The Springdale news. [volume] (Springdale, Ark.) 1887-1990, 1909-04-02

years of fermentation, that not one OF
us stirred toward brea kfast. In fact
not one of us moved from the listless
attitude in which day found him unit
after . o'clock. Then we pulled our
selves together aud 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 word They
were sick of it, too-siek to death. We
were a silent, gloomy crew indeed as
We thrust the surfboat afioat, clam
bered in and shipped the oars. No one
spoke a word; no one had 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 I'm therei" cried Handy
Solomon. Lots OF 'emi"
He thrust the rudder over, and we
headed for the cave. No one express
ed an opinion.
AS II 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, and take them as
they go out. Well go In and scare
'em down TO your
They'll run over u.s., screamed
Pull
mo, they won't You can dodge un
the sides when they go by
This was indeed we'll possible, SO
we gripped our clubs and yentured IN
to the darkness.
We advanced four abreast, for the
cave was wide enough for that. As
we penetrated the believing and bark
ing became more deafening. 1t was
impossible to see anything, although
we felt an indistinguishable tumblng
mass receding before our footsteps
Thrack1es swore violently as he stun
bled over 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, stopped, little uncertain
as to how to proceed
The first plan had been to get behind
the band and drive II slowly toward
the entrance to the cave. This was
now seen to be impossible. The cav
ern was too narrow, its sides at this
point too steep and the animals toe
thiekly eongested. Our eyes, becom
Ing accustomed 10 the twilight, now
began to make out dimly the individ
ual bodies of the seals and the genera
configuration OF the rocks. One bis
bowlder lay directly In our path, like
an island In the shale Of the cave.
floor. Perdosa stepped to the top eI
II fer better look The men attempt
ed to communicate their ideas of wha
was to be done. but could not max,
themselves heard above the uproar.
could see their faces comforting will
the fury OF being baffied A big bal
made dash 10 get by. All the here
hippefed after him II he had VOL
past, they would have followed a
obstinately rs sheep aud nothing eoul,
have stopped them, but the big bnl
went down beneath the clubs. Thrac
kles hit the animal two vindictiv
blows after il had succumbed
This settled the revolt and we stoo,
as before Pull and Handy Solomon
tried to converse by signs, but evident
ly failed, for their faces showed angr,
In the twilight Perdosa, on his rock
rolled and lit a cigarette Thrackle,
paced TO and fro, and the niger lean
ed on his club farther down the cave
They had been left at the entrance
but now In lack of results had joine,
their companions.
Now Thrackles approached ant
screamed himself black trying to i'm
part some plan. He failed, but stoop
ed and picked up stone and threw i
into the mass of seals The others I'm
derstood \ shower of stones follow
ed. The animals milled like cattle
beloved the louder, but would no
face their tormentors. Finally an ole
cow Topped by in a panic. though
they would have let her go, but sht
died a little beyond the bull. No more
followed, although the men threw
stones as fast and as hard as they
were able Their faces were liyid witt
anger, like that of an evil tempered
man with an obstinate horse.
Suddenly Handy solomon put hi
head down and with roar distinctly
audible even above the din that fillet
the cave charged directly into the herd
l saw the beasts cringe before him
saw his club rising and falling indis
criminately. and then the whole bael
of the cave seemed to rise and com
at us.