They made their way topside and walked along the runway leading from the aft deckhouses toward the forecastle, passing under the bridge superstructure awkwardly suspended on steel stiltlike stanchions. If Church thought the request unusual, he said nothing, simply nodded and started off toward the forward part of the ship with the fat little consul general huffing in his wake. Thank you, said Gottschalk.I need something from one of my trunks.Ĭhurch stared at him.Yes, sir, if you wish. Mother of God, muttered the helmsman, his voice edged with panic. I don't want to see your face until we reach port. Almost immediately, the mooring lines were cast off and the ship got under way and was heading out to sea through the harbor entrance. Then he greeted Gottschalk and escorted him to his quarters. As if on cue, Worley appeared and personally supervised the battening down of the hatch. He gazed anxiously as a large oblong crate was hoisted in the air by one of the ship's loading booms and swung into the forward cargo compartment. A trip that proved negative, seeming to confirm Worley's faith in the Cyclops. One more inspection tour down to the engine room to see if any water was reported rising in the bilges. It took all his willpower to keep from heading to the snug confines of his bunk and gratefully closing his eyes to the grim set of problems surrounding the ship. I hope to spend the rest of my State Department service in Washington.Ī sickening realization struck Church.The Crogan Castle, the ship that sent the distress signal, said her prow was stove in and her superstructure damaged. No, I sent her on ahead to our home in Maryland. He could not see any sign of trickling grit from the ship's motion.īefore we have coffee, would you be so kind, Lieutenant, as to escort me to the baggage cargo hold? They groaned and creaked under the stress, but they seemed firm and secure. Then Church went below and checked two of the ore holds, probing his flashlight at the heavy shorings and stanchions installed to keep the manganese cargo from shifting. I can never sleep more than a few hours at a stretch. The scene was only one more strange element to be added to the voyage of the Cyclops.Ī faint expression of relief passed over the consul general's face and he smiled.Might as well. The eyes were open and reflected fear mingled with suffering and hardship, eyes that had seen too much. The patient's face looked tired and yellow-skinned, a youngish face that belied the thick forest of white hair above. Church peered over Gottschalk's shoulder and saw the ship's doctor bent over a man lying in a bunk. As he was walking down a passageway toward the wardroom for a cup of coffee a cabin door opened and the American consul general to Brazil, Alfred Gottschalk, hesitated on the threshold, talking to someone inside.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |