Seeing no one that he knew
Seeing no one that he knew, and his mind weighted anyway with the
menacing mystery of the strange happenings of the night before, he sat
down on a coil of rope, just in the lee of the forward smokestack, to
think the whole matter over for the twentieth time.
He was thus absorbed when something, at first vague and indefinite, then
clearer and clearer until it was unmistakable, began to impress itself
upon his mind. Like the awakening call that comes to a man in a sound
sleep–seemingly as a far-off whisper that gradually gathers volume and
strength until finally the sleeper awakes with a start to find someone
standing directly over him, loudly and insistently calling his name–so
Slim came to a realization of the strange series of sounds that were
being repeated within a few feet of him.
Could it possibly be only the crackling of the steam-pipe that ran along
the smokestack to the whistle–a crackling merely from the pressure
within? For a moment Slim thought an over-wrought imagination was
playing tricks upon him. But he rose hastily and crossed the short
intervening distance.
Clearly and distinctly it came to him then. Someone in another part of
the vessel was rapping desperately upon that pipe! And in the long and
short dashes of the international code that someone was repeating a
single word–”Help! Help! Help!”
In another instant, using the heavy end of his jackknife as a crude
transmitter, Slim was tapping off the reply:
“Who are you–and where?”
“Lieutenant Mackinson,” the message began to come back. “Locked in
closet off engine room. Cant make self heard. Can you help?”
“This is Slim,” the youth rapped back upon the pipe. “Caught your
message on deck. Am coming with help at once.”
And he dashed down the deck toward the captains quarters, almost
bowling over the captains aide as he hurtled into the sanctum of the
ships commander unannounced.
“Well?” the captain demanded sternly. “Why all the haste?”
“Lieutenant Mackinson,” Slim blurted out; “hes locked in a closet down
near the engine room.”
“Locked in a closet!” the captain repeated incredulously. “How do you
know?”
“He gave a telegraphic call for help on the steam-pipe which runs
through there and connects with the whistle,” the lad explained. “I was
on deck and heard it. I talked with him over the pipe.”
“There is no time to lose, then. Come with me.” And the captain himself
hurriedly led the way down through the lower depths of the ship, where
it became hotter and more oppressive with every step they took.
They had taken a route by which they escaped the attention of anyone
else on the ship.
“It should be right about here somewhere,” the captain announced, as
they Kfro 1370 Khz Longview approached a particularly dark passage. For a few steps they felt
their way along, and then stopped to listen.
There was nothing but the dull and constant hum of the engines and the
almost insufferable heat.
“The other side,” said the captain in a lowered voice, as they failed to
find any trace of the imprisoned lieutenant where they were.
They were crossing a short gallery when Slim abruptly signaled a halt.
“I thought I heard something,” he said. “It sounded like another call.”
They stood silent a moment, and then, faint and indistinct, apparently
from somewhere several feet ahead of them, they both heard repeated that
which had made Slim stop. As the letters were tapped off upon the pipe
the lad repeated them for the information of the captain.
“S-M-O-T-H-E-R-I-N-G.”
“Smothering!” echoed the commander of the ship. “Great Scott! I believe
I know now where he is. This way,” and he started down the passageway
toward a narrow stairs leading to a still lower chamber in the vessel.
Three turns–two to the right and one to the left–and the captain
stopped again to listen. Seemingly from within the wall, right at their
elbows, there came a feeble knock. The officer whipped out a pocket
flashlight. They were directly in front of a heavy wooden door. It was
locked.
“Run get a cold chisel or a heavy screwdriver and hammer,” the captain
ordered, and Slim hastened away, to return two minutes later with all
three tools.
“Stand back as far as you can from the door,” said the captain, placing
his lips close to the keyhole. But there was no response from within.