Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-19

ana blind rage. A long time, 1t seemed,
he fought and choked in the cool dark
ness under the ocean. Then. as he
shouted between air and water, his
salt, cleared to. show him the golden Jet
Of phosphorus squirting from his mouth,
the unbroken swell Of the tropic sea like
black oil moving under the gray mist OF
moonshine. and the santo Nino's lights
"Wait!" he spyttered peevishly: then
shouted. "Ahoy. santo Ntno! Help! Man
Midnisht. on the sulu sea: was aston
heard only a mufied. mechanical painting
which, from that black bulk ahead,
reached him fainter and thinner, like the
low-trailing stink and dropping einders
OF Mitsui coal. No other sound; no other
stir. he thought, but the breath of the
departing ship.
He choked again, coughed and at last,
catching a mouthful OF air without water,
shouted. His voice rose frail and angry,
mo use he perceived. in flash OF
lonely terror. The Tagafog crew were all
asleep. Of course; and OF course his
friend. the captain. 'dozed in a chair by
the wheelhouse. and wondered what kept
him aft so long. when the two good
night drinks waited Now they would
wait forever. His drink would be the
last bitter draught Of brine and darkness.
He cried out against that fate. The
two dull lanterns faded more and more
through the smoke, above the hoary wake
OF phosphorus. No one heard.
A moment ago, when his foot caught
In the slatternly coils Of the lanyard, he
had been walking forward. prosperous,
UP north. In Manila Now remained only
two great unrealities-a swimmer and the
moonlit ocean. The act of staying afioat
became so heavy, all at once. that he
A ~AsvAo 6nt Lat
go. had not a fragment from an unknown
book haunted him. ringing like a sunken
bell:
4 1.-THE bubbling cry
OF some strong swimmer In his agony"
That means-me" He dashed out in
dismay; but the lights grew less, the
black shape lowered and shrank upon
the heaving. liquid foundation of his
sight Only the unknown line. dread
stimulus, kept him at work above water.
Some strong swfmmer''-that was all
he or. his final contest meant. to the
tropic ocean and the tropIc moon.
He groaned. Anguish Of the spirit, 1t
sound went wide and was lost he knew
It for anguish OF the body. Swimming
too hard: ease up" commanded some I'M
obeyin1. his arms and legs no longer e;
jerked out violently. but began to move
with the strong, deliberate ease Of habit.
Presently, by. the same impulse, he found
his fingers Stugging stubbornly, under
water. at buttons and belt. All day, by
q lucky chance, he had gone about the
decks barefoot, and now, at last, he
manaoed to, wriggle and tear loose from
the leaden wrappings OF Jacket and
trousers. He swan naked, as lightly
contrast--as a floating seal gull
Behind him. for the time of a few
strokes. the swollen folds OF white drill
glistened in the moonlight. Hike ghostly
sptral6 Of water snake.
Before him the 6anto Nino had already
faded TO 9 pair Of twinkling points. often
smudged out by the tiny black squall of
smoke. Beyond these. on hts right hand,
StretchodIa continuous gray vapor the
fusion OF sky. and sea In the moonlight;
but, on his left hand. the distant con-
tours OF island mountains hOated like
darker vapors. almost equally dissolved.
Land-shere: they were too far OF. and
yet toward these he set his face, and,
without plan or hope. began doggedly to
swim.
"As long a. 1 can. anyhow" he grum-
bled. -, -
After - weary time the ships lights
were gone. and he moved alone, inter-
minsbly, through the wide ocean. When
ever he turned on his hack to aoat and
rest. the srest nt,on.- straight overhead.
. breathing space It made him disxy to
watch her, Tor sky and sea grew topsy-
turvy. - though the ceiling Of the world
had become the floor, and he himself
swung aIoft, looking deeply down At the
tinvegted orb. He rolled over quickly o1d