Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1913-06-26
A SEA
MONSTER
By F. A. Mitchell

while piracy had lost its vitality, it bad
not become extinct. All ships at that
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 at anchor near the coast
of japan when sounds were heard IN
dicating the near presence of snip.
Then came a stentorian voice, All
hands for'ard to raise anchor! The
pirates did not know what that meant,
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
q snorting that was unfamiliar to them
and a stirring Of waters as if whale
were beating them with his tail.
Smoke, mingled with the mist. foated
toward them.
The pirates wondered at all this, and
the more superstitious among them.
hearing the snorting and the flashing
of the waters, thought they were near
some sea monster which. Aike the drag
ons of old. vomited fire and smoke. But
the pirate captain, hearing the famil-
lar sound Of "a turning capstan, knew
that ship was near him, and If she
were not a 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 go without a better knowledge of
her character decided to follow. Since
there was no breeze boat was low
cred, a hawser attached to it 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 a dim body ahead
Of them vomiting smoke.
.Shes a mountain Of a swami ex-
claimed one. "Shes padding with her
web feet that take the place of sails"
whoever heard of swan breathing
smoker" queried another, turning pale.
'Or squawking chug, chug, chug,
chug" said another
BY this time there was some wind,
which blew the fog with it, and, though
it did not render the form of the mon
ster palmer, the captain, who had more
courage than his crew, ordered sails
hoisted that he might get nearer. He
succeeded in approaching her stern,
but the current of water she kicked
back with her feet was stronger there,
her snorting sounded louder, and the
terrified crew protested so strongly
against getting any nearer that the
captain was obliged to drop back to a
safer position.
Suppose she should turn and blow
fire at us!' exclaimed one "She would
burn us to ashes!'
''Or if she should come beside us and
close one of her wings over MS she
would send US to the bottom
At that moment the smoke from the
monster ahead, veering. enveloped the
pirate. Most of the crew fell on their
knees, and the others. running to the
halyards, let down the sails The cap
tain swore at them for cowardice, but
his own features indicated fear They
dropped behind the mammoth swan.
her chugging sounded more family.
and at last they lost her altogether.
Half an hour passed, during which
the pirate captain served a double dose
of grog to infuse courage into his men,
for he had heard voices and the turning
of the capstan, and since danger far is
much less terrible than danger near he
had recovered and regained the belief
chat the sea griffin was in reality a
ship. Then suddenly the fog lifted,
and there on the starboard quarter was
ship. Her masts were puny things,
not capable of carrying sails to give
her a Roadway of five knots But she
didn't look like a ship any of them had
ever seen. She had no sails set, and
yet she moved. Indeed. white line of
foam extended astern from midship,
and it appeared to the pirates at once
that she was padding with feet, not
seen because they were under water
She was moving on a course that would
take her directly across the pirates
bow, and the captain of the latter gave
orders to hoist all sail and stand to-
ward her.
The order was obeyed by the crew,
which had been braced by the grog,
md 1t looked as If she would be an
hasy prey, when suddenly from col
ann amidships poured forth a thick
3moke that changed the situation. The
pirate crew looked on with horror.
1T comes srom her back" cried a
sailor, aghast.
There's fire In her bellyw exclaimed
another
nm.