The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-11-08

Yet he stll fought CALAMITY. though
with lungs utterly empty-all the
rushing torrent Of bis blood growing
fetid for lack Of vitalizing air. At
last. with a roar as of cyclone
through his head he turned on his
side and yielded to his triumphant
conquerors, who drew off and allowed
him to rise Imply to the now quiet
sea surface For more than an hour
he lay there prone, enduring all the
agony of his overthrow. and seeing
for before him the long. lonely vista
Of his solitary wanderings, a lone
whale driven from his own, and new
ermore to rule again.
Meanwhile, the three had departed
in search Of their brother smitten SO
sorely early in the fight that he had
not since Joined them. When they
found that which had been he. II was
the centre of an innumerable host of
hungry things that fed to air or sea
depths at their approach A glance
revealed the manner of his end Ia
broken back-while already. such had
been the energy Of the sea people, the
great framework of his ribs was partly
laid bare They made no regrets for
the doing Of useless things finds 10
place in their scheme of things. Then
the younger said: 80 the question
of overlOrdship lies between us three,
and l am unwilling that it should
await settlement. l claim the leader
ship and am prepared here and now
to maintain my right" This bold as
sertion had its effect upon the two
hearers, who, after long pause, re-
! piled: 1--WE accept, o king, fully and
freely, until the next battle day ar
rives, when the succession must be
maintained by thee in ancient form"
So the matter was settled and proud
ly, the young monarch set off to re-
join the waiting school, Into their
midst he glided with an air of con
scious majesty, pausing in the centre
to receive the homage and affection
ate caresses of the harem. No ques-
lions were asked as to the wherea-
bouts of the deposed sovereign, nor as
to what had become of the missing
member of the brotherhood. These are
things that do not disturb the whale
people, who in truth have a suficiency
Of other matters to occupy their
thoughts besides those inevitable
changes that belong to the settled or
der of things. The recognition COM
plete, the new leader glided out from
the midst of his people, and pointing
his massive front to the westward
moved off at a stately pace, on q
straight course for the coast Of Japan
Long, long lay the defeated one
rlo,ionless and alcnc. Ills eycrtion.
had been so tremendous that every
vast muscle band seemed strained De-
yond recovery, while the torrent O.
his blood, befouled by his long en-
forced stay beneath the sea, did no
readily regain its normally healthfu
flow. But on the second day h,
reused himself, and his mighty heai
swept the unbroken circle of the hori
zon to satisfy himself that he was in
J deed at last a lone whale Endiui
his earnest scrutiny, he milled rounr
/ to the southwark, and with set pur
pose and steady fuke beat started 10
the Aucklands On his journey h
= passed many a school or smalle
2 pod" of his kind but in some myE
5 FERROUS manner the seal of his lone
illness was set upon him, so that Ii
t was Stunned by all. In 10 days h
s reached his objective, 10 days of fast
e ing, and impelled by fierce hunge
= he ventured in closely to the cliff
where great shoals of fish, many seal
s with an occasional porpoise, came ga
e ly careering down the wide gapin
d tunnel Of his throat into the inns
:, darkness of dissolution. 1t was GOO
: to he here, pleasant to feel once MOI
/, that unQuestioned superiority over a
!, things, and swiftly the remembranC
t. of his fall faded from the monster
g mind BY day he wandered lazily, e.
IS joying the constant easy processic
d of living food down his ever-opent
y quiet; by night he wallowed sleepi
e in the surf-torn margin of those jaggc
If reefs.
lie And thus he came to enjoy the ne
y phase of existence, until one day
d rose slowly from favorite reef pat,
e to feel sharp pang shoot throu!
- bis wide flank CtartInd into e,Idd a
E. violent activity, he plunged mad
around in the confined area of t
8 cove wherein he lay. in the vain e