Lewis E. Theiss

“ And as his boat drew near the ferry-house at St. George, Henry saw a Coast Guard cutter herself lying at anchor close to the Staten Island shore. How trim and beautiful she looked, in her shining white paint, with her flags flying, and her motor-boat lying lazily alongside.
But now the great ferry-boat was coming to rest in her dock. The clank of pawls, as the deck-hands made the huge craft fast, the lowering of the gangways, and the hurried rush of feet, made Henry take his gaze away from the fascinating harbor scene, for the crowd was moving and he had to move with it. ”

“ When Henry thought of the grimy coal passers he had just seen, conveying the fuel for the furnaces, and the men keeping the fires at red heat, and the engineers watching the great machines that drove the ship, and the sailors standing watch forward in the dark, and the helmsman at the wheel, with his eye directed steadfastly at the compass, he saw how necessary every part of the ship was to the other parts, and how especially necessary it was that the man in charge be ever vigilant, and that instant and unquestioning obedience be rendered to him. ”

“ For a time Henry stood on the bridge, watching the clear and sparkling sea. The quartermaster, Mr. Andrews, was also on watch, with the lieutenant. Henry was much drawn to the quartermaster. He was a young fellow not many years older than Henry himself. He had a fine fresh face, and his eye was alight with ambition. His every movement suggested strength and energy and determination. As the ship’s bell struck the hour, he said: “I must look at the log. Would you like to come with me?”
“Sure,” said Henry, and the two slipped down the ladder to the deck and skipped aft. ”

“ The Iroquois seemed to stop in her tracks. She trembled from stem to stern. She shook and quivered. The great wave went roaring aft, twisting and tearing at the ship. A section of the rail carried away, and went pounding astern. The tumult was terrifying. Henry, in the chart-room, thought the ship was breaking to pieces. With blanched face and set teeth he clung to the side of the room, not knowing what to do. He was reassured when the captain calmly stepped inside the wheelhouse and signaled for the engineer to lessen speed. ”

“ At once he gained a higher opinion of the hardy men who sailed these craft, in fair weather and foul, and guarded the shipping lanes during the war.
When Henry had seen all he could see from the immediate neighborhood of the Iroquois’ pier, he started to walk along the water-front. Almost the first thing he came upon was a submarine. He was immensely pleased to see one of these ships so close at hand. The tide was low, and the little craft sat in her dock as snug as a duck in the reeds. Like the torpedo boat and the eagle boat, the submarine was painted gray. ”

“ In an instant the anchor-chain was released, and as it paid out the Iroquois began to move. Driven by wind and wave, she bore farther into the breakers. A seaman with the lead sounded and roared out the depths. Rapidly the water shoaled, but the captain let the Iroquois drive on. He meant to save his men if it were humanly possible. Rapidly the tide was sweeping them outward. The wind was pushing the cutter inward. Every second brought the struggling men nearer to their comrades, who waited with ropes and buoys, at the rail of the Iroquois. ”

“ The only object that rose above those miles and miles of furious billows was the Iroquois herself. How tiny, how puny, how insignificant, she seemed in that vast wilderness of water. For a moment a creepy feeling again stole over Henry. Suppose something should happen to the ship. Suppose she should sink. What chance would her crew, mere pigmies, have with these giant combers? But when Henry thought of the wireless, a feeling of courage surged through his heart again, and he was thankful to the men who had labored to make the wireless possible, and thankful that he was a wireless man himself. ”

“ Assuredly, the wireless man carried the safety of untold lives in his hands, just as truly as the captain of the ship did. How proud an operator ought to be, and how faithful he ought to be to his trust. And again Henry frowned as he thought of the lad he had last seen on watch in the wireless shack.
Long before the Iroquois reached the spot where the derelict had been seen, the captain had ordered a watch in the crow’s-nests; and for two hours at a time a man stood in each of these elevated lookouts, searching the seas for some trace of the lost vessel. ”

“ Henry’s eyes shone bright as he looked about the small wireless room. There was a broad, desk-like shelf that stretched from side to side of the little room, and on this, and on the walls about him, were fastened a dazzling array of wireless instruments.
“Gee!” exclaimed Henry. “What a peach of an outfit!”
“It ought to be,” said the chief electrician with a smile. “It’s right up-to-date, and it cost Uncle Sam ten thousand dollars. Know anything about wireless?”
“A little,” said Henry. “I served as a substitute operator at the government station at Frankfort for a time.” ”

“ Henry was too much astonished for words. The captain’s remark made him very serious for a time. “Gee whiz!” he thought. “If what the captain says is true, a fellow has to be mighty careful what he does. Why, just think of all the wonderful things that Captain Hardwick has done for me, and he says he did them because of what he read in my face. I can hardly believe it. Yet there must be something in it, for there are those two assistant radio men and I dislike the one and like the other, and it’s nothing in the world that makes me feel that way except their faces. ”

“ There were Chinese, with their yellow, sickly-looking skins and dark crowns and curious-shaped eyes: and Lascars, swarthy and stolid and mysterious looking: and little, black-eyed Japanese, with their straight, coarse black hair and inscrutable faces. And the sounds—the grunts and curious guttural mumblings—that arose among these Oriental sailors were as odd and unintelligible as the men themselves appeared to be. Henry wondered how white men could possibly bring themselves to live with such seemingly uncongenial companions in such an isolated and lonely place as an ocean-going steamer. ”

“ He shook hands heartily with his rescuers, and the three sailors went tramping up to the deck.
“You told the truth, Henry,” said the captain, after the sailors had gone, “when you said they were engaged in a fine sort of work. It is a life full of hardships, this life of a Coast Guard, and yet the men love it. If you are looking for a job, you can find an opening right in this service.”
“What could I do?” asked Henry. “I don’t know a thing about the sea. I don’t have any desire to be a mechanic, and so I wouldn’t make a good engineer. ”

“ Often enough had Henry seen the rigging of modern sailing ships. He knew well enough what these rope ladders that lead to the crosstrees look like in modern boats. But here, instead of the customary three stays on a side, were stays after stays, with their crosspieces, so that many men at a time could swarm up and down the rigging, and out on those enormous spars to furl the sails, for the ship was a square rigger. And at the crosstrees were great platforms where a dozen men could stand. Henry saw right away the reason for these platforms. Sailors could stand here after furling the sails. ”

“ Lieutenant Hill turned his boat toward the Iroquois. A few minutes later the dripping craft once more hung on its davits, securely lashed to its strongback. The men had returned to their stations, the propeller was churning the salty sea, and the Iroquois was speeding back to her anchorage off Staten Island, with her task accomplished, and the pathway of the ocean freed of one more menace.
Truly, Henry thought, it was a great thing to belong to the Coast Guard. If there was any way by which he could accomplish it, he meant to become a wireless man on a Coast Guard cutter. ”

“ Among all the various arms of government in our nation, no arm is at once less known or more worthy of renown than the Coast Guard. Like the knights of the Table Round, this company of gallant surfmen and sailors is organized and exists almost solely for the protection of others. Though few in numbers, the Coast Guard accomplishes deeds that are mighty. Skill of the highest order, daring incredible, and discipline that is perfect, make a giant of this little service. ”

“ But as the tide ran low, those in the rigging had climbed down and mounted to the bridge and superstructure, seeking warmth, for the piercing winds had well-nigh frozen them as they clung to the rattling stays. Apparently not a man had been swept from the Capitol City. Almost the full crew was there to work the ship, and Captain Hardwick was glad, indeed, that there was no such shortage of hands on the Capitol City as existed on the Iroquois. There would be work for many hands when the time was ripe for the effort he had in mind. ”

“ Henry looked over the rail at the little dials that registered the revolutions.
“We’re going a bit faster,” said the quartermaster.
“Yes,” replied Henry. “The captain has put her under full speed.” And as they returned to the bridge Henry asked, “How do you like life at sea?”
“First rate,” said the quartermaster. “There is always something to do, the pay is good, and there are opportunities for advancement. The captain is teaching me navigation, and some day I may be able to qualify as an officer in the merchant marine. He’s a grand man, is the captain.” ”

“ All the while wind and sea grew worse. But little did the commander of the Iroquois care. He had weathered many a storm that was worse than this. He thought of only one thing: he must get to his men. Relentlessly he pushed the cutter. He drove the crew. He was everywhere, thinking of every contingency, preparing for every emergency. He had the sick bay prepared. He got cots and medicines in readiness. He warned the cook to be ready with hot drinks and food. Men and ship alike responded to the dynamic influence of their commander and drove the ship at a pace incredible. ”

“ How well Henry recognized the swift, sure, even sending. Nobody else in the world handled a wireless key just like Roy.
“This is Henry Harper,” flashed back Henry. “I am on the Coast Guard cutter Iroquois. We are heading for New York. Expect to arrive after dark tonight. Where can I see you?”
“We dock about sunset,” came the reply. “Come to the Lycoming. Will wait for you.”
Happy indeed was Henry. A few hours would see him with his old friend. His troubles would be over. Poor Henry! If only he could have foreseen what the night would bring forth, his smile would have vanished quickly. ”

“ At any of his four-hour periods off duty Henry was free to slip over to Manhattan, and so cordial was the feeling now existing among the wireless men on the Iroquois, that either Jimmy Belford or the chief electrician was willing enough to work overtime on occasion to give Henry a bit more freedom. They knew well enough that he would gladly reciprocate when need arose. Many a night now saw the three boys from Central City happy together in the snug wireless cabin of the Lycoming. It was, indeed, a great joy to them to be so near one another. ”

“ With trembling hands eager comrades flung ropes and buoys. All fell short. One man alone came close, bravely fighting his way to the starboard side of the cutter. A sailor climbed over the rail and down a ladder, leaned down, and snatched his struggling comrade as the latter shot upward on the crest of a wave. At that instant the ship lurched violently to port, the sailor’s grasp was broken, his comrade was torn from his grip, and the poor fellow was sucked away by a wave, and, struggling desperately, was borne out to sea. ”

“ We must not lose a moment.”
Long before the tide was full, Captain Hardwick ordered the anchor-chain released. At once the cutter began to move toward the beach, very slowly at first, then faster and faster as wind and wave gave her momentum. The lead was kept going incessantly, the leadsman shouting the depths up to the bridge as he made his soundings. Foot by foot, fathom by fathom, the Iroquois drew nearer the Capitol City. Steadily the cutter’s searchlight played on the disabled ship, its brilliant beam boring through the inky dark. ”

“ There do not seem to be many very good jobs open to a fellow in a little town like Central City.”
“I see. It always seems that way. Distance lends enchantment to view. But never mind about that. What luck have you had here?”
“About the worst possible,” said Henry, with a grim laugh. “Willie wasn’t in town, and won’t be for two or three weeks. And Roy Mercer, another of my friends, who is wireless man on the Lycoming, is at sea and won’t be in port for at least a week. And so I can’t find a soul I know.”
“But what took you to Staten Island?” ”

“ Henry began to see why it was a good thing for the captain to live in state, alone.
It occurred to him that there must be quantities of explosives aboard a ship like this cutter. Indeed, some of them had just been used, and Henry knew how powerful they were. He wondered if these were also watched. He put the question to the quartermaster.
“You can bet your life the explosives are watched. They are examined every day. You know there’s a lot of guncotton among them, and if that stuff deteriorates, it’s likely to make trouble.” ”