The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1901-11-30
XIII.
THE FALL OF A SEA MONARCH.
BY FRANK T. BULLzN.

thek great sun issueu Aoi'h VI Aio
GSer. and all the wild sea basked
m,ms beams with a million, million
sIss save the sea and the sun and
~ sky, there was nought apparently
s.,sSdg-it might we'll have been the
M,ahday of Light. The one prevail
sta sseavteristic of the scene to a
s..$n.aye. had one been there to see,
~ peace-perfect. stainless peace.
~ beneath that sea of smiling, placid
..sSy a war Of unending ferocity
.osAeing waged, truceless, merciless;
- INTO the victors belonged the
.,o,Is and without them they must
,.r;sb-there was none other food to
i sbtten.
mt besides all this ruthless war;
hra carried on inevitably, because
vsh6ut it all must die Of hunger,
,h.ra were other causes of conflict,
matters of high policy and more in
tricats motive than just the blind, all
eomtelling pressure of hunger. The
.loyying surface of that morning sea
vas suddenly disturbed simultaneous
II a many points, and like ascending
1ncense the bushy breathings of some
scores OF whales became visible. Per-
iectly at their ease. since their in
H,ncts assured them that from this
dent sea their only enemy was alb
sent they lay in unstudied grace
about the sparkling waters. the cows
and Youngsters friyoling happily to-
setBer in perfect freedom from care.
Hither they had come from one OF
their richest feeding grounds, where
al had laid in stock Of energy suf-
/ 1eient to carry them half around the
globe without weariness. So they
terc fat with great richness. strong
With incalculable strength, and be-
nuse Of these things they were now
| about to settle most momentous
question.
Apart from the main gathering of
| iH.ales and calves by the space OF
abtut a mile lay five individuals, who
| if.m their enormous superiority in
Si.s. no less than the staid gravity
ol their demeanor, were evidently the
adult males of the school. They lay
almost motionless in the figure of a
bassses triangle, whereof the apex
hasa magnificent bull over 70 feet
y leAgth, with back like some keel
]Dss ship, bottom up. and head huge
Ind lQuare as a railway car. He it
Sls 80 nrst broke the stiffness that
Mgned
Slowly raising his awful front with
- down-hanging 20-foot lower jaw
Gpnsing two cleaning rows of curved
nth; he said:
children, ye have chosen the time
ne the place for your impeachment
my. ever-lordship, and am ready.
We'll / wot that ye do but as our
aa1Eeless laws decree; that the choice
Il your actions rest not with your
nlvss: that although ye feel lords
3 yourselves and desirous Of ruling
~ your fellows, 1t Is but under the
0mpelhng pressure of our hereditary
hstinctsc Yet remember, l pray you,
efore ye combine to drive me from
mong ye, for how many generations
have led the school, how wisely
laye chosen our paths, SO that we are
NIL IN unbroken family. as we have
)een for more than a hundred sea-
eons. And If ye must bring your
powers to test now, remember, too,
mat am no weakling, no dotard
seary Of rule, but mightiest among
" our people, conquerer in more than
thousand battles. wise with the ac-
umulated knowledge of hundred
nerations Of monarchy. Certainly
e DAY of my displacement must
ume; who should know that better
aan n? But methinks it has not yet
awnt1 and / would not have We
sntly pit your immature strength
alnst mine, courting inevitable de-
nuetion. Ponder we'll my words, for
have spoken"
= solemn hush ensued, just empha-
- ~ the slumbrous sound Of lie
snling wavelets tapping those
v forms as they lay all motion
and apparently inert. Yet it had
sasy to see that along each bas-
eiks flank the rolling tendons,
ne .. cable in itself, were tense
ready for instantaneous action,
che great muscle mounds were
<Red around the gigantic masses
nesand that the ,flukes, each some
~ feet in area. did not yield 70
saving bosom Of the swell, but
Wed an almost imperceptible vi
uon as of fucus frond in tide
After perfect silence Of some
minutes an answer came--from the
nsest Of the group. who lay re-
pte from the chief:
sWe have heard, O king, the words
wisdom and our hearts rejoice.
we have been of the fortunate
MS goodly realm, and ingrates in
l should we be had our training
SO terrible a champion been
yea upon us. But therefore it IS
we would forestall the shame
should overtake lis did we wait
thy force had waned and that
conQuering might had dwindled
dotage ere we essayed to put thy
Ehtn. into practice Since thy doD-