The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-05-10
THE WRECK Of THE TITAN

Huddled in a corner. he gave himself
up to the torment Of his thoughts.
Two pictures alternately crowded his
dream entfeating him to come back.
which his memory cIung to as an ora
Gle; the other of this woman cold and
lifeless fathoms deep in the sea He
pondered on her chances She was
close to or on the bridge steps The
boat. "a. which he was almost sure was
being ciea red away as he looked. would
could climb In and be saved unless the
swimmers from doors and matches
should swamp the boat. And in his
agony Of mind he cursed these swim
mers. preferring to see her mentally
the only passenger In the boat. with
the watch on deck to pull her to safety
The potent drug he had taken was
still at work. and this. with the mu-
sical swash of the sea on the Icy beach
and the muffied creaking and cracking
beneath and around him-the voice OF
the iceberg-overcame him finally and
he slept to waken at daylight with
limbs stiffened and numb-almost fro
zen.
And all night as he slept boat with
the No. "a on her bow. pulled by
sturdy sailors and steered by brass
buttoned officers. was making for the
southern lane-the highway Of spring
traffic. And crouched in the stern.
sheets of this boat was a moaning.
praying woman. who cried and scream
ed at intervals for husband and baby
and would not be comforted. even
when one of the brass buttoned officers
assured her that her child was safe in
the care Of John Rowland, brave and
trusty sailor. who was certainly in the
other boat with it. He did not tell her,
of course. that Rowland had hailed
from the berg as she lay unconscious
and that if he still had the child it was
with him there-deserted.
Rowland. with some misgivings.
drank a small quantity Of the liquor
and, wrapping the still sleeping child
in the coat. stepped out on the ice. The
fog was gone. and blue. sailless sea
stretched out to the horizon. Behind
him was ice-a mountain Of it. He
climbed the elevation and looked. at
another stretch of vacant view from q
precipice hundred feet high. To his
left the ice sloped to sleeper beach
than the one behind him. and to the
right a pile Of hummocks and taller
peaks, interspersed with numerous can
yons and caves and glistening with
waterfalls, shut out the horizon in this
direction. Nowhere was there sail
or steamers smoke to cheer him. and
he retraced his steps. When but half
way to the wreckage he saw a moving
white object approaching from the di-
rection Of the peaks.
His eyes were not yet in good condi-
ton, and after an uncertain scrutiny
he started at run, for he saw that
the mysterious white object was near
er the bridge than himself and rapidly
lessening the distance. A hundred
yards away his heart bounded and the
blood in his veins felt cold as the ice
under foot, for the white object proved
to be a traveller from the frozen north.
lean and famished-a polar bear. who
had scented food and was seeking it
coming on at numbering run. with
great red jaws half open and yellow
fangs exposed Rowland had no weap-
on but a strong jackknife, but this he
pulled from his pocket and opened as
he ran Not for an instant did he hesi-
tate at conflict that promised almost
certain death, for the presence of this
bear involved the safety of child
whose life had become Of more Inn
portance to him than his own. To his
horror. he saw 1t creep out of the
opening in its white covering, just a.
the bear turned the corner of the
bridge.
go back, baby, go back!' he shout
ed as he bounded down the slope.
The bear reached the child first and
with seemingly no effort dashed it.
with a blow of it's massive paw,
dozen feet away. where it lay quiet.
Turning to follow. the brute was met
by Rowland.
The bear rose to his launches. sank
down and charged, and Rowland felt
the bones of his left arm crushing un-
ucI Tue ute VI tuC Dis. SCho" Aoh6SN
jaws. But, falling, he buried the knife
blade in the shaggy hide. and the bear.
with an angry snarl. spat ont the
mangled member and dealt him
sweeping blow which sent him farther
along the ice than the child had gone
He arose, with broken ribs. and. scarce
" feeling the pain. awaited the second
charge Again was the crushed and
uelesss arm gripped in the yellow wise.
and again was he pressed backward.
but this time he used the knife with
method. The great snout was pressing
his breast: the hot. fetid breath was in
his nostrils, and at his shoulder the
hungry eyes were glaring into his own
He struck for the left eye of the brute
and struck true. The FIVE inch blade
went In to the handle. piercing the
brain, and the animal. with convul-
sive spring which carried him half
way to his feet by the wounded arm.
reared up, with paws outstretched. to
full eight feet Of length. then sagged
down and with few spasmodic kicks
lay still. Rowland had done what no
Innuit hunter will attempt-he had
fought and killed the tiger OF the
north with a knife.
It had all happened In minute, but
in that minute he was crippled for life.
for in the quiet of hospital the best
OF surgical skill could hardly avail to
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