Adventure Magazine Cover — page 31: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ental by a crowd of jab- ‘Huns, | An on all Tashi ‘Vi? ; ‘Hey, who i as hanging outboard. Carnell © Jenly appeared at her elbow. “Here, Miss Kelvett, let me lift you!” ae _ "No, no,” shouted Vi; and, catching hold of the falls, she slid into the boat, in which there were already several men. Almost on top of her came Selwyn. “Are you all right?” she shouted. going fast. Look out!” ~ The boat tilted and swayed and tipped bow-downward, nearly throwing them all into the sea; rocked and hit the water with a splash. Fortunately it was the leeward side. Amid shouts and yells the men tried to fend her off from the black, roaring hulk above them. Others swarmed. down. the falls. “Uncle, where are your” screamed Vi as shrilly as she could. She thought that she heard him reply, but at that moment came “‘She’s ~ another terrific roar. . hold her. “Cut her off!” screamed Selwyn. boilers are blowing up.” Some of the crew had oars out and were pulling and pushing frantically. One block had been loosened. Some one cut the other tackle. Vi saw against the sky that every- body had disappeared except one figure slid- ing down the falls. She ‘grabbed at the block as the boat began to make way, screaming: “Wait! Wait! The captain’s coming!”’ But the men either did not hear in the up- “Her roar or were too excited toattend. Vihung — ‘on desperately to the block at the end of the falls and shouted to Selwyn beside her to He caught her round the waist. For several seconds the two bodies held the strain of the men rowing and the tug of the boat under the sea. . Then the captain half-slid, half-tumbled into the boat. Vi let go and collapsed in a heap in the bottom of the boat. As they sorted them- selves out the crew were pulling vigorously. As they made way from the lee of the ship the boat began to tumble about in the seas. “The fools smashed No. 4 boat,” said Captain Kelvett, manipulating a stee ering- oar.and watching his command walldWing low in the water. ‘And I’m afraid the chief and the engineers have gone. She must have ripped her bottom right out. She went as quick as the Titanic.” _ “Was it a mine?” queried Selwyn. “No, no. Derelict. Probably a water- es pet wooded Suser tere sunk by es : Pat AL “* _— moa wis ae = ~— ~ E 2 a : ol, ee <— ° 7 Set at oe Fa Soe eee Fen geo, a a — ‘¢ = -~ Se ae =: mete there? Bo’s’n?” _ Several men echoed the werd: eee ere, sir,” responded one. ‘““ ‘Chips’ ere.’ * Well some one get a lantern and step the mast. Can you see any of the other boats?” “One over there, sir,” “Ow!” he yelled. . ““There she goes!” Looking back at the Hesperus, they saw _ her apparently try to stand on her tail against the sky. <A burst of fire came from her funnel and as she began to slide back- ward a dull roar reached them. “Just got away in time, by ——!’ re- marked Selwyn. “Now you savvee one’ time you \cussee too muchee,’”’ commented a voice in the gloom. CHAPTER VI yea some difficulty Chips, the car- penter, Two of the men stepped the mast and rigged the small lug-sail while the others rowed to keep her from broaching to the seas. The captain held a roll-call. In spite of war training, which nearly all the men had had in one form or another, they had not mustered to their proper boat stations, so that instead of a correct crew there were only five men and the steward. As the boat got way on, the captain came about and began to tack across the spot where the Hesperus had gone down. As they came up in the wind they saw a glim- mer of a light from the other boat. they were within hail the voice of the second mate reported to the captain: ~ “Seven men and myself, sir. The mate’s boat capsized. I think she must have been rushed. No survivors found yet. went with them.”’ Sparks was the seamen’s nickname for the radio operator. The suddenness of his death precluded the possibility that he had had time to send off any wireless appeals for help. At that moment a man in the bow shouted that they were approaching something in the water that looked like a man clinging to a piece of wreckage. They dragged on board a fireman, who said that he had been ~ in the mate’s boat, which, as the Second had a“ e said another man. lighted the boat’s lantern. 25 i? . =F = - - an a SA ES Seok: my - a * <a =. ~ ee y : > i: i; ‘4 ie i Ba % Mutt Fil? “iinet ¥ le? eit te aA iad “ 3 When | ‘Sparks’ » just suggested, had been overcrowded inthe- — general confusion and capsized. For some - ay cboo 2a ; |