Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-20


risen, had mounted the heavens and |
now was sailing overhead. By the |
fretwork of its radiance through the |
chinks of our rudely built cabin had |
marked of The hours. 4 thunderstorm |
rumbled and flashed, null down over
the horizon. 1t was many miles dis
tant. and yet / do not doubt that its
electrical influence had dried the mois-
ture of our equanimity, leaving us rat
Ting husks for the winds of destiny to
play upon. Certainly l can remember
no other time in rather wide expe-
rience when | have felt myself more
on edge, more choked with the rest
less, purposeless nervous energy that
leaves q mans tongue parched and his
eyes staring. And still that Internal
cricket or whatever it was chirped.
| had thought myself alone in my
vigil. but when finally l could stand
it no longer and kicked aside my coy
ering. with an oath of protest, l was
surprised to hear it echoed from all
about me.
D that cricket l cried.
And the dead shadows stirred from
the hunks, and the hollow eyed vic
Tins of insomnia crept out to curse
their tOrmentor. We organized an ex-
petition to hunt him down. 1t was ri
diculous enough, six strong men prowl-
ing for the life of one poor little insect.
We did not ind him. however, though
we succeeded in silencing him. But
no sooner were we back in our hunks
than he began it again, and such was
the turmoil of our nerves that day
found us sitting wan about fire, hug
ging our knees.
We We're so genuinely emptied, not
so much by the cricket as by the two
! years of fermentation, that not one of
us stirred toward breakfast. In fact.
| not one of us moved from the listless
| attitude in which day found him until
after 8 o'clock. Then we pulled our
selves together and cooked coffee and
salt horse. AS a significant fact, the
niger left the dishes unwashed, and
no one cared.
Handy Solomon finally shook him
| self and arose.
I'm sick of this" said he. I'm go
in seal hunting"
They arose without a word. They
were sick of it, too-sick to death. We
were Il silent, gloomy crew indeed as
/ we thrust the surfboat af1oat. clam
bered in and shipped the oars. No one
| spoke q word; no one had a comment
to make, even when we saw the rock
cry slide into the water while we were
still fifty yards from the beach. We
pulled back slowly along the coast.
Beyond the rock we made out the en-
| trance to the dry cave.
There's seal in there!" cried Handy
Solomon. Lots of 'emt
| He thrust the rudder over, and we
headed for the cave. No one express
ed an opinion.
AS it was again high tide. we rowed
in to 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 rs
they go out! Wen go in and scare
'em down to your
They'll run over us!' screamed
Pull.
mo, they won't. You can dodge uT
the sides when they go by"
This was indeed we'll possible, sc
we gripped our clubs and ventured in
TO the darkness.
We advanced four abreast. for The
cave was wide enough for that. A:
| we penetrated the believing and bark
t ing became more deafening. 1t wa:
/ impossible to see anything. although
we felt an indistinguishable tumblni
mass receding before our footsteps
+ Thrackles swOre violently as he STUN
bled over a laggard. With uncann.
q abruptness the black wall of darkness
: in front of us was alive with fer,
+ eyeballs. The seals had reached tn
end of the cave and had turned towar,
a us. We, too, stopped, little uncertain
o as to how to proceed
t The first plan had been to get benin
4 the band and drive it slowly towar
@ the entrance to the cave. This wa
:, now seen to be impossible. The cav
n ern was too narrow. its sides at thi
:. point too steep and the animals to
q thickly congested. Our eyes, becon
d ing accustomed to the twilight, no'
+ began to make out dimly the indivi(
r ual bodies of the seals and the geners
4 condguration of the rocks. One hi
= bowlder lay directly in our path, liz
an island in the shale of the cave
o floor. Perdosa stepped to the top {
n it for a better look The men attemp
r ed to communicate their ideas of VIII;
o was to be done, but could not mai
% themselves heard above the uproar.
10 could see their faces comforting wit
If the fury of being baff1ed. A big bu
q made dash to get by. All the he1
= fippered after him. If he had VIC
h past they would have followed ,
E. obstinately as sheep and rathing cou
Y. have stopped them, but the big bu
lie went down beneath the clubs. Thra
ID kles hit the animal two yindicti'
n blows after it had succumbed.
L This settled the revolt, and we sto'
e. as before. Pull and Handy Solomt
lie tried to converse by signs, but evider
st ly failed. for their faces showed ang