The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1902-01-16

I am grievcd for II. But svsn -
retain your good opinion, Deucalion
(which I value more than that Of
any man living-I cannot do here ~
you have done. II would be impos-
sible, even II I wished IL. You must
not judge all men by your own
strong standard; q Tatho In by no
means q colossus Ike a Deucalion.
And, besides, I have a wife and chill
dren. and they must be provided for.
even II neglect myself"
"You have changed, Tatho, with
the years, and perhaps have
changed also. These alterations
creep imperceptibly into ones Icing
ms time advances. Let MS part now.
and, forgetting these present differ.
ences, remember only our friendship
Of 20 years agone. That for me, mt
any rate, has always had a pleasant
savor when called up into the MEM
ory."
Tatho bowed his head. dso be t."
he said.
"And I woald still charge myself
upon your bounty for that ship. Dawn
cannot be far OFT. now, and IL 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"
80 be IT,. said Tatho. "You shall
have my poor navy. I could have
wished that you had asked me some
thing greater"
"Not the navy, Tatho; one small
ship. Believe me, more In wasted"
"Now, there" said Tatho. 81 shall
act the tyrant. I am viccroy here
now, and will have my way in this.
You may go naked of all p6ssessions:
that / cannot help. But depart for
Atlantis unattended, that you shall
not"
And SO, In fine. as the choice was
set beyond me, IL was the Bear, Ia.
tho's own private ship. with all the
rest Of his navy sailing In escort, that
I 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
savaees brought US freely, so great
was their subjection. and In neither
place did we have even the semblance
of fight. II was q 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 q
sacrifice to implore the gods that
they should help our direction. One
might feel cersure towards those
rugged mariners for their inpiety
but one could not help an admiration
for their lusty skill and confidence.
The dangers of the desolate sea are
dealt out ns the gods will, and mar
can only take them ms 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 Ms 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
8 ship whereon I Travelled, at one and
: the same time.
The shipmen faced the monsters
Z with a sturdy courage. Arrows were
e useless against the smooth, bull-liks
e hides. Even the throwing fire coult
: not SO much as SINCE them; nothing
= but 20 ax blows delivered on an mt
tacking head together could beat Il
!. back. and even these succeeded onl,
through sheer weight of metal, an,
v did not make so much rs the scratcl
: of a wound.
5 During all time beasts have dispui
: ed with man the mastery of tn
Y earth, and IL IL only In Atlantis an
4 Egypt and Yucatan that man In
3 dared to hold his own Npd fight ther
with mind made 0r6ng by man
: previous victories. In Europe an
, mid-Africa the greater beasts hol
I full dominion, and man admits hi
r puny number and force, and lives q
! earth crannies and the higher tree
4 tops, rs a fugitive confessed. An
I upcu the great oceans the beasts ar
D lords, unchecked.
e Still here, upon this desolate ses
e although the giant lizards were ne'
J, to me, II was a pleasure to pit m
e knowledge Of war against thei
: brute strength and courage. Eve
e since the first men did their busines
J, upon the great waters, they fulflle
their instincts in fighting the beast
: with desperation. Hiding cowart
n like In a hold was useless, for II thi
, enemy could not find men abov
decks to glut them, they would brea
a ship with their paddles. and so a
! would be slain. And SO II was recoS
u nized that the fight should go for
3 ward ms desperately as might be, an
o that II could only end when tn
Z beasts had got their prey and ha
: gone away satisfied.
IL was In one-sided conflict afte
= this fashion then, that a found my
= self, and felt the joy once more 4
J, have my thews In action. But nfte
? my nx had got In that dozen lust
blows, which, for all the harm the.
did. might have been delivere,
p ngainst some cify wall mr. indeed