Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-26

he did pipe up his feeble strain struck to
my heart cold and paralyzing like dagger.
And with every advancing minute of the
night became broader awake more tense
fairly sweating with nervousness. One
night-good God, was it only last week?
it seems ages ago, another existence
wonder Of a transmigration, at least .
Last week!
did not sleep at all. The moon had risen,
had mounted the heavens, and now was
sailing overhead By the fretwork of its
radiance through the chinks of our rudely
built cabin 1 had marked off the hours. A
thunderstorm. rumbled and flashed, hull
down over the horizon. 1t was many miles
distant, and yet 1 do not doubt that it's
electrical influence had dried the moisture
of our equanimity, leaving us rafting husks
for the winds of destiny to play upon. Ger
tainly 1 can remember no other time in
a rather wide experience, when 1 have felt
myself more on edge, more choked with
the restless, purposeless nervous energy that
leaves mans tongue parched and his eyes
staring. And still that Internal cricket, or
whatever it was, chirped.
l had thought myself alone in my vigil,
but when finally could stand it no longer
and kicked aside my covering with an oath
echoed from all about me.
- that cricket" I cried.
And the dead shadows stirred from Athe
hunks and the hollow-eyed victims Of in
somnia crept out to curse their tormentor
down. 1t was ridiculous enough, six strong
men prowling for the life of one poor little
insect. We did not find him, however
though We succeeded in silencing him. But
he began it again, land such was the tur-
MOL of our nerves that day found us sitting
wan about fire, hugging our knees.
We were so genuinely emptied, not so
much by the cricket as by the two years Of
fermentation, that not one of us stirred to-
ward breakfast. In fact not one OF us moved
from the listless attitude in which day
found him, until after 0 O'clock Then we
pulled ourselves together and cooked cof-
fee and salt horse. AS a significant fact
the Niger left the dishes unwashed, and no
one cared.
Handy Solomon finally shook himself and
arose.
TIM sick of this" said he: I'm goin
seal hunting"
They arose without a word. They were
sick OF it, too, sick to death. We were a
silent, gloomy crew indeed as we thrust the
surf boat afioat, clambered in and shipped
the oars. No one spoke word; no one had
comment to make. even when We saw the
rookery slide into the water while we were
still fiftX yards from the beach. We pulled
back slowly along the coast. Beyond the
rock we made out the entrance to the dry
cave.
There's seal in there" cried Handy Sol
ONION, lots of 'em!'
He thrust the rudder over, and we headed
for the cave. No one expressed an opinion.
AS IL was dSdll iSil tue, we Io"eu III "
the steep shore inside the caves mouth and
beached the boat. The place was full Of
seals; we could hear them believing.
1.-TWO of you stand here" shouted Handy
Solomon, land take them as they go out.
Well go in and scare em down to you"
They'll run over u.s. screamed Pull.
mo- they won't. You can dodge up the
sides when they go by"
This was indeed we'll possible. we grip
ped our clubs and ventured into the dark
ness.
We advanced four abreast, for the cave
wide enough for that. AS we pene-
trated, the believing and barking became
more deafeping. 1t was impossible to see
anything, although we felt an indstinguish-
able tumblng mass receding before our
footsteps. Thrackles swore violently as he
stumbled over a laggard. With uncanny
abruptness the black wall of darkness in
front of US was alive with fiery eyeballs.
The seals had reached the end of the cave
and had turned toward us. We, too, stop
ped, little uncertain as to how to proceed.
The first plan had been to get behind the
band and to drive it slowly toward the en-
trance to the cave. This was now seen to
be impossible. The cavern was too narrow;