The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-02-21
"a SEA
MONSTER
By r. A.. Mitchell

not become extinct. All SHIPS Ut tnut
time were sailers. and pirates were
usually long. low. narrow vessels. with
rakish masts, and their character could
often be discerned by the merchant
vessels they preyed upon.
One misty morning a Malay pirate
was lying ut anchor near the coast
Of Japan when sounds were heard In
dicxting the near presence OF ship.
Then came stentorian voice. "All
hands for'ard TO raise anchor" The
pirates did not know what that mennt.
for they did not understand English.
but they listened for something that
would indicate the nature Of the neigh.
boring vessel. which they could NOT
see for the fog. Presently they heard
a snorting that was unfamiliar to them
and a stirring of waters as II a whale
were beating them With bis tall.
Smoke. mingled with the mist. h0ated
toward them.
The pirates wondered ut all this, and
the more superstitious among them.
hearing the snorting and the lashing
Of the waters. thought they we're near
some sea monster which. like the drag
ons Of old. vomited fire and smoke But
the pirate captain. hearing the famil-
lar sound of turning capstan. knew
that ship was near him, and II she
were not man-of-war he determined
to make prize of her. so he ordered
his anchor hauled up In order to be
ready to give chase the moment the
fog lifted.
But the fog was in no hurry to lift.
Nevertheless the leviathan. or what
ever she was. continued to snort and
swish her tail. the sounds slowly re-
ceding. The pirate. not willing to let
her 60 without a better knowledge OF
her character. decided to follow. Since
there was no breeze boat was low
cred, ha WISER attached to 1t and the
ship. and she was pulled along In the
wake OF the monster which threw back
the waters with her tail. with which
she seemed to be propelling herself.
Presently the fog thinned, and the
pirates could discern dim body ahead
Of them vomiting smoke.
'She's q mountain of swami! ex.
claimed one. "She's padding with her
web feet that take the place Of Sails"
Whoever henrd OF swan breathing
smoker queried another. turning pale
"Or sq,ia viking chug. chug. chug
chug?" said another.
by this tune there was some wind
which blew the fog with It. and. though
1t did not render the form OF the mon
ster palmer. the captain. who had more
courage than his crew. ordered salt
hoisted that he might get nearer. HI
succeeded in approaching her stern
but the current OF water she kicked
back with her feet was stronger there
her snortinG sounded louder. and thu
terrified crew protested 80 strongly
against getting any nearer that th'
captain was obliged to drop back to I
safer position.
Suppose she should turn and blow
fire at u.s. exclaimed one. "She wOult
burn us to ashesW
"Or II she should come beside us ant
) close one OF her wings over us sh'
would send us to the bottom"
At that moment the smoke from tn
, monster ahead. veering. envelOped tn
pirate. Most OF the crew fell on thei
knees. and the others. running to tn
halyards. let down the sails. The car
! tain swore at them for cowardice. bu
his own features Indicated fear. The
= dropped behind the mammoth swan
2 her chugging sounded more falntly
= and at last they lost her altogether.
Half an hour passed. during whic
\ the pirate captain served double dos
y Of grog to ipfuse courage into his mel
for he had heard voices and the turnin
Of the capstan, aud since danger far
much less terrible than danger near b
had recovered and regained the belle
J. that the sen griffin was In reality
9 ship. Then suddenly the fog liftet
}. and there on the starbOard quarter wa
\. a ship. Her nasts were puny thing
J. not capable of carrying sails to giy
o her headway OF. hve knots. But sh
u didn't look like a ship any of them ha
l. ever seen. She had no sails set. an
{ yet she moved Indeed. white line {
10 foam extended astern from midshiI
}. and 1t appeared 70 the pirates ut ono
Il that she was padding with feet. M
u seen because they were under wste
.. She was moving on course that woul
take her directly across the pirate
, bow. and the captain Of the latter CAV
? orders to hoist al! call and stand I
70 ward her.
y The order wac obeyed by the crsv
u which had been braced BY the gro
" and It looked IN II she would be q
y easy prey, when suddenly from GO
4. umn amidships poured forth thic
tuaoke that changed the situation: tt
pirate crew looked on with. horror.
ut comes from her backl" cried
:. sailor, aghast.
u "There's tire In her belly" exclaims
another. ~
" Then. right where that belly was su
posed to b", there burst a glare th
" uent every pirate to his knees. prayil
sr 70 his God or his gods not to let Il