The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-11-08
TIE FALL OF A SEA- MONARCH.
By FRANK 4. BuLunv.

honorably yield than to ours, the
young warriors who have learned of
thee all we know. and who will carry
on the magnificent traditions thou hast
handed down to us In a manner worthy
of our splendid sire. And If we be
slain, as well may be, remembering
with whom we do battle. the greater
our glory, the greater thine also"
A deep murmur like the bursting OF
tidal wave against the sea-worn
lava rocks of Ascension marked TIE
satisfaction of the group at this expo
sltion of their views. and as If actu-
ated by one set of nerves the colos-
sal four swung round shoulder to
shoulder, and faced the ocean mon
arch. Moving not by a barnacle's
breadth, he answered, 1T Is we'll
spoken, oh, my children; We are wiser
than l. And be the issue what it will.
all shall know that the royal race
still holds. AS in the days when our
fathers met and slew the Shiny dragons
of the pit, and unsecured by fathom-
long claws or ten-ply coats Of mail
dashed them in pieces and chased
them from the blue deep they be-
toulde, so today when the world has
grown Old and our ancient heritage
has sorely shrunken, our warfare shall
be the mightiest among created
things"
Hardly had the leviathan uttered
the last word when, with a roar like
Niagara bursting it's bonds in spring
he hurled his vast bulk headlong upon
the close-gathered band Of his huge
offspring. His body was like a bent
bow, and its recoil tore the amazed
sea into deep whirls and eddies as il
an island had foundered Full upon
the foremost one he fell, and deep an
swered unto deep with the impact.
That awful blow dashed it's recipient
far into the soundless depths, where
the champion sped swiftly forward on
his course, unable to turn until his
impetus was somewhat spent. Before
he could again face his foes, the three
were upon him, shifting him with Ii
| tanic auke strokes, circling beneath
him with intent to catch the down
hanging shaft of his lower jaw, rising
swiftly, end on, beneath the broad
spread of his belly, leaping high into
the bright air, and falling heavily up
on his wide back.
The tormented sea foamed and
Kissed in angry protest, screaming sea-
birds circled around the conflict, raw
ening sharks gathered from unknown
distances, scenting blood, and all the
countless tribes of ocean waited
aghast. But after the first red fury
had passed came the wariness, came
the fruitage of all those years of train
ing, all the accumulated instincts OF
ages to supplement blind brutal force
with deep-laid schemes of attack and
defence. AS yet the three survivors
were but slightly injured, for they
had so divided their attack even in
that first great onset, that the OLE
warrior could not safely single out
one for destruction. Now the young
est, the spokesman, glided to The
front of his brethren and faced hi,
waiting sire:
What! so soon weary? Thou ar
older than we thought. Truly, Thu
battle hath been delayed too long. W.
looked for fight that should be re
membered for many generations, am
behOiu-" Out of the corner of hi
eye he saw the foam circles rise as tn
vast tail of the chief curved inwar,
for the spring, and he, the scornel
launched himself backwards a nun
dred fathoms at bound After him
leaping like any salmon in a spatt
came the terrible old warrior, the smi
ten waves boiling around him as h
dashed them aside in his tremendou
pursuit But herein the pursued ha
the advantage, for it is a peculiarlt
of the sperm whale that, while h
cannot see before him. his best arc {
vision is right astern. So that tn
pursuer must needs be guided b
sound and the feel of the water, an
tne very vigor of his chase was tellin
far more upon his vast bulk than III
on the lither form of his flying en-,
my.
In this matter the monarch's Wi
q dom was of no avail, for experienC
9 could not tell him how advancing as
o handicaps the strongest, and he VOL
= dered to find a numbness creepir
: along his spine-to feel that he WI
growing weary. And suddenly, wit
q an eel-lilIe movement, the pursue