Air Wonder Stories, July 1929 — page 30: what you’re looking at

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

28 AIR WONDER STORIES long stretch of canvas covering the promenade deck astern, and it was a question if that would take her weight. Fortunately, there was no cordage much aft of the jiggermast, except for one stay coming down to the stern-post, and all halyards were reeved close to the mast. A ventilator or two pierced the awning. Though it was a terribly risky thing to attempt with the ship rolling as she did, it was the only chance, and I told Milliken what I proposed to do. “All right, Mr, Boon,” he said. “There’s nothing else for it—if we are to get aboard. I don't blame ou.” “What about you, Dan? It’s a hundred to one you'll be smashed or spilled into the sea.” “That's all right, Jimmy. Go ahead with it.” “Tl get down on the floats, Mr. Boon,” said Milliken; “might be handy to brace her if she topples.” He fetched out a length of rope and cut it in two, then, taking off his coat, he slid through the hatch to the port-side float. I was depending on the Merlin's power of hover- ing to pull the thing off, so I took her up a bit to one side astern of the ship, gauging the distance to miss that after-stay. The ship, rolling horridly, came up to meet us. We were over the awning, then it veered from under us—I thought we'd missed it, when—back it swung—slowly. I flicked the rudder round to bring us into line with the ridge of the awning. We landed with a grinding shudder, then heeled sideways as if we'd never right. I had quite made up my mind that we were going to crash over on our back in the sea below—but after a sickening moment or two of suspense we righted ! Dan, flat on the floor, with his head poked out of the hatch, let out a yell. “By Christopher, Jimmy!” he shouted. “Did you see that?” “What?” “Milliken! Oh, you Milliken !” It was Milliken who had saved us. Lying on the float, he had seized hold of one of the ventilators as we settled, and, with those amazingly powerful arms of his outstretched, had braced us as we toppled, otherwise we would have crashed over- board. Few men living could have done it. When I got down on top of the awning, my mechanic was composedly tying one of the float struts to the ventilator, and a very white face was all he showed of the superhuman effort he had put out. “Not much damage done, Mr. Boon,” he said quietly. “Except that the starboard float has sprung a bit, I think,” “Good for you, Milliken,” was all the thanks I dared give him for saving our lives. “You stopped us from going overboard.” Luckily for us, the canvas of the awning was stretched over stout boards, strongly supported, and these were sufficient to take the weight of the sea- plane, Milliken lashed the opposite strut to another ventilator, and we all climbed down to the deck. The ship still was held by that awful silence, un- broken save for the lap-lapping of the sea about her, and I fancy all three of us were gripped by a sense of overwhelming awe as we went down the com- panionway, making for the gangway swung across the after-well. From the gangway we saw, down below us, a number of seamen sprawled inertly in the scuppers and about the hatch. We called down to them, but they did not stir, and our voices, tun- naturally thin, came back to us in eery echoes from the open hold. “Let’s take the bridge first,” I said. All Asleep Ww. ran up the ladders to the lower bridge, and in the chart-room we gaw an officer lying on the floor in a heap. Dan went into the chart-room, while Milliken followed me to the upper bridge. Here we found two officers huddled behind the hich canvas dodger, and in the wheelhouse behind, two seamen lay together, one of them face downwards with his arm rove through a quadrant of the wheel. It was as if the ship had been struck by a sudden plague, I don’t know how Milliken felt about it, for his ugly old face was a mask of stolid calm, but shivers were running up and down my spine. I kneeled beside the officer next to me. “He’s breathing, Milliken!” I cried, and I gently shook the supine figure by the shoulders, but with a sigh the man only settled back more closely against the rails, : “Try the other man,” I told Milliken. My mechanic stepped over, and gently raised the officer—he was the chief—into a sitting position against his knee. The man opened his eyes and blinked at us, then with amazing suddenness was wide awake. “What the hell?” he said, and staggered to his feet. “Who are you? What are you doing on the bridge? Get off the brid—’ His gaze fell on his brother officer. “Here! What have you been doing to Barr? You've killed him!” He was a huge man, and he made a move towards me with a look that was not very pleasant. “Don't be silly,’ I said, as quietly as I might. “He’s asleep—the same as you have been.” “What's the matter with the ship? God! She’s adrift! What——” He stared at us, and passed his hand over his head. “Lord! I remember now— but it was dark then = Meantime Milliken had managed to waken the younger man, and just then Dan came up the ladder with the officer who had been lying on the floor of the chart-room. Only by his braided cap could one tell he was the captain, for he was in pyjamas with a thick blanket-coat over them. “What's the matter, Mr. Boscence?” he demanded wildly. “It is two hours since we hove to—just before six bells in the middle watch—lI’ve been asleep—or unconscious. This gentleman—what has happened to th: ship?” “T don't rightly know, sir,” the chief said, passing his hand over his head bewilderedly. ‘““There’s some- thing queer here The captain stuck out his white torpedo beard. “Get some way on the ship. Ring down—” He whirled round to the wheelhouse as he spoke, and broke off. “For the love of God—look at the steers- men! What’s come over the ship?” I nodded to Milliken, who ran into the caboose and woke the seamen quite easily. Dan looked at me in a dazed sort of way. “Jimmy!” he gasped. “It’s Wall Street all over again! You'd better explain to the captain.” “Where do you come from?” the captain de- comnlicloooks.com