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Home My WebLink AboutThe Huron Expositor, 1905-11-10, Page 11tor pet. tk. Vits,a3.4 ver Wet CI Will This you - u what please - under -1r iquOzciutt ity • 1 co MN Dentin- netewest mere - 7 person ea- any cetene of rinore or e at the 7 a which leetsader [.the Oehunie- or the ome one perform h under ee upon Se year ze father ides up - d eater- uee snag with at reel- hiin rn ,fiedby ould be enninion pply for erior. atien ef for, 77.26 etnorne eith the t Com - 'sad test :eeping, ,50 who write for stexii at akin 3 ng Buimese eee-s -TOWN The mat Z. seeee, win - Bee -weeds, oeu Watt, ohn E. Me Sa2orth Qo, Hohnet U. Moreton., '77 eihden • - eta -1-1 -..•••• *or 01.11" ITAPTER L ' signect compiacenny. A.DY eOZAR, adjusted her gold 'hail, well," She resumed, "Parents rimmed tayeglaases with an had different views when I was a girl. air et dignified aggressive- But 1 aume Sir Arthur thinks you fears in the far east, In Hongkong mistress in views of your epproaching poise the girl eleyer notieed before; the -- e every respect," but they ase seftwor y an w nesee-She had lived too many - ehould onie used to being your own forebocileg. Chains clanked with a- . she -tWaa knawn as the =, "Mandarin." marriage." r. while a- tremor ran throtigh the Stout 'ate bolted. ,The' promenade deck id big cloud should trave/ up -i' #. tbe tbe gelet men and pallid women gatb- anguish, amazement—norie of iron rails on *which the girl's arms. swept by heavy sea e every minute., A rested. boat has been carried away, a.nd sev- The COd, were busy trio. Squads' of eral stanchions snapped. off like ear - Lents raced about, Inaustriously obee rots. For the first time in your life, dlent to the. short shria whistling of Mips Deane, yon are battened down." jeifradars and gearterdiasters. Boat The girl's face must have paled some - dee -kings were tested -and tie.sliteued, What. He added beefily: "There is no A.fter the cm w n . id confused won- ered there. He told. them exactly what could exist Ali he knew was that the derment, she lapsed into an uneasy had bappened. Melees form Of a. woman—for Iris had slumber, her last sentient thought be The hours passed in tedlea misery happily fainted—must be held until ing a quiet thankfulnee0 that the after Captain Ross' visit Every one death itself wrenc-hed her -from him. screw went thud, thud, thud, thud, was eager to get * glimpee of the un- Then there came the headlong, pliniese With such determination. known terrors without from the deck. into the swirline sea, followed by ate d nd This was out of the questioe, so peo- indefinite perio of gasping oblivion.. t&invas awnings stretcbed scrOSS the danger, you know, but these preeau- the Sirdar bore away toward the south s Ple sat, ground the tables to lieten Something that felt like a moving rock deck forward, ventilator cowls twisted time are necessary You would not west the commander consulted the ha- eagerly to Experieuce and his wise rose up beneath his feet He was drive to new angles and hatches clampee Ilke to see several tons of water rush,. rometer each half hour. The telltale SaWS On drifting ships and their pros- en clear out of the water and seemed to down over the woodea gratings that ing down the saloon stairs; now, would mercury had sunk over two inches in Pects. Some. chutiAs persons visited their recognize a familiar object rising rigid covered the holds. Officers, spotless in you?" _ twelve hours. The abnormally low and bright close at bane. It wee the white linen, flitted quid:1y to and fro. "Decidedly not." Then, after a panse: pressure d louds cabins to secure valuables in case of pinnacle pillar, screwed to a portion or When the watch was ehaugea Iris "It is not pleasant to be fastened up in noted that the "chief" appearea in an . a great iron box, doctor. It reminds old blue suit and carried oilskies over 'one of a huge coffin." his erna as he climbed to the bridge. "Not a bit. The Sirdar is the safest Neture -looked eleturbed and htful, ship afloat. Your father has always and side lightsw r 1 1 the shipresponaed to her mooa. pursued a splendid pollei in that re- pelting send < The 'engines thrust the cussing a fresh risk that loomed I *A uniformed figure—be thought Tian was a SCI1S0 of preparation in spect. The London and Hongkong . vessell'k lance into the ombao-usly before them. The ship was a Jong way out of her usual course was the captain—stretched. out an un- • the air, of condeg ordeal,. of restless - company may not possess fast vessels, 1 vitals of the storm. Wind and wave d 11 gushed out of the vortex with impo- when the accident happened. She was tent fury. drifting now, they estimated, eleven At last soon after midnight the ba- knots an hour, with wind, sea and cur- rometer showed a slight upward move- rent all forcing her in the same direes ment. At 1;80 a. m. the change became tion, drifthag into one -of the raost dan- geocas places in the known world, the smith China sea, with its numberless reefs, shoals ,and isolated. rocks and the great dsland of Borneo "stretching right acirofia the path of the cyclone. Still there was nothing to be done save te make a few unobtrusive prepa- rations and. trust to idle chance. To attempt to anchor and ride out the gate 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 od the weather. The barometer was rapidly rising. The center of the cyclone had sweet fat ahead. There was only left the aftermath of heavy seas and furi- ous but steadier wind. ,Captain Ross entered the thart house for the twentieth time. bad aged many yeses in appear -- since. The emilbsg, confident, debonair officer was changed into k stricken, mournful Man. He had altered with his ship. The Sirdar and her master could hardly be recognized, so cruel Were the blows they bad received. "It Is impossible to see a yard ahead," he confided to his second in cotamand. havegeiever been so anx- ious before In my life, Thank God, the night is dnawing to a close, Perhaps when day breaks"— Hie last words contained a prayer and sr hope. Even as he spoke the ship seemed to lift herzeit bodily with an unusual effort for a vessel moving be- fore the wind. The next instant there was a horriblei grinding crash dareteria. Eech person (which e mess of th For Man of the.shi u ce y cr , anced the melancholy dark- further disaster. A few hardy spirits the deck wbich came away from the gale. • returned to bed.1 i chart house, and was rent from the up - minutes together the 'bows 1 Meanwhile in tile ehart house the cap- 1 per framework by contact with the were not visible. Masthead tain and chief' officer were graVelY , reef. He seized this unlooked for sup - d b the pondering over an open chart and di- port with his disengaged band. . n, - tramp of hurrying Merl on the hurl- 1 ,"Are tbere many people ill on Her powers of meftm eciless inquisition + ,y...... ........ approaching mrb arriage!" cried cane deck oveend sounded heftey and board?" suggested torments long drawn out. Iris, now g'enuinely amazed. ' hollow. There was a squeaking of i - No; jest the usual number The comtnander of the Sirdar, home- "Yes. Is it .not true that Yell are ' chairs that was abominable when pea- 1 turbed livers. We had a nasty aeet. pronomiced. Simultaneously the wind ward bound from Shanghai, knew that going to marry Lord Ventnor?" ple gathered up bobles and wraps and i tr / swung round a pointeto the westward..ne was about to be stretched on -the A passing steward heard the point staggered ungracefully toward the rack whe u be took his seat at the blank question. - companionway. Altogether Miss Deane saloou table. It had a curious effect upon him. , He was not wholly pleased with the pre - dent shoe y berore "Good gracious! What happened?" Then Captain Ross smiled wearily. "Some Lascars were caught py sen His face brightened. Ile opened his forward. One man had. his leg bro- • oilskin coat, glanced at the compass ken." and nodded approval. Then he turned "Apythieg else?" to consult a chart. He was joined by The doctor hesitated. He became the chief officer. Both men examined the chart in silence. Captain Roes Really took a pencil. He stabbed its point on the papea in the neighborhood of 14 degrees ndith and 112 degrees east. "-Is ittrue, captain, that 'we are run- gazed. with fiercely eaget eyes at Miss liminaries of a typhoen, whatevid the ydsg into a typhoon?" demanded her Deane and so far °forgot himself as to realities might be, ladyship.permit dish of water ice to rest Why did that silly old woman allude against Sir John 'Tozer's bald head. -From whom did you learn that, La- to her contemplated marriage ti Lord e „els Tozer?" Captain Ross was wary, eehough somewhat surprised. "From Miss Deane. I understood ter a moment ago to say that you had -told her." .441 ?» e "Didn't you? Some orie told me this -looming. I couldn't' ha de guessed. It, -could I?" Miss Iris Deans large blue dyes surveyed him with innocent in- ,. es:difference to strict accuracy. Ind-- identally she had obtained the informa- ition from her maid, a nose tilted co- quette, who extracted. -shipeti secrets from a youthful quartermaster. • "Well—er—I had forgotten," explain- eId the tactful sailor. "Is it true?" Lady Thzer was unusually abrupt etoday. But she was annoyed. by the 'assumption that the captain took a littera girl into his confidence and passed never the wife a the ex -chief justice of 'noniron& • "yes, it is," said Captain Ross, &real- ly curt, and silently thanking the fates at her ladyship was going :Jeanie for Ike last time, ;- "Do tell es," chimed in Iris. "Did you find out when you squinted at the sun?" The captain smiled. "You are nearer -Me mark than possibly you imagine, !Miss Deane," he said. "When we took -our observations yesterday there was S. very -weird looking halo around thel ;sun. This morning you may have no- ticed several light squalls and a smooth sea, marked occasionally by strong hippies. The barometer is falling rap - :idly, and I expect that as the day wears we will encounter -a heady swell. If the sky looks wild tonight, -and es- pecially if we observe a heavy bank of eelciud approaching from the northwest, , you will see the crockery dancing about the table at dinner. I am afraid you are not a good sailor, Lady Tozer. Are you, Miss Deane?" "Capital! I should just love to see a •real storm. Now promise me solemnly that you will take me up into the chart • bouse when this typhoon is simply tearing things to pieces." "Oh, dear! I hope it will not be very bad. Is there no way in which you can avoid it, eaptain? Wel it last long?” The politic skipper for once preferred to answer Lady Tozer. "There is nn cause for uneasiness," he said. "Of course typhoons in the China sea are nasty things while they last, but a ship like the Sirdar is not trOnb:ed by them. She wen drive threugh the worst gale she is likely to meet here in less than twelve hours. Deedes, I alter the course somewhat rte soon as I discover our position with regard to its center." Then the commander hurriedly ee- -eused himself, and the passengers saw no more of him that day. Her ladyship diemeged the topic as Pe 110 preseet interest and foe -used Miss Deane through her eyeglieges. "Sir Arthur proposes to come home in aune, 1 understand?" she inquired. Iris was a remarkably healthy young, woman. q A large banana momentarily engaged her attention. She nodded affably. "You willstay with relatives until lie atrives?" pursued Lady Tozer. "Relatives! We have none --none wham we specially cultivate—that is. I will stop in town a day or two to 'interview my dressmaker and then go streight to IlelindaIe, our place in YOrkshire." "Surely you have a c-haperon?" "A. chaperon! My dear Lady Tozer, -did my father impress you as one who would perrait a fussy and stout old person to make my life miserable?" The acidityof the retort lay in the ward "etout." But Iris was not ac- customed to cross examination. Dur- ing a three months' residence on the ,IsIand she had learned. how to avoid Lady Tozer. Here it was impossible, seed the olderhwoman fastened upon her hasp -like. Miss Iris Deane was a tooth- • iteeme morsel for gossip. Not yet twen- hy-one, the only daughter of a wealthy !baronet who owned a feet of stately 'ships—the Sirdar among them—a girl Iris could not help noting his strange '.• flash of humor chased ' Ventnor, reTalling the gossip of behavior. • A ng ,Hongi kowith such malicious- emphasis away her first angry resentment at For an instant Iris tried to shake the Lady Tozer's interrogatory. railing in comic anger. She hated Lord "That may be my happy fate," <she Ventnor. She did ned want to marry answered gayly; "but Lord sYentnor has .hira or anybody else just yet. Of course not asked me." her father had hinted approval of. his "Every one says in Hongkong"— be- . lordship's obvious intentions. Countess gan her ladyship. of Ventnor! Yes, it was a nice title. "Confoupd you, you stupid rascal! Still she wanted another couple of What are you doing?" %hoisted Sir John. years of careless freedom. In any His feeble nerves at last conveyed the event why should Lady Tozer pry and Who had been mistress of her father's • 'house since laer return from Dresden 'three years ago—young, beautiful, rich —here was a combination for which :leen thanked a judicious heavereewhile Women sniffed enviously. \ Business detained Sir Arthur. k war ',cloud overshadowed the two great di- visions of the yellow race. He must 'Wait to gee bow matters developed, but he would not expose Iris to the in- sidious treachery of a Cbilaese spring. She was confided to the personal :therge of Captein Ross. At eaoh point Of call the company's agents would be solicitous for tier welfare. The cable'e telegraphic eye would watch her prog- xesa as that of some princely maiden sailing in royal caravel. This, fair, slender, well formed gal—delightfully Mriglish in face and figure—with her tregla, clear complexien, limpid blue *Yee and shining hair Was a personage of some importance. readn Tozer knew these things and _ information that something more pro- nounced than a sudden draft affect- ed his scalp; the tee was melting., probe? And finally, why did the steward— oh, poor old Sir John! What would The incident amused those passen- have happened if the ice had slid down gers who sat near enough to observe it. his neck? Thoroughly comforted by But the chief steward, hovering watch- this gleeful hypothesis, Miss Deane ful near the captain's table, darted for- seized a favorable opportunity • to dart. ward. Pale with anger, he hissed: across the starboard side and see if "Report' yourself for duty in the sec- Captain Ross' "heavy bank oi cloud mad saloon tonight." And he hustled in the northwest" had put in an ap- his- subordinate away from the judge's chair. pearance., Miss Deane, Mirthfully radiant, rose. Ha! There it was, black, ominous, giganle, rolling up steer the horizon "Please ' don't punish the man, Mr. e like Nome monstrous football. Around Jones," else said sweetly. "it was 4.it the eky deepened into purple, fringed sheerheecident He was taken by sur - with a wide belt of /nick red. She had wise. In his place I would have env- I tied the whole dish." never seen such a beginning of a gale. The chief steward smirked. He -From what she had. read in books she did imagined that only in great deserts not know exactly what had happened. were clouds of dust generated. There Nevertheless, great though Sir John Tozer might be, the owner'e daughter could not be dust in the dense pall now Iwas greater. rushieg with giant strides across the "Certainly, e trembling/ sea. Then what was it/ miss' certainlY'" f" agreed, adding confidentially: "It is Why was it so dark and menacing? rather hard On a steward to be sent And where was desert of stone and sand to compehe with ihis awful ex - aft, miss. It. makes . such sdifference panse of water? What a small dot in the—er—the little gratuities given I was this great ship on the visible sur - The girl was tactful. She smiled by the passengers." i face! But the ocean itself extended comprehension at the offidal and bent away beyond there, reaching out to the. - infinite. The dot became a mere speck, over Sir John, now carefully polishing interested in the color of some Bur- - gleady, "I hardly know the exact de- tails yet," he replied. "Tomorrow aft- er breakfast I will tell you all about English quartermaster and four liasears had been licked from off the f forecastle by the greed?, tongue of a huge wave. The succeeding serge flung ,the dye men back Aga,ima,the quarter. undistinguishable beneath a celestial the back of his skull with a table nap- microscope such as the gods might kin. a condescend to use. , "I am sure you will forgive him,'!' Iris !shivered and aroused herself she whispered. "I can't say why, but with a startled laugh. . the poor fellow was looking so intently The lively fanfare of the dinner at me that he did. not see what he was trumpet falied to fill the saloon. By doing." A this time the Sirdar was fighting reso- The ex -chief juiftice was instantly. lutely against a stiff gale. But the mollified. He didenot mind the appli- stress of actual combat was better than Iris could not help noting his strangebehaviqr. cation of ice in that way—rather liked it, in fact. Probably Ice was suscepti- ble to .the fire in Miss Deane's eyes. Suddenly the passengers still seated experienced a prolonged sinking sensa- tion, as if the-Iessel had been convert- ed into a gigantic ' They were pressed hard into their chairs, which creaked and tried to swing around on their pivotst As the ship yielded stiffly. to the sea a whiff of spray dashed through an open,poile "There!" snapped her ladyship. "I knew we should Ain into a storm, Yet Captain Ross led us to believe— John, take me to DaY cabin at once." From the promenade deck the list- less groups watched the rapid advance of the gale. There was mournful spee- ulation upon the Sirdar's chances of reaching Singapore before the next evening., Iris stood. somewhat apart from the other -passengers. T.he wiled had fresh- ened, and her hat was tied. closely over her ears. She leaned against the tate- r:sir, enjoying the coel breeze after hours of sultry-. heat The sky was cloudless yet, but there was a queer tinge of burnished copper in the 'all pervading sunshine. The sea was cold- ly blue. The life had gone out ef it. It was no longer inviting and translucent Long sullen undulations swept noise- lessly past the ship. Once after a stead, • climb up a rolling hill of water the S irdar quickly pecked at the suc- eeeding valley, and the propeller. gave a couple of angry flaps on the surface, the eerie sensation of impending dan- ger during the earlier hours. The strong, hearty pulsations of the en- gines, the regular thrashing of the screw, the steadfast onward plunging of the good ship through racing seas and flying scud, were cheery, confident and inspiring. Miss Deane justified her boast that she was an excellent sailor. She smiled delightedly at the ship's sur- geon wben he caught her eye through the many gaps in the tables. She was alone, so he joined her. "You are a credit to the company— quite a sea king's daughter," be said. "Doctor, do Sion talk to all, your lady passengere in that way?" "Alas, no! Too often I can only be truthful when I un dumb." 'Iris laughed. f I remain long on this ship I will certainly have my bead turned," she cried. "I receive nothing but Ecompliments from the captain dow reto—to"--- "The doctor!" "No. You cope a good second on the "We are about thereeI think." The chief agread. "That was the le- cality I had in ray mind." He bent closer over the sheet. "Nothing in the way tonight, sir," he One of the bitek senors was pitched added. -aboard with a erectured leg *ilia other "Nothing whatever. It is a bit of injuries. • The others were smashed good luck to meet such weather here. against the iron hull and disappearedeiee can ketp as far south as wie like For one -tremulous moment the en- until daybreak, and by that time— gines slowed. The. ship coramenced to How did it look when you cense in?" veer off into tbe path of the cyclone. "A trifle better, I think." . Captain Ross set his teet1e4 and the tele- • "I have sent for some refreshments. graph bell jangled "Full speed. ahead." Let us have another look before we "Por Jackson!" be murmured. "One tackle them." of my best men. I remember seeing. The two officers, passed out into the hurricane. Instantly the wind endean- his wife,e, prettly little. woman, and two ehildreet coming to meet him last ored to tear the chart house from -off homeward trip.- They will be tbere the deck. 'Mei looked aloft and ahead. again. Good God! That Lascar who The officer on duty saw them and nod - was saved has some one to await him - dell silent comprehension. It waS use - in a Bombay village, I suppose." less to attempt to epeale. The weather, The captain fought his way to the was perceptibly clearer. chart house. He wiped the salt water. Then all three peered ahead again. from his eyes and. looked anxiously at They stood, pressing against the wind, the baroneeter. seeking to penetrate the Murkiness in "Still -ailing!" he muttered. "I will front. Suddenly they werogalvanizell, keep em until 7 o'clock and then bear into strenuous -activity. three /points to the southward. By 1 A- 'wild howl came from the lookont midnight we should be behind it." forward. The eyes of the three men He struggled back into the outside. glared at a huge disniosted Chinese fury. By comparison tae sturdy cita- • junk wallowing helplessly in the del he quitted was paradise on the edge: trough of the sea dead under the bows. of an inferno. I The captain sprang to the chart house Down in the saloon the hardier pas- and signaled in fierce pantomime that iengers were striving to subdue the Vile wheel should be put hard over, ennui of an interval before they sought The officer in- charge of the- bridge pressed the telegraph lever' to "stop" -their cabins. Some telked. One hard- ened reprobate strummed the piano. and -full speed astern," while with his Others played cards, chess, draughts— disengaged hand he pnlied hard atthe anything that would distract attention. siren cord, and a raucous warning sent stewards flying through the ship to The' stately apartment offered strange eontreet to the warring elemend with- close collision bulkhead doors. The out. 'Bright lights,costly upholstery, "chief" darted to the port rail, for the ' soft cerpets, carved panels and gilded. Circlers instant response to the helm _cornices, with uniformed attendants seemed to clear her nose from the passing to and fro carrying coffee and junk as if by magic. It all happened so quickly that while glasses—these surroundings suggested a floating palace in which the raging the hoarse signal was still vibrating seas were defied. Yet forty miles away, through the ship tbe junk swept past somewhere in the furious depths, four her quarter. The chief officer, joined corpses swirled about with horrible now by the commander, looked doveis uncertainty, lurching through battling hato the wretched craft. They could currents and. perchance convoyed by see her crew lashed in a bunch around fighting sharks. the capstan on ber elevated poop. She The surgeon had been called away. was laden with timber. Although WEL- Iris was the only lady left in the sa- terloggecl, sbe could not sink. if eke loon. She watched a set of whist play- held together. ers for a time and then essayed the A great wave sucked her away from perilous passage to her stateroom. She the steamer And then hurled her back found her maid and a stewardess with irresistible force. The Sirdk there. Both women were weeping. was just completing her turning move "What is thennetter?" she inquired. ment, and she heeled over, yielding to The stewardeeentried to speak. She the mighty power of the gale. For an choked with grief and. hastily went appreciable- instant her engines stop- . e out. The maid blubbered an explana- ped. The mass of waterthat swayed tion. . I the junk like a cork lifted the great "A friend of hers was married, miss, , ship high by the stern. The propeller to the man who is drowned." began to revolve in air, for the third of - "Drowned! Whet man?" ficer had corrected his signal to "full "Haven't you heard, miss? I sup- speed ahead" again, and the duusibrous pose they are keeping it quiet. An Chinese vessel struck the Birder a telt English sailor and some natives were rible blow in the counter, smashing off swept off the shin by a sea. One native the screw close to the thrust block and, was saved, bet lie is all smashed up. wrenching the rudder from its bearings, The others were never seen again." . list." , In very truth she was thinking of the ice carrying stewari and his queer _ start of surprise at tie announcement of her -rumored engagement The man interested her. He looked like a broken down geutleman. Her quick eyes trav- coed around the saloon to discover his whereabouts: She could not see him. lehe chief steward stood near, balanc- leg himself in apparent defiance of the laws of -gravitation, for the ship was now pitching and rolling with a iniad zeal. For an instant she meant to in- quire what had become of tbe teans- gressor1. bet she dismissed the theeght nt its inception., The matter eva too ti iv Lai. . . With a wild swoop all the. plates, • < glasses and cutlery on the saloon ta- bles crashed to starboard., Were it not for the, restraint of the fiddles every- thing must havebeen swept to the - floor. There were one or two minor ac- cidents- A steward, taken UnaWareS, was thrown headlong on top of his laden tray. Others were compelled to clutch the backs of chairs and cling to ,pillars. One man involuntarily seized the hair, of a lady who devoted an hoer beer° each meal to her coiffure. The Sirdar: with a frenzied bound. tried ,to turn a somersault. "A. change. of course," observed the doctor. "They generally try to avoid it when people are in the saloorut a typhoon admits of no labored polite- ness. As its center Is now right ahead, we are going on the starboard tack to _ get behind It." "I must hurry- up and go on deck," said Miss Deane. "You will not be able to go on deck until the morning." She turned on hingimpetuously. "In- deed I will. 'Captain Ross promised me—that is, I asked him"— The doetor ,sruiled. She was so charm- ingly insietent! "It is simply impossi- ble," be saki. "The companion doors Iris by degrees learne chronicles of the Jackson family. She was moved to tear. She remembered the doctor's hesitancy and. her own, idle phrase, "a huge coffin." Outside the roaring waves pounded apou the iron walls. Two staterooms had been converted Into one to provide Aliss Deane with ..... ample accommodation. There were no %rinks, but a cozy bed was screwed to the deck. She lay downi and strove to read. It was a eiffictile task. Her eyes wandered from the printed page to mark the absurd antics of her gar- ments swinging on their hooks. At times the 'ship rolled so fae that. she felt sure it must topple over. She was not afraid, but subdued, rather aston- ished, placidly prepared for vague eventualities. Things were ridiculous. What need was there for all this external' fury? Why should poor sailors be cast forth to instant death in such awful ,man- ner? If she could only sleep and- for- get—if kind oblividn would blot out the storm for a few blissful hours! But how could one sleep with the conscious- ness of that watery giant thundering his summons upon the iron plates a few inches away? Then came the blurred picture of Cap- . tain Ross high up on the bridge peer- ing into the moving blackness. How strange that tbere should be hidden in the convolutions of a man's brain an intelligence that laid bare the pre tenses of that ravenous demon without! Each of the ship's officers, the com- mander more than the others, under- stood the why and the wherefore of thike blustering combination of wind and sea. Iris knew the language i:aae poker. Nature was putting up a large bluff. Oh, dear! She was so tired. It de- manded a physical effort to constantly shove away an unseen force that tried to push you over. Hew -funny that a — en- d the sad There was an awf uI b race y the glues before the engineers could shut off steam. The junk vanished into the wilderness of noise and tumbling seas beyond, and the fine 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; breasting the storm with stubborn per- sistency; she now drifted.. aimlessly • before wind and wave. She was mere- ly a larger plaything tossed about by titanic giunbols. The junk was burst: :mender by the collision. Her planks and cargo littered, the waves, were: even tossed in derision on to the deckis 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: bis triumph? The great steamship drifted on through chaos. The typhoon had broken the lance. But brave men, skillfully directed, wrought hard to avert further arias-, ter. After the Arst mgment of stupor gallant British sailors risked life and limb to bring the vessel under control. By their calm courage they sbamed the paralyzed Lascars into activity. A.' sail was rigged on the foremast and a sea anchor hastily constructed as soon as it was discovered that the helm was uselese. Rockets flared. up into the sky ad 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 r.t0 Water was being shipped, the dam- age being wholly external, the collision doors were opened and the passengers admitted to the saloon, a brilliant pal- ace,superbly indifferent to tbe wreck and rultewithout Captain Ross himself eame down and achiressed a few conatortine w.prils to availing arm to clasp the queer raft wisich supported the sailor and the - girl, but a jealous wave rose under the platform with devilish energy and turned it completely over, hurling the man with his inanimate burden Into the depths. He rose, fighting madly; for his life. Now surely he "was doom- ed. But again, as if human existence depended. on naught more serious than the spinning of a coin, Ins keees.rested on. the same few stanch timbers, now, the ceiling of the music room, and he was given a brierespite. His great- est difficulty was to get his breatb;sa dense was the spray through which'. he -was driven. Even Int that terrible - moment he kept his senses. The girl, utterly unconscious, showed by the convulsive heaving of her breast that she was choking. With a wild effort he swung her head round to shield her from the flying sad withhis own form. The tiny air Inaee thus provided gave her some relief, and in that in- stant the sailor seemed to recognize • her. He was not remotely eapable ot. a definite idea. Just as -he vaguely real- ized the identity of the woman in his arms the unsteady support, on which he- rested. toppled. over. Again he re- newed the unequal contest. A strong, resolute an and a typhoon sea wres- tled for supremacy. This time NS feet plunged against something. gratefully solid. Re was dashed forward, still battling with the raging turmoil of water, and a second time he felt the some firm yet sraootlx surface. His dormant facilities awoke. It was sand. With frenzied despera- tion, buoyed now by the inspiring hope of safety, he fought his way onward. like a maniac. 4 Often he fell. Three time* did the backwash try to drag hire 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 tek sank .in deep soft white sand. Then he fell, not to rise again. With' a last weak flit r nof exhausted strength -he drew the girl elosely to him, and the two lay Clasped tightly, together, heedless now of all_things. How long the man remained pros- trate he could only gnat slibsequently. The Sirdar struck soon after day- break, and the sailor awoke to a hazy consciousness of: his surroundings te find a shaft of sunsbine flickering through °the clouds banked up in the east. The gale was already passing away. 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 epot where he had finally dropped, and its surface was no lo threse scohiged with venomous spray. Slowly and painfully he raised WM-- self to a sitting posture, for be eras bruised:and stiff. With his first move- ment he became violently ftL Re had swallowed mu& salt water, and it was not until the spasm ef sickness had passed that he thought of the girls '"She eannot be dead," he hoarselyi murmured, feebly trying to lift her, "Surely Providence -would not desert her after such an escape. What al. -weak beggar 1 must be to give in at the last naoment! I am sure Ehe was living when we got ashore. Whateon, earth can I do to revive her?" Forgetful of his own aching lirabs lu this ne*born anxiety, be sank on otte knee and gently piliowed Iris' head and shoulders on the other. Her eyes were closed, her lips and teeth firmly set—a fact to which she undoubtedly awed her life, else she would have tem. suf- fecated—and. the pallor of heft skill seemed to be that terrible . bloodlesn hue which indicates death. The stern lines in 'the Man's face relaxed, and something blurred kis vision. Be Wa.4 weak from exhaustion and *ant of food. For the moment his emotione were easily aroused., "Oh, it is pitiful!" he :almost whim- nered- "It cannot be!" fro be oontillued.) They /oohed down into the wretched croft. who did not chance to be holding fast to an upright was thrown violently down. The deck was tilted to a dan- gerous angle and. remained there, while the heavy buffeting of the sea, now raging afresh at this unlooked for re- sistance, drowned the despairing yelle raised by the Lasears 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 great -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 sectiops turned com- pletely over in the utter wantonness of destruction, and everything—roasts, funnels, boats, hull, with every liven SOni On board—was at once engulfed in a maelstrom of rushing water and far flung spray. ,CHAPTER II, HEN the' Sinter parted amid- ships the floor of the saloon heaved up in the center with a /mighty crash of rending woodwork' and iron. Men and women, too stupefied to sob out a prayer, were - pitched headlong into chaos. iris, torn 'from the terrified grasp of her maid, fell through a -corridor and would have gone; down with the ship had not a snil r, clinging to a eompanion ladder, cain lit her as she whirled along the stet p slope of the deck. iln did not know what bad happen- ed. - With the instinet of self preserva- tion be 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 and clasp the girl's waist ne she flutter - )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 seeend gyration. Even as the stair- way canted he lost his lhalanc'e., they were both thrown violently through tl e open heti:freely and eivept off into the belling serf. retieetch condi- tons thought 11e/elf eve . s impossible. A I s ' 1, I _„ Ser1e8 Ot, frOpr(-SSiOnS, a numuer OL inn- tastie pictures, were reee:Ned by the be- e -embed feenities find afierward pain - lull). ;sorted (let nv the msmory. Fear, —. BABY' 8 AWAKENING, eet It ought to be a pleasure to look forward to baby's awakening. He should awaken bright, funning and full of fun, refreshed by sleep and ready for a good time, How many parents dread their child's voite, be- cause they know when he awakes he. will era- and fret, and keep everyone on the move until he falls asleep again from shear% exhaustion. These crying fits makes the life of the in- experienced mother a torment. Ad yet baby is not crying for the fun ut the thing—there is something wrong, though the mother may not see any- thing ails the and. Try Baby's. Own Tablets in cases of this kind, and we iventure to s -ay baby will wake up happy and smiling—an alto- gether ,different .child. Her is proof from Mrs, John &Sutherland, Bliss - field, who says: " Yfy baby was terribly cross, and often • kept me awake half the night before I got Baby's Own Tablets for her. Since I began giving her the Sablets, she is perfectly Vt'en, eleepe paundly all night, and wakes up ,bright and fresh in the morning." Baby's Own Tablets are a safe medieine for chil- dren of all ages. They cannot do anything but Yen ean get thern from your druggist,\ or by mail at 25 tents a box, by :writing_ The br. Williams' Medicine Co., Brook- ville, Ont. —Mr. !H. J. B. Pense, M. P. P., for Kingston, has been unseated by ,the lection court, 4n account of brile- q.y by egeneSe Money was used by both sides very freely,