of horror, hurt und dismay.
The dog leaped out first among them,
lie plunged overboard and started
swimming to shore Just as Parish
staggered through the side of a tipsy
wave. Tiu captain flung the line from
his shoulders. It lauded with a thud
on the deck. A sailor grabbed It and
made It fast to a cleat
"Wad's in I" Norman shouted to" Mc-
Carthy.
Norman, watching him go, felt the
boat tip under foot. An unsuspected
roller struck him from behind and
wrenching loose his grip, swept him
overboard. The wet line streaked
above him. He grasped It, tugged,
swallowed sand and water, heard an
enormous roaring as of innumerable
field pieces, breathed air once more,
nnd was dragged to land.
It was Julie who was talking In
his ear, .saying sweet, silly Wiings.
Why was he so tired? Why was Julie
here? He opened his eyes. Why was
James Delong toting him on his
back?
They reached the lighthouse.
"I'll call you, Julie," Delong said.
"Just a minute . . . want to rub
him down." *
"Here's a sailor ... he has a
broken arm," that was Sue's voice.
"And, father, Norinan brought in ten
men!"
"And a dog," Captain Stocking
added.
"A dog?" Sue cried.
Norman relaxed. A dog? What of
It?
"Whose dog?" Sue demanded.
"Ship's dog," Samuel Stocking an-
swered.
Norman shook his head.
"No," he contradicted. "That ship's
broken up. It's my dog now."
Delong's fingers felt like Iron,
pinching the flesh on his hack.
"That's enough." the lawyer cried,
"have you In bed in a minute. Here,
take some of this . . . warm you
up."
It burned his throat, whatever It
was. Languidly he closed his eyes.
Outside the wind hooted. Norman
heard It peacefully. Wind? It rocked
a fellow to sleep, that wind. And
lie used to fear it? No. he couldn't
have feared wind. He loved it, just
as his father did.
"I'm coming In!"
Julie's voice. Her eager, warm lit-
tle voice! Norman sat up feebly. He
remembered at last. Today was Sun-
day, the equinoxial. The keeper had
not wanted visitors.
"Julie." he whispered. "Julie, come
here a minute."
She came with a rush. But why
was she crying? What was there to
cry about? Or was that Just Julie's
way? Cry . . . why. she would
cry or laugh, one of the two. every
ten minutes, or else she'd die. That
was all right. Wasn't he half
Frenchie himself? He patted her
hand.
"Give me my best suit," he bade
in a husky whisper, "In that closet
there. My uniform. That's It. Thanks.
And Julie, when I come out I want
to tell you something."
He fumbled Into his clothes. No
time to be in bed, on Sunday, with
Julie Blchaud visiting the light. He
walked unsteadily Into the kitchen.
Doctor McCarthy sat by the stove,
his fat face blue-white.
"I can't thank you all at once.
Erickson."
Norman grinned. "That's nothing."
"Here's coffee. Norman." Julie said
"Thanks." he answered.
Tears again wet her eyes.
"No call for crying." he said awk-
wardly.
"Not cry for gladness?"
"Let her cry!" boomed McCarthy.
Normun squeezed her bund and
with exploring feet sought the kitchen
door. He must get outside *or a min-
ute, must feel the wind again, let It
clear his head. Most of all, he must
see the radiant white tower of Blind
Man's Eye.
He walked slowly around the house,
breathing deeply. Midway to the
tower Samuel Stocking, his daughter
and James Delong were tramping to-
ward him. The men lifted their feet
heavily, like pack horses. Sue walked
between them wltb her chin high. Her
face was happy. Queer, that she
should look so happy. Queer? Why,
no I Wasn't he happy himself? He
was returned to land. But not as a
fugitive. He had not fled the sea.
Land and gray sea, he loved both pf
them. He feared neither. It was a
dream that he ever had feared, a
dream melting with the soft Insipid
fog. Land nnd gray sea, both were
beneficent to him.
The floor was wet, the carpet sog-
gy tn the parlor. Captain Stocking
sank Into his rocking chair and
stretched out his short legs. Julie
opened the door from the kitchen.
She came In composedly.
"Good riddance I" the captain said
gulping. "Good riddance, by Skllla-
gallee
"Riddance?" Norinan asked.
"Your friend Baker," Delong an-
swered.
Sue broke In gravely.
"lie refused to rescue you."
"lie bucked out J" Captain Stocking
shouted. "Purlsh got his eyes opened.
Bun him across the dunes soon us you
wus all ashore. Gotn' to drown him
ten futhom deep. Such luuguage, und
at Ills age My. oh, my I"
Normun listened with Inattention,
lie heurd what the keeper suld, but
his guze flitted to Julie's round
flushed face. Her '>lack eyes were
neurer purple now. He regarded
them with a growing sense of peace.
He was not interested in Ed Baker
any more. Strange, but he was not.
Many other things seemed much more
important to him.
"I've a summons," he confessed,
"somebody complulned to Inspector
McGoogau. . . ."
"Cat-eyo McGoogan?" Captain Stock-
ing snapped his fingers. "That snoop-
In' alligator I I've writ blml"
"About me?" asked Norman.
Sue Stocking broke lu quickly.
"Did you have a letter from head-
quarters, Norman, and not tell us?"
Norman nodded.
Captain Stocking gulped.
"Ye did? Well, 1 hud one, too,
Erickson. And I answered it "Con-
duct unbecomln' the service!' Joslah
I'arish will write McGoogan now i
guess, and Doc McCarthy. Don't you
need to, worry none!" He mopped
his face. "You young 'uns have took
all the tucker out of me this'day for
sure. Too many things at once!" He
looked accusingly at his daughter.
"Why couldn't you of waited?"
"Waited for what?" Norman de-
manded.
Sue Stocking smiled. Delong arose
and walked toward her.
"You see, Norman, old shipmate,"
she explained, "I've decided, Jimmy
and I have, to go back Inland to live.
When? Why, Jimmy, just when do
we go buck?"
James Delong gripped her hand af-
fectionately.
"Tomorrow or the next day at lat-
est. As soon as we all get dried out
and can bring the missioner down.
We're going to be married here,
Erickson, in the lighthouse by a mis-
sioner !''
"Well?" Sue asked in the silence
that followed. "Aren't you congrat-
ulating us?"
Norman glanced at Julie Richaud.
Her black eyes were large and full
of light, her cheeks flaming under
her wet hair. She sat very compos-
edly In the lighthouse parlor, as If
she had lived there always. Sue arose
briskly.
"Come, Jimmy, these people need
something to eat 1 don't know what
they'll do after I'm gone. Norman
Isn't much ol a housekeeper. How
will you manage, you and dad? How
will you ever keep shipshape?"
"Never mind, Sue." Norman said,
"1 guess Julie can tend to that"
"Julie?" Captain Stocking swung
around.
"Yes," she agreed, looking straight
at Norman. A great contentment
shone on his face. Her own glowed
and responded to It. "Yes," she
agreed, "I'll keep it shipshape."
"My, ob my I" the keeper puffed out
of the room.
Nortnan lifted Jnlle blindly from
the chair. She allowed her hands to
remain in his. They were trembling
a little.
"Julie?"
"Yes, Norman."
"You'll be happy at the lighthouse?"
"Didn't you hear me tell them?
What matter the light, Nortnan, or
the farm, or water, or anything, so
long as we are together? It's yours
and mine. Isn't it? Land and sea,
both of them. Yours and mine. Blind
Man's Eye will be our home."
The door burst open. Samuel Stock-
ing halted halfway through It. stared,
exclaimed, popped out again. He
blundered Into the kitchen, saw the
couple there, and escaped a second
time.
"My. oh, my!" he met Doctor Mc-
Carthy In rhe hall. "Such a day I
Such a day I And they ain't a spot on
the reservation a fool old man can go
without settln' foot where he ain't re-
quired."
The doctor glanced at the two closed
doors.
"A fine girl, Sue," he remarked.
"Aye, and a tine boy 1 got. And
my other girl, Julie, she'd fine too,
was you to ask me. Let's go smoke,
Doctor. They's a bench tn the signal
house. My, oh my!"
He stamped down the hall. The
fog signal hooted . . . two short,
one long . . . it died out, needing
steam. Norman heard it undisturbed.
Never mind, the keeper would tend
it this time. He touched Julie's
fragrant black hair.
"I love the water. Julie," he whis-
pered.
"Nothing else, Norman?"
"... the water and you.
Leaning down, be wiped her eye*,
gently. After all. she was only a lilt
tie girl.
(THE ttNDJ
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Banger, J. E. A. & Erwin, W. L. The Cass County Sun (Linden, Tex.), Vol. 53, No. 51, Ed. 1 Tuesday, December 18, 1928, newspaper, December 18, 1928; Linden, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth341206/m1/7/: accessed July 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Atlanta Public Library.