The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1893-02-03
CHAPTER ".

yuuOcS, WucIc Tic Wultt Su0ep were
feeding to the waters edge, and past
Goddo on our right, and the long, black
shore Of Bommels on the left, and 80 by
many a green ICELAND and dark rock out
into the spray and fresh salt wind went
joyfully lurching the old Sea Wolf. The
frothy pillow of the foam glittering
under her PROV, and behind the green
wall of the Norway pines, and the gray
rocks, and the sweet sea surge that
tumbled forever at their feet and threw
its white arms up as though, lover-like,
it would enlace its silver fingers with
the green hair of the nodding braches
overhead. Down went our gallant shore,
down peak, and pine, and point, and as
the great black bosom of our mother
sea opened to us, her firstling sons,
proudly We turned our faces west
ward and each eye grew bright at
thought of the plumber to come, and
each heart beat high as we smelt the
incense of fight in the strong breath of
the sea. Oh! but / was proud as, my
hand on the pulsing tiller that throbbed
under the racing surges not less loudly
than my heart, stood by the high stern
and led the wild, free song to OGin
wherewith my gallant company Knocked
the waves-proud! Oh, tae salt spray
rises again in these old eyes of mine
but to remember the fierce wine of life
that usurped my blood and flew here
and there in my young veins that day;
this cold mind Of mine burns again but
to recall the ecstasy OF the unfettereo
passions that then beset me; but to
think for an ungodly minute on those
splendid riStaS of unbridled lust and
cruelty and rapine which dazed my
soul.
Well! it is over, and do wrong even
to remember. No more the salt wind
takes the war song Of Ulla, like her
aid of death, to the land of the stranger;
no more for him is the joyful rattle of
the ranged shields Gathering on his
vessels side as she stoops to the steep
blue valleys Of the midland sea; no
more the old vikings plough shall turn
that frothy furrow he did once delight
in: no more the lovely smoke of burn
Ing thorps shall rise from Ulla's torch
to Odin's footstOol; no more his stern
heart shall melt to pleasure as his YES
Sci staggers homeward through the
yeast and spume, and every swirl of
the cold dark water spinning enviously
against her labOring side tell of rich
plumber hid within. It Is over for me,
but it was a noble frenzy while it lasted.
ALI that noon OF our setting out we
plunged before favoring wind across
the salt water. and by the second even
ing the wave began to wear another color
as the sea shealed up to the British
shore. At the same time the breeze
gave out with the sun and we took to
our sweeps, and all night long under
the starlight the Sea Wolf cfept silently
and secretly into the land. In the gray
of the morning that followed a haze
grew up and under the curtain of the
white sea mist that lay soft and heavy
as wool on the gently rocking sea we
heard the sound of the waves beating
on the dim North Umbrian shore. We
approached as close as we dared, and
then waited for the sun, rolling an idle
hour or two on the smooth, long heave
Of the swell, and, in the dead silence,
listening to the chatter of the wild fowl
and the laugh Of the kittiwake on the
unseen cliffs; or the chafe and creak of
an oar now and then In the rowlocks
and the hiss Of the water swirling gen.
tly against our sides. So still lay the
Sea Wolf in the shadow of the morning
mist that the shy grebes and speckled
divers came padding all about her
and stared with eyes bead black with
wonder to see the silver mist turn on a
sudden into painted hulk with ranked
oars, and great damp sail aflap against
the ruddy mast, and golden dragon head
shifting the chill morning air aloft, and
grim warriors leaning on battle-ax and
spear crowding her deck And strange
fish swan tapping round, and the swift
gannet's white pinions stirred Hafdan's
listless flag as she swept unheeding by
through the milky haze. No man among
us spoke until on sudden the curling
wavelets in the east sparkled with liquid |
fire, the hanging shroud of wilderness
flushed with yellow radiance, q
strange, bright light shone through the |
green crested waves, and as the free.
sweet breath Of the morning drifted |
down upon us, and each man drank of it |
deep and silently, the curtain of the |
night was lifted, and the yellow feet Of |
the sun came striding over the black |
plains of the restless northern sea.
Silent and deep We laughed with |
pleasure, and my grim, stout fellows |
shook the mist-beads from their tawny |
lips, then-muttering a prayer to Odin |
again the white water fretted under |
the stern of Our ship and the long, slow |
dip of the oars fell with a pleasant
sound on the calm of the morning. |
Round under the rugged knees of great |
cliffs crept the Wolf, So secret and |
swift that the speckled looms stood |
agape in rows to watch the golden |
dragon head go dipping by their lonely
eyries, and the blue pigeon on her cav
ern shelf astride Of her white eggs |
stood wonderstruck and forgot to fly
thus she went across the mouth of love-
ly bays and under grassy headlands and |
big bights fringed with endless lonely
meadows and past fair estuaries where |
rank fields of westral crops were all |
awaste between neglected woodlands
and southwark constantly for many an
hour, but nothing could we see to sack
or burn. Noon came and went, and the |
warm sweat glazed the sinewy fore
arms Of my gallant rowers until at |
last I saw them begin to turn their
bronze faces over their hither
shoulders and angrily scan the ruined
shore and swear deep between their
strong white teeth: swear at the Dane
who had swept this fair country so
clean, swear at Biorn Grimsar, and
Hakonson the avaricious, and Inge the