The Nerve of Foley, and Other Railroad Stories

ian-owned tramp was no longer in her prime. Since passing out of the hands of her British owners, neglect had lessened her speed, while the additi

ombining all the characteristics, good, bad, and indifferent, of the South American skipper. As part owner of the San Martin he w

rton, and Quexo; but before relating the circumstances in which they found themsel

r relative, migrated from Australia to one of the Central American republics in order to te

young fellow of nineteen, broad-shouldered and straight-l

dy's age, and was on a visit to the McKays. He was impulsive

ticeship on board the Tophet, a barque of 2200 tons, of the port of Liver

ophet, Ellerton had gone "up-country," and, before he actually reali

d broken out, and the rebels, thinking that Mr. McKay's house and estate would prov

ll Quexo, a mulatto lad on the ranch, contrived to steal through the rebels' l

ned, Mr. McKay was practically ruined, and he took step

rranged to go as far as Tahiti, whence he could take s

t had sailed without him. "We've stuck together through thick and thin these last few days, and it seems as if we have been chu

e mulatto's great delight, he was engaged as servant

soon as possible; and since ten days or more would elapse before one of the regular line o

*

t the swarm of olive-featured Peruvians who were sc

replied Ellerton. "They are all of one nationality. Take the Tophet's crew-there are

et from the head of the poop-ladder. "England, the principal carrier of the world, has to r

f the ocean, save the white wake of the steamer as she pounded along at

?" asked Terence, le

Ellerton?" a

o opportunity of

d the Marquesas is a vast sunken plateau. Sunlight never penetrates

r marine animals in t

anding the enormous pressure, for it may be taken for granted that at t

s?" continued Terence, for he had

retch. What's your exper

f you threw anything overboard it would be alongside for days. I can

continued the young Canadian,

that spring up in the belt of the calms; but

of passing the time, although the lads derived consider

ed of only a few Spanish books of little interest to Mr. McKay

rth day there was an omin

oloured rays that betokened much wind at no distant date; while from the south-eas

as Captain Perez emerged from the companion an

shrugged h

or. I lik

replying like that! Here, Andy, you are not shaky on the pins like I am; just present my compliments

seamanship, sir," remarked Ellerton, a

spent some months on a pearl-fisher in Torres Strait; but that

imetres in eight hours," announced Andy, reading the figures f

inches. We're in for something, especially with that deck cargo," as he

anything for'ard

additional lashings

Mr. McKay, eyeing the timber with concern. "However, it will be dark in another q

es in the old Tophet when she was scudding under close-reefed canvas before the wind or lying hove-to in a hurricane i

the corresponding jar as the ship's stern was engulfed in the following seas. That was a mere nothing; it

caught his ear. It was pitch dark, for the electric lights had faile

up, Te

ie, and was entering into the stage when he was afraid he might not. Ellerton had suffered the agonies of s

cond mate, who, clad in dripping oilskin

, and, at the same time, Andy, who, unable to sleep, was on the point of making his way over to Elle

"combers" on deck, arose from the struggling trio, till at length Ellerton disentan

ight eye was rapidly closing from the effects of

oming into contact with the brass tread of the cabin door. "But let's follow this

ill in his wet oilskins, stretched at full length on his bunk, hi

procure a light. Andy glanced at the barometer. The mercury stood at 715 millimetr

San Martin slowly recovered from a dangero

d," replied Ellerton. "Everything is battened down, and we c

ly audible above the roar of the wind and waves, while the shout

iding doorway sufficiently wide for the two chums to gain the poop. Staggering along the slippery, heaving deck, they reac

of flashes dazzled their eyes, the electric fluid playing o

n adrift, and, charging from side to side like a gigantic flail, had smashed the rail

s of metal, were working with mad desperati

e side, while another, his leg bent under him, lay helpless in the lee-scuppers, with on

lard," and throwing the end of a coil of signal-halliards to his friend, h

helpless form of the crippled seaman, and as he wound his arms round the

JUST IN TIME. ANOT

THE HELPLESS FORM O

rentice, held only by a single turn of the thin signal-halliard, it seemed as if the ship were already taking her downward plunge,

ne like a steel wire. His feet were unable to find a hold; the last fragment of the bulwarks had

el slowly resumed an even keel, and then began

ad; then, as he felt the rope slacken and himself slipping acros

to clamber up the ladder, Andy assisting his burden by steadily and strongly hauling on the rope; then, as the San Martin once more began

her career. The dangerous deck-load of mahogany baulks had been wrenched from its securing lashings, and had bee

heir last account, and the remainder, exhausted and disheartene

the latter having passed a bight round the now cons

e bridge, where Captain Perez, the first mate, and a couple of seamen stood braving t

background of wind-torn clouds; at another the vessel would be so deep in the trough of the waves

foam and the howling of the wind, as a few tons o

lerton. "It would have g

n then go below and get the steward o

house, and, wedging him up with cushions to prevent him fro

gain the saloon, where they found Mr. McKay, who had s

been up to?" for both were wet to the skin, while Andy's eye was black

stly. "We were caught in the tail end of

rst is yet to come. I suppose Captain Perez is steering to th

ss," replied Ellerton. "But I must go for'ard and

ay of his son as the apprentice disa

companion's bravery, Ellerton was feeling his way along the narro

of complicated machinery throbbing in the yellow glimmer of the oil lamps, whi

he bearings of the plunging rods and cranks. The "chief," his eyes fixed upon the indicators, was alertly awaiting the frequently recurring clank which denoted that the propeller was racin

a hideous grinding sound. The cylinders began to give out va

alertness, make a rush for a valve, while his assistants, shouting and gesticulatin

d the San Martin was helpless