Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-26

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l DROVE IN THE LANCE AT IT'S oOzY
EYE.
endurance: twice a blazing stone
from heaven Kissed into the sea be-
side us, though without iniurng any
of our ships: and. as was unavoid-
able. the great beasts of the sea
hunted us with their accustomed
savagery. But only once did we suf-
fer material loss from these last, and
that was when three of the greater
sea-lizards attacked the Bear, the
the same time.
The shipmen faced the monsters
with a sturdy courage. Arrows were
useless against the smooth. bull-Like
hides. Even the throwing fire could
not so much as SINCE them; nothing
but 90 AK blows delivered on an at
lacking head together could beat it
back. and even these succeeded only
through sheer weight of metal. and
did not make so much as the scratch
of a wound.
During all time beasts have DISPUTE
ed with man the mastery of tho
earth and il is only in Atlantis and
Egypt and Yucatan that man has
dared 10 hold his own, and fight them
with a mind made strong by many
previous victories. In Europe and
: mh-Africa the greater beasts hold
full dominion, ano man ADMITS his
puny number and force. and lives in
earth crannics and the higher tree
tops, as a fugitive contcS spu. And
upon the great oceans the beasts art
lords. unchecked.
Still here, upon this desolate sea
alth H,h the giant yards were new
TO me. il was n pleasure TO pit my
knowledge of war against then
brute strength and courage. Ever
since the first men did their bushes
upon the great waters. they fulfilled
their instincts in fighting the beasts
with desperation. Hiding coward
like in hold was useless, for if this
enemy could not find mon above
decks 20 glut them, they would break
n ship with their paddles, and so al
would be slain. And 50 il was recog
nized that the fight should go for
ward as desperately a ; nigh; be, ant
that it could only end when the
beasts had got their prey and bac
gone away satisfied
1t was in a one-Sided conflict after
this fashion then, that / found my
self and felt the JOY once more to
, have my thews in action. But after
my AK had got III that dozen msty
blows, which, for all the harm they
did, might have been delivered
against some city wall, or, indeed
against tie ark of the mysteries IT,
self ! sought about me till | found q
lance, and with that made very diff
ferent play. The eyes OF these
lizards are small. and set deep in a
bony socket, but / judged them TO be
vulnerable, and il was upon the eye,
OF the beast that | made my attack
t The decks were slippery with the
horrid slime OF them. The crew
, surged about in their battling. and
moreover, constantly offered them
e. selves as rampant before INC by
, reason of Tob. the captains, threats
But | gave a few shrewd progue'
I with the lance to show that did moi
2 choose my will to be overrdden, anC
$ presently was given room for man
: euver.
y, Deliberately I placed myself in the
= sight of one of the lizards, and Of
D fered my body to its attack. The
t challenge was accepted. 1t swoopec
t Ike dropping stone, and ] Swerveo
= and drove in the lance at its oozl
eye.
y thanked the gods then that 7 haC
been trained with the lance till GER
Z tain aim was matter of instinct
l with me. The blade went true to its
( mark and stuck there, and the shaft
/ broke in my hand. The beast drew
t off, blinded and believing, and beat
: ing the sea with its paddles. In a
great cataract of foam | saw il bend
| its great long neck. and rub its heaC
2 with the spear still fxed) against il,
= back, thereby enduring new agonies
but without dislodging the weapon
| And then presently. finding this o.
no avail, il set off for the place from
! which it came with extraordinary
E quickness, and rapidly grew smaller
. against the horizon.
The male and the other female
r lizard had also left us, but not il
i similar plight. Toh, the captain, see
ing my resolve to take hazards, de
S liberatcly thrust a shipman into the
= Jaws of each of the others, so thai
? they might he stated and get then
t gone. II was clear that lob dreaded
very much for his own skin if | cam,
q by harm, and thought with warm
0 ing heart OF the threats that Tath'
h must have used in his kind anxiety
t for my safety. II is pleasant wher
n ones old friends do not omit to pa.
I these little attentions.
CHAPTER III.
q RIVAL NAVY.