The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-04-24
THE WRECK OF THE
TITAN; OR FU7HITY

go back. Baby, 60 back" he shout
ed. as he bounded down the slope. The
bear reached the child first. and with
seemingly no effort. dashed 1t. with a
| blow OF its massive paw. q dozen feet
away. where 1t lay quiet. Turning to
follow, the brute was met by Rowland.
The bear rose to his launches,
sank down. and charged; and Row
land felt the bones of his left arm
, ohrushing under the bite Of the big
yellow fanged jaws. But, falling. he
buried the knife blade In the shaggy
hide. and the bear. with an angry
snarI, spat out 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--scarcely feeling the
pain--awaited the second charge.
Again was the crushed and useless
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 press
ing his breast. the hot. field breath
was. in his nostrtls: and at his shoul-
der the hungry eyes were glaring into
ais own. He struck for the left eve
II the hru,e and struck true. The
flve-inch blade went In to the handle,
piercing .le brain, and the animal,
with a convulsive spring which car
led him nAlf way to his feet by the
wounded aim, reared up. with paws
eItstretrhCd. to full eight feet OF
length. then sagged down. and with Il
few soasinodic kicks, lay still. Row
land had done what no Innuit hul-
ter viii atIempt-he had fought AMI
killed the Tiger -the-North with
hnifs.
1t has all happened in a minute.
bat tr hA Nrtnntad
/ for IFS; for In the. quiet OF a hesps-
tai, the best OF surgical skill could
hardly avail to reset the fractured par
ticles OF bone in the limp arm, ana
bring to place the crushed ribs. Ana
he was adrift on a floating island OF
Ice, with the temperature near the
freezing point. and without even the
rude appliances of the savage.
He painfully made his way 10 the
little pile of red and white. and lifted
1t with his uninjured arm. though the
STOPPING caused him excru ctating tor
ture. The child was bleeding from
four deep. cruel scratches. extending
dtaGonally from the right shoulder
down the back: but he found upon
examination that the soft. yielding
bones were unbroken, and that her
Inconsistencies came from the rough
contact of the little forehead with
the ice: for a large iumn had raised
OF pure necessity. his first efforts
must be made In his own behalf: SO
wrapping the baby in his coat he
pla sed It in his shelter, and cut and
made from the canvas, sling Tor
his dangling arm. Then, with knife.
fingers and teeth, he partly skinned
the bear--often comnelled to pause
to save himself from fainting with
pain--and cut from the warm but
not very thick layer Of fat. broad
slab. which. after bathing the wounds
at a near by pool, he bound nrrniy
to the little ones back. using the
torn night-gown for bandage.
He cut the flannel lining from his
coat. and from that Of the sleeves
made neither garments for the little
limbs. doubling the surplus length
over the ankles and tying In place
with rope-yarns from a boat-lacing.
The body lining he wrapped around
her waist. enclosing the arms, and
around the whole he passed turn upon
turn of canvas In strips. marling the
mummy-nke bundle with yarns. much
az a sailor secures chafiing-gear to
the doubled parts Of a hAwser-a
process when complete. that would
have aroused the Indignation OF any
mother which saw II. But he WAS only
a man, and suffering mental and ply
steal anguish.
BY the time he had finished. the
child had recovered consciousness,
and was protesting its misery in fee
BILE. waiting cry. But he dared not
stop---to become stinened with cold
and pain. There was plenty OF fresh
water from melting ice. scattered in
pools The bar would furnish food:
| but they needed f1re, to cook this food.
keep them warm and the dangerous
inflammation from their hurts. ana to
raise a smoke to be seen by passing
craft.
lie recklessly drank from the bot
tie, needing the stimulant- and reas-
oning, perhaps rightly. that no ordi-
nary drug could affect him In his
present condition.: then he examined
the wreckags-most Of 1t good kind
ling wood. Partly above. partly De-
low the pile, was n steel life-boat.
decked over air. tight ends. now,
doubled to more than a right-angle
and resting on its side. With canvas