His Post of Duty.

Evening Post, Volume LXVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1903, Page 15

His Post of Duty.

Fire ! — the most appalling, tho moat ter rifying word that can he whispered ai eea, It had broken out in the hold amid ships. Smoke was oozing in sluggiel wreaths from tho hatches. The cargc down thero was fcinouldcring. And, al uny moment, that smoldering might bursl into iieice, ravaging, devouring flumes. Tho captain, cool in tho presence o] danger, 'prompt to think and act, had mounted with steady step to tho bridg< and taken oliurge. Tha khip'B officers oi every grad* were at their posts. Ther< was no noise, no fuss, uo confusion. U an order cwno from the bridge' it came in the usual culm, firm tone* oi command; never onco raised »bovo the ordinaij level. Grouped around the hurning hold, where the lanterns swayed^ with tho rol of tho ship, tho mon, headed by one oi two officers, were aieuuiiy lighting tlu fire fi«nd. Blinded by tu,Q smoke, not knowing where the firo was seated, thej woro lighting in the dark. It was neces »ary to 'grapple with tho danger at closei quarters to get out tho smoldering bale: before they burat into Uamca, Some on( must go down — down there into the foul, stifling air of the hold, tho egorohing bout. And he was ready ; a j-oung fellow in the ship's uniform, tho uniform of an otfiger- J4o bad bravely pulled off his coat, and was binding a wet towel around his mouth and nostrils, whilo they fixed a sling at the cnfl of a rope to lower him into the black, reeking cavity. Up there, in the darkness ot tna bridge, thu captain stood and looked on, looked on, perhaps, with a sudden tightening of the houvt, though no trace was visible upon his hardened face. It 'was the fourth officer who wa§ going down; and the ,young fellow, though the relationship wan never acknowledged on board chip — > it was always captain and fourth officer—was hie own son. Armed with a lantern, bo got into the sling, and was lowered into tho unsoen depths of the hold. And thero, working with feverish energy, ho pulled the curgo about until lie got at the smoldering bales, and attached them to the taoklo which had been let down to him. Ono by one they Pie hauled up op dock and towed into the foaming sea. Not until hit work was done, and ho hud cleared out every smoldering bale, was he drawn up himself— scorched, blackened, dripping with water, but with a ghastly whiteness showing throusjh the grime on, hi» inc. No sooner djd his feet touch the dock than he collapsed— fell in v huddled heap before they could strotcli put a hand to his assistance. The doctor pressed forward and took charge of him. With limp and trailing limb* lie was carried ba/osr and laid tn a bunk, Tha deck was tidied up, and the men quietly dispersed. Tho routino of the ship went on an before! *■ The captain was still .on the bridpe. The danger might nob yet bo wholly past, and bus post won ther*. Ki.nothing, it may bo, was tugging at his heartstrings, dragging him below to his boy's tide ; but he stood linn. Thu safety of the ship, the lives of the passengers, wero committed to his charge. There lay his duty. In the bright sunny morning, when the paatengtri strolled up on deck, thero was nothing to indicate the peril they had escaped during tho night. Tho captain's face, perhaps, was a little more deoply lined, and a shade graver than xisunl. They noticod, too, thnt as he paced tlio bridge he frequently turned a glance aft, as though expecting some one. And, presently, as he saw the white-haired doctor coming along the deck, he quitted his post for a moment, nnd nf't hhu apuit "Well," was all he said. With hands; thrust into bis pocket 1, his face* etern and firm-set as ever, he listened while the kindly old doctor explained to him that there wan little hope nf saving his son's life, He took tho blow without flinchinjr. v They were now in the channel, with shipping on every side. His place was still on deck. Without a word ne turned and won't baok to his post on tho bridge. His usual imperative words of command. Tang out to the bustling crew Of such stuff thoso that go down to the se.\ iiv ships are made— Black and White.