Oxford eagle., 1902-09-18

Tan VRAGNIZAN stood among the
net-racks of Kinney's cannery
and watched his boat-puller in the
boat below. To his eyes. the young
man was more than ordinarily deft
and neat-handed. To be sure, he
never had had one who was not quite
up to the standard; for he, Jan
Nragnizan, was noted on the Column
bia for his success in fishing, and he
had always had his pick of men. In
dull way he somehow resented this
effective activity on the part of Draw
han, ard he raised his eyes to view
the sky. The Washington hills were
stepped in low lying cloud, and the
gray reflection in the water was ruff
fled by a gusty south wind. His
glance ran down past Desdemona
Sands and Scarborough Head to the
Bar, which, under the fitful after
noon sun, cleaned into momentary
visibility and then disappeared as
though it had. fallen back over the
edge of the world.
"A bad night, Drayhan," he rum
bled, hoarsely.
The. boat-pGller Strengthened him
self up and glanced seaward. "Ay,
sir; wind" he responded, slowly,
His captain strobe heavily forward
TO the edge of the wooden platform.
His great leathern boot-tops wag-
gled about his massive thighs, and.
across mis- bulging middle the narrow
belt sank as he breathed deeply. "Et
more's boats are out" he said. "Get
started"
Again the boat-puller looked up
and there was a frown on his face.
"Ilow long do we stay out?" he in
quired, shortly.
Morning tide" was the gruff an
swer.
Dravham seemed to figure, for his
lips moved and he crossed the fingers
of his right hand successfully with
his left forefinger. Tomorrow
noon?" he finally asked.
Nragr:zan's face elouded. when
ever | please" he answered, curtly.
Then he descended with deliberate
steps the swaying ladder, and dropped
upcn the tarpaulin that covered the
neatly slowed net. Without further
words Dravhan unfastened the paint
er, stepped the mast, and rugged the
sail. With a powerful sweep of an
oar the boats head was turned out
toward the channel, and the sail eX-
panded in the wind.
Leave the sprite out" said the
captain, and Dravhan sat quietly
down on the weather thwart. As
they swept on into the channel the
iolting 1iver waves caught at them,
and now and again a spray of icy
water dashed across the boat. On
they ran athwart the wide Columbia
till the Sands were behind and the
deep middle channel was reached.
Here lhe sail was taken in; the mast
wabbled as the surge caught boat
w SOB full in the swelling tide. Jan
Vragni2an threw off the tarpaulin,
and began that wearisome back
breaking toll of throwing out the net
the while Dravhan pulled slowly
away.
When all was out, and s03 rode at
the end of the seemingly intermina-
BILE net. the two men slowed the mast
and oars. Then they fell upon their
coarse supper, gazing, between huge
mouthfnls. at the fiery setting sun.
The chill wind of evening freshened,
and as night fell over them there
famed out, as stars into the sky, the
haring coffee lights of a thousand
boats riding to thousand nets.
Afte- the meal they lit their pipes
and sat brooding, wordless, beaten by
The shrewd wind, showered upon by
the endless fiux of waves. stirred
eeaselessly by the fecund river. And
as tn ,ir slow eyes opened over the
shadows about them, they thought Ia
boriously, jealously, Yet slumberous-
ly; weaving into coarse web of
clotted reverie the bare facts of life.
And while they meditated, they for
90; the 1000 fishers who rose and fell
In the boats that slept uneasily upon
This same expanse of sea tainted wa
ter.
Dravhan figured again the tide for
the next day. striving to shorten the
frioid hours that must elapse before
he could once more see Helma Nrag-
nizau. the shapely daughter of his
eaptain. He had much TO solve; prob
lens Law like tangled seaweed over his
cumbrous, r6eklike purpose. He knew.
as man knows where blow strikes
him. that her father grudged him pos
session. He felt blindly that he was
eontending with some unseen passion
in Jan Vragnizan's breast; YET through
all overlaying of circumstance he felt
an elemental, moving. impregnable
emotion. He had never defined it clear
IL. succinetly. till that day on which an
unknown spirit had prompted him TO
say to Helma: 81 love you1 And the |
more he unused upon that expression. |
the more Justify he felt that she would
.have to teach him, as a child is taught. !
lc put the sounds of letters into words |
shat that meant. Opposite him, his |
oughly carved fa ,e half hidden by the |
Iverhang of his shapeless hat.
touched. bulkily. vragnizan, immo-
lie. watchful. preponderant. His |
hind nodded by nging habit was strug-
hing as man writhes within strait |
leket. Strange Aickers from his |
hunger life startled his dark CON
tiousness in which lay invisible, even /
brgotten, masses of crude, unpreg- |