Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1901-12-21

even if l neglect myself
"You have changed, Tatho, with
the years, and perhaps [ have
changed also. These alterations
creep imperceptibly into ones being
as time advances. Let us part now,
and, forgetting these present differ
ences, remember only our friendship
of 20 years agone. That for me, at
any rate, has always had pleasant
SAVIOR when called up into the mem
ory''
Tatho bowed his head. $50 be it,"
he said.
"And I would still charge myself
upon your bounty for that ship. Dawn
cannot be far off, now, and it is not
decent that the man who has ruled
here so long should walk in daylight
through the streets on the morning
after his dismissal''
$50 be it," said Tatho. "You shall
have my poor navy. I could have
wished that you had asked me some
thing greater
Mot the navy, Tatho; one small
ship. Believe me, more is wasted
'Now, there" said Tatho, Il shall
act the tyrant. L am viceroy here
now, and will have my way in this.
You may go naked of all possessions:
that [ cannot help. But depart for
Atlantis unattended, that you shall
not"
And so, in fine, as the choice was
set beyond me, it was the Bear, Ia
tho's own private ship, with all the
rest of his navy sailing in escort, that
| did finally make my transit.
The voyage was very different to
my previous sea-going. There was no
creeping timorously along in touch
with the coasts. We stood straight
across the open gulf in the direction
of home, came up with the banu of
the Carib islands, and worked conf
IDENTIFY through them, as though they
had been sign-posts to mark the sea
highway; and stopped only twice to
replenish with wood, water and
fruit. These commodities, too, the
savages brought us freely, 50 great
was their subsection, and in neither
place did we have even the semblahce
of a fight. 1t was a great certificate
of the growing power of Atlantis and
her finest oversee colony.
Then boldly on we went across the
vast ocean beyond, with never a
sacrifice to implore the gods that
they should help our direction. One
might feel censure towards those
| 10,
but one could not help an admiration
for their lusty skill and confidence.
The dangers of the desolate sea are
dealt out as the gods will, and man
can only take them as they come.
| Storms we encountered, and the
mariners fought them with stubborn
endurance; twice a blazing stone
from heaven Kissed into the sea be-
side US, though without injuring 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
ship whereon 1 travelled, at one and
| the same time.
The shipmen faced the monsters
with sturdy courage. Arrows were
useless against the smooth, bul1-1ike
hides. Even the throwing fire could
not so much as SINCE them; nothing
but 20 ak blows delivered on an at
| taclling head together could beat /,
back, and even these succeeded only
through sheer weight of metal, anG
did not make so much as the scratch
of a wound.
During all time beasts have disput-
ed with man the mastery of the
earth, and it is only in Atlantis and
Egypt and Yucatan that man has
dared to hold his own, and fight them
with mind made strong by many
previous victories. In Europe and
mid-Africa the greater beasts hold
full dominion, and man admits his
puny number and force, and lives in
earth crannies and the higher tree
tops, as a fugitive confessed. And
upon the great oceans the beasts are
lords, unchecked.
Still here, upon this desolate sea,
although the giant lizards were new
to me, it was pleasure to pit Icy
knowledge of war against their
brute strength and courage. Ever
since the first men did their business
upon the great waters, they fulfilled
their instincts in ,fghting the beasts
with desperation. Hiding coward
like in a hold was useless, for if this
enemy could not find men above
decks to glut them, they would break
ship with their paddles, and so all
would be slain. And SO it was recog-
nized that the fight should go for
ward as desperately as might be, ard
that it could only end when the
beasts had got their prey and had
gone away satisfied.
1t was in a one-sided conflict after
this fashion then, that L found my
self, and felt the JOY once more to
have my thews in action. But after
my ak had got in that dozen lusty
blows, which, for all the harm they
did, might have been delivered
against some city wall, or, indeed,
against the ark of the mysteries it.
self, 1 sought about me till I found a
lance, and with that made very diff
ferent play. The eyes of these
lizards are small, and set deep in a
bony socket, but 1 judged them to be
vulnerable, and it was upon the eyes
of the beast that I made my attack.
The decks were slippery with the
horrid slime of them. The crew
surged about in their battling, and,
moreover, constantly offered them
selves as a rampant before me by
reason of lob, the captains, threats.
But ] gave a few shrewd progues
with the lance to show that I did not
choose my will to be overridden, and
presently was given room for man
| euver.
ITO Be Continued