Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-19

who had cried foolishly and had seen him pause
in to her cry! Great Heaven! this to be?
There awoke in her heart wondrous pity and
rage,-a pity for him that suffered, rage for him
that wrought the suffering. 1t was thought no
more, but instnct,-that mother instinct which
sheds its very blood to protect its the fury of
the female animal against conquering beast. She
longed to protect this stricken man with the shield
of her own soft body. She longed to spring down
on the shoulders of the mate and tear him with
her nails. 1t was unfair of this great red brute
to rush upon helpless foe-to beat him to the
deck with his mighty fists! 1t could not, should
not, bel
There bunny spot in the pit of her stomach
that spread and spread with suffocating, nauseous
glow, till every fiber of her frame grew hot with
mother pity and with mother pain. Again she
cried out sharply; but this time in command rails
ing her hand for the horrid cruelty to cease; but
again the Southerner looked up, and in his eyes
she read one short, courageous prayer:
For Gods sake, dont!-
FOR an instant Valda wavered, wondering; then
L she dropped her hand she knew not why-and
Morson ducked beneath the fists of the charging
mate Once more he was was retreatlng covering face
blow, but retreating always, watchful lest he was
forced against the rail.
Valda rejoiced to know that he was on his legs
again; but she did not know that they were legs
of lead, that they quivered and dropped beneath
his weight, that every lightning step, which had
it's meaning, was made with pain unutterable. She
did not know that his heart protesting fiercey
that his lungs seemed scorched and raw, that his
soul pleading silently with Mars for the courage
to hold his body on its feet.
Again the big mate rushed, striking viciousy
with right swing; but his foeman ducked
though bowling politely to Beasey, then, the
mate spun half round by the impetus of his fruit
less blow, he received rap that caught him behind
the ear, and plunged forward on his face.
=, Valda almost shrilled in triumph An now was
Morson's chance! He could spring upon that fallen
beast! He could seize him by his great red ears
and bang his hateful head against the deck!
Now! Now, you fool" she whispered to her.
SELF but the fool did nothing of the sort. Instead
he filled his lungs with grateful breath of air, and
waited calmly for the mate to rise. How foolish
How insane! To Valda's mind, he had flung away
presently it to her that this was brave mans
courtesy to helpless foe, and her womans heart
gave tongue and paid its homage to a true gentle
man.
But perhaps it was not all courtesy; for the few
inactive moments the part of Beasley in
valuable to his weak antagonist, who before
brought him sweet relief. The flush returned to
his cheeks, while the hazy blur departed from be-
fore his eyes, the fiery pain IN his limbs was eased
and strength came trickling back into his arms
There still gulf between the master and the
man. and he that leaped it first would be the master
therefore Morson changed his tactics and prepared
to take the leap.
This time he did not wait for Beasley, but pressed
upon that man, singing him with short armed
blows,-a left that jabbed and jabbed,-while, to
make it worse, the right would periodically find an
opening and jolt the person of Beasey in a manner
most obnoxious to his views of happiness Mean
while, among the watching seamen rose hum of
admiration for their champion-and not exactly
admiration, either, but alteration and had the
fight stopped then and there Morson- Brown might
have asked for their very trouser lacings-and had
them too. But the battle not yet done.
The mate was retreating before swirl of
blows, and troubled look. Still he game,
fighting back with all his brutal strength and a
species of brutal science that was his
rTHEN a strange thing happened. Morson- Brown