Oxford eagle., 1902-09-18

But he, too. felt within him IN ele-
mental passion. 1t rushed fuently
upon him that he hated the man in
front of him. And that flood OF hate
flowed, as he sullen.y felt between life.
and death.
Then the mechanical impulse of Gus
tom dulled the emotion ard he finn
bled in his under pockets for his fish
book" With fingers scared by brine
he turned its reeking pages and reck-
oned his earnings for the season.
Again there was the old result, a debt
to the cannery of 5000 and over. To be
sure, if the season kept up, if a good
run came in, that balance would be
wiped out. But the demand that had
emptied his pockets before. He
sighed uneasily and thrust the book
back into it's place. Helma was the
one on whom ie lavlahed his money;
Helma, his daughter And Dravhan
would take her with that debt unpaid,
and she-he cursed audibly-would go.
The sole object of his hard, sornber.
absorbing love loved another. And
that other?
With quiet word he reused the
boat puller. and said: "Wind up the
alarm clock. Give her three hours"
Dravhan slowly obeyed, and set the
clock down in tin basin under seat.
After a look abroad the captain laid
himself down on the bottom grating,
and with his head on a fold of sail
lapsed again into immobility. The
boat puller also stretched himself out
in the forepart of the tumbling craft,
and was soon asleep.
Within an hour Vragnizan rose
quietly and looked at the clock. Two
hours later the tide would turn He
peered out into the shadows to fix his
position, and a savage smile crossed
his face. Inside of two hours they
would have drifted down into the
clutch of the bar. Dravhan figured on
the tides. did he? All. yes, but this
time he had missed. The lights of
launch crossed toward Sand island,
and the captain winked at them with
inert hatred. Then he crouched down
and waited, listening to the gusty
wind the slapping seas, the tense
roar of the nearing surf. and feeling
with fsherman's instinct the gentle
tug of the net.
An hour later boat w SOB capsized
just inside the breakers, where the wa
ter boils with sand and to swim far in
clothes is impossible. The time was
well chosen. None saw; none heard.
As the deep-bellied craft rolled over
in the trough of the foaming channel
surge. Vrag gnizan came up from be-
meath, and. keeping one brawny hand
on the keel. stared out and around.
The net he had cut adrift long before,
and he knew it would be picked up.
Nothing was visible but the white
Tipped waves. Then, a score of yards
away. form rose on a sheer comber
and disappeared. Jan Vragnizan wiped
the salt from his mouth and whispered
a curse. His fumbling hand drew out
a flask. With his teeth he pulled the
cork and drained the liquor in audible
gulps. Raising himself by swift ef-
fort, he flung the emptied bottle far
out to where he had last seen the
struggling boat-puller. Then with a
raucous intake of his breath he diyed
under the boat.
The dawn was blowing into day
when the life-saving crew from Point
Adams put out into the chops and
made fast to an upturned fish boat.
Right her and bail her out" said
the captain. Maybe there's a body
under her-poor devil"
The men olambered over and under
tilted and swept upright. As the water
washed into the bottom a coughing,
snarling figure emerged, from under
the seats. 1t was Jan Vragnizan.
You're a clever one." gasped the
captain of the crew. ''How did you
manage it?"
There was no answer, only a sodden
stare.
"You just missed washing up on the
spit" continued the captain. Lucky
for you you didn't"
Jan Vragnizan shook himself and
stepped into the life boat bad
night" he said, briefly, without
thanks
The men looked at each other, and
one said, shortly: ''Where's your
boat puller?"
"Bo' pu'? DON know"
When the life boat towing W so3
reached the landing on the river
beach. Jan Vragnizan stepped out and
stretched himself. "Likker," he
growled.
'.Go and ask the steward" the cap
tain said. "l'll make your boat fast
here, and you can take her up on the
tide"
Without a word the fisherman moved
up the sand to the station. As he
crossed the rise of the beach he came
full upon a man sitting against log
in the sun He halted, ponderously. a
moment. and then said: How did |
YOU get ashore. Dravhan?"
The young boat puller looked mp
slowly. and in his eyes welled pas
sion that partook of anger. picked |
up by launch Triton" he returned, |
curtly.
His captain muttered in his beard.
and then shook himself again in his |
reeking clothes. We'll go up on this |
tide" he said.
Dravhan rose. "G'm going over and |
take the early train for Astoria.
"Helma?'
There was significant pause, and
the men measured each other. Yes"
came the defiant answer.
The boat puller strode away through |
the yielding sands, crusted over with |
the damp of night, and Jan Vragnizan |
looked at him as he went. Suddenly |
ont of his past rushed vision. He |
saw Helma's meeting with Dravhan |
Then he shook little as he remem- |
bered how. once. in another land. two |
softly flashing arms had gone around |
\ l. . h.