Evening journal., 1904-05-21
CHAPTER VI

er out Of the CLASSY water at a'timc
when there was not enough wind to so
much as wrinkle the surface sent "a
creep of something very like horror
through all his flesh.
Again he peered over the side doYh
into the kelp thickened sea. Nothing
not a breath Of air was stirring. TIN
gray light that flooded down from the
stars showed not break upon the sur
face Of Magdalena bay. on shore moth
ing moved
"Quiet there forward called Moran
10 the shrill voiced coolies.
The succeeding stiffness was pro
found All on board listened intently
The water dripped like the tic,cg Of
a clock from the Bertha Milncr'sstern
which with the rising OF the bow had
sunk almost TO the rail- There was no
other sound.
stranger muttered Moran. her brows
contracting.
Charlie broke the silence with a wall
"No lillee, no likee." he cried at TOP
voice
The man had gone suddenly green.
Wilbur could see the shine Of his eyes
distended like those Of a hnrassed cat
AS he, Moran and Wilbur stood in the
schooner's waist, staring at each other,
the smell OF punk came TO their nos
trils Forward the coolies were already
burning joss sticks on the fo'c'stle
head, kotowing their foreheads to the
deck.
Moran went forward and kicked
them to their feet and hurled their joss
sticks into the sea.
"Feng shut! Teng shuiv they ex-
claimed with bated breaths. "The
Feug shut no lilSee we"
Low in the east the horizon began
to blacken against the sky. 1t was
early morning A watch was set the
Cinnamon sent below. and until day
break. when Charlie began to make a
Gathering Of tins In the galley as he
set about preparing breaFfast Wilbur
paced the rounds of the schooner look
ing, listening and waiting again for
that slow, horrifyng lift But the rest
Of the night was without incident
After breakfast the strangely assert.
ed trio-Charie. Moran and Wilbur
held another conference In the cabin.
1t was decided to move the schooner
to the other side Of the bay.
'Feng shut in disa place No likco
We announced Charlie.
"Feng shui-who are theyw
Charlie promptly became incoherent
on this subject. and Moran and vii
but could only guess that the Fons
shut were the tutelary dieties that pre-
sided over that portion Of Magdalens
bay. At any rate. there were evidently
no more shark TO be caught I'm that
fishing ground. SO sail was made, and
by noon the Bertha Nlillner tied up 10
the kelp on the opposite side of the
inlet. about half a mile from the shore
The shark were plentiful here. and
the fishing went forward again as be-
fore Certain OF these shark were haul
ed aboard. stunned by blow on the
, nose and their fms cut Off. The China.
men packed these fins away in sepa-
rate kegs. Eventually they would be
sent 10 China
Two or three days passed The
hands kept steadily at their work
Nothing more occurred TO disturb the
monotony Of the scorching days and
soundless nights. The schooner sat as
easily on the unbroken water as though
built to the bottom Soon the night
watch was discontinued. During these
days the three officers lived high. Tur
tie were plentiful, and what with thell
steaks and soups. the fried ahalones
the sea fish. the really delicious sharb
fms and the quail that Charlie and
Wilbur trapped along the shore, the
trio had nothing TO wish for in the
way Of table luXuries.
The shore was absolutely deserted
as well as the back country-an un
broken wilderness Of sand and sage
Half a dozen times Wilbur, wearyinl
Of his inactlOn aboard the schooner
made the entire circuit OF the bay
from point 20 point. Standing on on,
Of the latter projections and lookini
out to the west the Pacific appeared
as empty Of life rs the land Never &
keel cut those waters, never sal
broke the edge OF the horizon. never
feather Of smoke spotted tho sky wher,
IL whitened TO meet the sen. Every
thing was empty-vast, unspeakably
dosolate- palpitating with heat.
Another week passed. Charlie be
gan to complain that the sharks wer,
growing scarce again.
Il think bimeby him go way, one,
a mo-"
That same night Wilbur, lying II
his hammock, was awakened by
touch on his arm. He woke to Sc,
Moran beside him on the deck
did you hear anything" she said il
q low voice, looking at him under bel
scowl.
NO, nor he exclaimed, getting up
reaching for his wicker sandals. "Dls
you"
Il thought so-something. Did 70,
feel anything?"
1--WE been asleep; [ haven't notice,
anything. Is it beginning againT
''Ihe schooner lifted again Just now
very gently. / happened to be awake
or I wouldn't have noticed it." The,
were talking in low voices. as is tn
custom Of people speaking in the darl
"Ihere, what's thatg' exclaimed WI
bur under his breath. A gantl
vibration. barely perceptible, thrille
through the schooner. Under his han
that was clasped upon the rail Wilbu
could feel a faint trembling in he
frame. 1t stopped, began again an
died slowly away