STORMALONG

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 221, 19 September 1927, Page 16

STORMALONG

by Boyd Cable

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

After two months of enforced idleness ashore, young NICK HAUSEN—Australian In spite of his name—unwittingly offends Lydia Strange. She vents her spite on Nick by urging CAPTAIN DTJNBAB, the rough, but good-at-heart Scottish skipper of the "windjammer" Minnehaha, to give her friend, WILLIAMS, the vacant post of mate in his ship, rather than to the young Australian. Nick is, however, at his own request taken on as ordinary seaman; notwithstanding the bitter opposition of Miss Strange and the captain's son, KOBIN, who is second mate of the Minnehaha, and engaged to marry Lydia. Nick is slighted by both of the mates, and makes friends and enemies among the crew, though by thrashing Lafferty, the ship's bully, he obtains a better status among the men. Heedless of the mates' oppo'sitloon. Captain Dunbar promotes Nick to third mate, much to the delight of the crew. After a lons voyage that tries the temper of both officers and men, they rescue from a ship's boat two sailors and a pretty girl.

CHAPTER IX.—(Continued).

Nick, shortly after midnight, dropped down the hatch into the fore-cabin, where Bluegum and Grimy welcomed him eagerly, both sitting huddled up in blankets and corners of canvas, but wide awake as at noon. "Hullo," said Nick. "You kids too excited over the performance ■ to sleep then 2" "Strewth," said Grimy rapturously. "Who wouldn't be excited. Look here, Stormie old son—oh, shut up an' stop kickin', Bluegum. Stormie doesn't need any 'sir' to him when we're on our own. Stormie, oh, Lord, Stormie —you wouldn't notice of course—but I got one flash of that girl's face —an'—an'—an'— I bin tryin' to tell Bluegum—and he doesn't b'lieve i.ie. Wait till you see her, Stormie. She's—just—a—far—" "Aw, shut it Grimy. Lord! I've been listenin' to him gassin' about that girl's face till—but what I want to know —did they tell you anything about ithow did three of 'em come to be alone in that boat, and where's the rest of the ship's company?" "Dunno," said Nick, rooting about amongst the spare sails and making himself a nest in them. "Some German ship sunk them evidently. Collision I suppose. Probably rammed 'em in the dark. It would be a German ship, steering without lights in a thick." "But how did the one boat get off?" persisted Bluegum, "and not the others." "My son," said Nick, snuggling down in his make-shift bed. "When you know a bit more about the sea, and the sort of sailormen they ship in steam nowadays, you won't wonder why only one boat got off in anything like a sea. YouH wonder that any got off." Rather oddly that same subject of discussion had raged in the fo'c's'l for a good hour after the men should have been tleep asleep in their watch below. Yank had poured scorn on Cockney for suggesting there might be other survivors, floating about, asking if he Supposed their-Old "Man would be snoring off' to the Soth'ard like this if there' was any chance of another boat being afloat round there. "You heard Chips say the stooard had told him the ship that sunk them had picked up the other boat 3,"" said Yank. "They w'y didn't they pick up this 'un?" retorted Cockney. "Missed seeing her perhaps," said Ransome: "Might have been thick weather or a heavy sea running." Cockney snorted: "Heavy sea—an' a bloomin' steam-boat able to get all her boats away. Did ju'ever know a steamboat get any boats away in real bad weather "Yes," said Ransome, "the Vonaam did last year in the North Atlantic." "Ho, yus," cried Cockney in triumphant scorn, "she did get one boat away—a motor life-boat, an' the only sort o' boat a crowd o' steam-boatmen could get away in a sea. Wot steamboat crowd. . . ."

"Here beginneth—" grinned Yank, as several voices struck in with contradiction and assertion on the respective merits of motor lifeboats and oared boats on a passenger steamer, cargo steamer, liner, warship. He was right. The argument raged hotly, all drifting round the centre of the boat picked up, and the conjecture of how her ship had been lost, all striking off into wild tales of fact and fiction about boats getting away from sinking ships, all coming back to the Lodestone of the day's adventure. When the wheel was relieved, and Mack, the Highlander, came for'ard from it, he gave a new fillip to the arguments. ■ * "I wass hearing the steward tell the mate it wass a Cherman that sunk the Dundravian," he began, and immediately secured a circle of eager listeners.^ "How was it, Mack ? Collision o course —dark I s'pose —thick weather mebbe—or fog, eh," showered the questions on him. Mack shook his head. "I wass not hearing any more. All those three wass tead-peat and haff not much sense, the steward was saying. Only one man speak a littler and say it wass a Cherman hit them amidships. "That's it," snorted Cockney. "Them bloomin' Dutchmen oughtn't to be let loose on the sea. Bet they was steamin' without lights an' a lookout asleep. Them Germans never was seaman an never will be." "I wouldn't say that exactly, remarked Ransome. * "I've seen some Germans that weren't too bad. I remem*ber—'" and he went off into an episode of good German seamanship. "Dod vos richt," commented one of the "Dutchmen" there. "Som day you find dot dere vos goot Cherman ships una seamans —" . "Yes," jeered Cockney, "in a canal barge, I dessay. Lumme. I never met a real seaman yet that was a German 99 If this was a direct challenge to the man who had spoken, it was allowed to pass, and the men at last began to turn in but still arguing on various subjects, three of them sitting up and haranguing on the class and tonnage of the "Dundravian," one maintaining she was a little old Green Funnel, another that she was a big and modern ship of that line, the third that there was no ship of that name in the line. Aft, Nick lay, struggling to keep awake and revel in thoughts too precious to waste fc sleep—of _a form stretched on his bed, a flower-face lying on his I pillow.

CHAPTER X. In the morning, just before breakfast time, the talk was resumed and all hands waited eagerly for the tale it was expected the two men have to tell" when they had got .their fill of sleep and food.

A stir of anticipation went round when it was seen that hard on the heels of Jenkins bringing the breakfast, the two castaways were coming forward.

"We're fine, real good shape again," said the bigger man of the two in answer to the hearty enquiries. "My name's Morris—an' this is Jones."

"That mountain o' a stooard gave us a good feed o' hot cocoa an' stuff when we first woke this morning!" said Jones. "But we had another nap, an' I'm as hungry as ever."

"Same here —but we don't want to grab all the grub," said Morris, as the others heaped a generous allowance of stew on the two strangers' plates.

"Tell us 'ow it 'appened .... was you run down .... is it right it was a German ... began a shower of questions as the men set about eating. "Ave you 'ad a chin wi' the old man yet ?" "We're to see him after breakfast an' give him the yarn. Pretty bloomin' yarn, too—" and Morris stopped to bite a huge mouthful of meat. "It was one o' their on-the-loose raiders got us," said Jones. "All alone she was, tho' I fancies there was more of 'em hangin' round." "I don't think so," said Morris. "She wouldn't have cleared so quick without Waitin' to pick us up when she saw that smoke comin' over the horion if she'd had more of their fleet kickin' about tihere. More likely they thought it was some o' ours." "Is there a German fleet in these waters, then?" asked Ransome. "Lord knows," said Morris. "More or less this way," added Jones. "It's only two or three weeks since they was off Coronel. We heard about that ehow just afore we sailed." "Never mind about their fleet," said one impatiently, and a chorus assented. "Tell us about your own ship—what happened—were your other boats lost?" "No, the German picked up all the other boats," said Morris. "There was a stiffish sea running an' our boat capsized—rolled right over an' right side up again, spilling the others out. Ale an' Jonqs here hung on. Then we saw Miss South floatin' an' grabbed her in. The Hun had circled round an' was pickin' up the other boats—" "The who circled round?" "The Hun—the German. He'd just got the last and suddenly he put his helm hard-over and went off full ahead on a course that took him past the old Dunravian'a starboard side. As he went past he loosed off three rounds —six inchers, I'd reckon —that got her fair between wind an' water. We could see her begin to list to staTjoard . . " 'Ere, for the love a' Christmas, wot are you at?" interjected Cockney in tones of bewilderment. "Wot d'jer mean loosed off ... "

"An' wot's six inchers?" asked another man with an equally puzzlzed air.

"Say, eon," drawled Yank. "S'pose you put about an' get back to the start o' the yarn. We ain't heard yet what bumped your'ship."

"She wasn't bumped," said Morris. "She was right as a trivet. They just hailed us to heave to, and put a shot right across our bows . . ."

Every man there sat up suddenly and stared in blank amazement at the speaker, who, apparently unconscious of the commotion he was causing, went on eating his stew.

"A shot across your bows —a blinkin' German did?" cried Cockney.

"Wait a minute boys," interjected Ransome suddenly. "There's something queer here. The Dunnavian was British wasn't she—a green funneler?"

"That's so," said Jones. "Homeward bound from New Zealand."

"Then strike me pink," burst in Cockney, but Ransome silenced him promptly. "I've Just one question to ask, and I've a suspicion it may answer a lot of yours. Tell me Morris—is Germany at war with anyone these days?" It was the turn of Morris and Jones to look astonished. Both sat for a moment agape Jones burst out. " 'Aven't you 'eard—good Lord!" while Morris asked quickly. "How long since you sailed—not before fourth August, surely?" "July," cried the chorus. • "Out o' London ninth July. Why—what's happened?" The two men stared round the circle and then at each other. "Is Germany at war with anyone?" asked Ransome again. "I'd say she is," replied Morris grimly. "At war—with us! Germany an' Austria has been at war with us and France and Russia since fourth August." For long seconds there was a dead unbroken silence round the circle, as the men sat staring, trying to realise what this could mean—whether it could be true. Then Ransome rose smartly. "I've been saying, for five years back, they meant war with us. But I guess they'll want to know this aft," and he passed swiftly out and went at a run for the poop, while behind him the circle broke into a wild clamour Of. questions and speculation. Ransome ran straight to the poop ladder, up and across to where Nick was packing, waiting his turn to go down to breakfast, speculating if the wonderful girl would be there, trying to steal side peeps down the saloon skylight for a glimpse of her. "What's up, Ransome?" he asked quickly, seeing the evident haste and agitation of the man. "Then you haven't heard aft yet," cried Ransome. "The two men are for'ard having grub and they've just told us—we're at war with Germany 1" Nick stood staring at him as if he thought him . uddenly mad. "They— they're pulling your leg," he gasped. "Not much, boy—l mean sir," cried Ransome. "They were sunk by a German warship—sunk by shell-fire." "For'ard with you and send the men aft here—on the run," cried Nick suddenly waking to what this meant. "The Old Man will want a word wi' them quick," and, jumping to the companion he clattered down it in haste, while Ransome turned and raced forward.

The captain, mate and second were at their breakfast and the steward had just come from the girl's cabin with a tray in his hand. "I tjeg pardon, sir," lie said. "I'd like you to see the young lady as soon as you can. I'm afraid she's a bit off her head, sir. Seems sensible enough, too, but she's talking about some fleet the Germans sunk at Coronel a fortnight ago and do I think we might meet them. I tried to tell her Coronel was thousands of miles away, but she wouldn't havf it/'

"Aye, puir lassie/' said AuP Aleck sympathetically, "She'll Just W * w%e bittie off her heid steward—an' iliat'a no tf to wundered at."

"Another funny thing she said, sir,- was asking what was the latest, news we'd had of the war, and whether it was true there had. been a loading in Ireland." Aul' Aleck gaped at him for a moment. "Miehty me," he exclaimed. "Is't possible that yon civil war?s begun in Ireland they were daffirf at when we sailed? Can* " It was at this moment that Hick came bursting down and into the cabin. "We're at war, sir," he cried. "At war with Germany." The mate and second dropped knives and forks with a clatter and sat staring. Aul' Aleck looked at Nick steadily and composedly as if he had just said it was beginning to rain. "That pits mair sense into the lassie's words," he remarked. "Your news will ha' come frae the men* I'm thinkin' Bring them aft to me." The two men were already being hurried aft by Ransome, leaving behind them a perfect pandemonium of excited comment, conjecture, fierce arguments and amazed doubts. Nick ran up and met the two and hurried them below. His duty on deck, but the captin' understanding how keenly curious he would be, said quietly. "Ye'll a' be as anxious t* hear aboot this as I am maself. Just take turns, the three a' you, to rin up on deck and see all's clear. Mister Hausen, hae a good look roun' an' post a hand aloft t' report onything in sight—then com© doon again." (To be continued daily.)