The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-03-11

don, Mr.. Van weyden, congratu-
alte you. think you can now
fire your fathers legs back into
the grave to him. You've discov-
cred your own and learned to
stand on them. A little rope
work, sail-making. and experience
with storms and such things, aud
by the end of the voyage you
could ship on any coasting
schooner"
IL was during this period, be-
tween the death of Johansen and
the arrival on the sealing grounds,
that passed my pleasantest
hours on the Ghost. Wolf Larsen
was quite considerable, the sailors
helped me, and | was no longer
in irritating conflict with Thomas
Mugridge. And l make free to
say, as the days went by, that
found was taking certain
secret pride in myself. Fantastic
as the situation was,--a landlub-
Der second in commando was.
nevertheless, carrying 1t off we'll;
and during that brief time | was
proud of myself, and | grew to
love the heave and roll of the
Ghost under my feet as she wal
lowed north and west through the
tropic sea to the islet where we
filled our water-casks.
But my happiness was not UNI
alleged. II was compa .ative. a
period OF less misery slipped in
between a past of great miseries
and a future OF great miseries.
For the Ghost, so far as the sea-
men were concerned, was a hell
ship of the worse description
They never had a moments rest
or peace. Wolf Larsen treasured
against them the attempt on his
lille and the drubbing he had re-
ceived In the forecastle; and
morning, noon, and night, and all
night as well, he devoted himself
TO making life unlivable for them.
! He knew well the psychology of
the little thing, and II was the lit
tie things by which he kept the
crew worked up to the verge of
madness. ! have seen Harrison
called from his bunk to put prop
ierly away a misplaced paint-brush.
and the two watches below hailed
from their tired sleep to accom-
pany him and see him do it. A
little thing. truly, but when null
tplied by the Thousand ingenious
devices OF such a mind, the mem
!: tai state OF the men in the fore
hended.
or course much grumbIine
went on, and little outbursts
We're continually occurring. Blows
were struck, and there were al
ways two or three men nursing
injuries at the hands of the human
Deast who was their master. Con-
certed action was impossible in
race OF the heavy arsenal of
weapons carried in the steerage
and cabin. Leach and johnson
were the two particular victims
or Wolf Larsen's diabolic temper.
and the look of profound melan-
choly which had settled on John
sons face and in his eyes made
my heart bleed.
With Leach it was different
There was too much Of the fight
ing beast in him. He seemed pos
sessed by an Unsuitable fury which
gave no time for grief. His lips
mad become distorted into a per-
manent snarl, which, at mere
sight OF Wolf Larsen, broke out
In sound, horrible and menacing.
and, l do believe, unconsciously.
l have seen him follow Wolf Lar
sen about with his eyes. like an
animal its keeper, the while the
animal-like snarl sounded deep in
his throat and vibrated forth be-
tween his teeth.
l remember once, on deck. in
bright day, touching him on the
shoulder as preliminary to giving
an order. His back was toward
me, and at the first feel of my
hand he leaped upright in the air
and away from me, snarling and
turning his head as he leaped. He
had for the moment mistaken me
for the man he hated.
Both he and Johnson would
have killed Wolf Larsen at the
slightest opportunity, but the OBJ
portunity never came. Wolf Lar
sen was too wise for that, and.
besides, they had no adequate
weapons. With their fists alone
they had no chance whatever.
Time and again he fought 1t out
with Leach, who fought back, al
ways, like a wildcat, tooth and
nail and fist, until stretched, ex-
hausted or unconscious, on the
deck. And he was never averse to
another encounter. All the devil
that was in him challenged the
devil in Wolf Larsen. They had
but to appear on deck at the
same time, when they would be
at it, cursing, snarling,- striking !;
and have seen Leach fling him
self upon Wolf Larsen without
warning or provocation. Once he
threw his heavy sheath-knife,
missing Wolf Larsen's throat by
an inch. Another time he dropped
steel marlinspike from the miz-
zen crosstree. 1t was a difficult
cast to make on a rolling ship,
but the sharp point of the spike,
whistling rs feet through the air,
barely missed Wolf Larsen's
head as he emerged from the
cabin companionway and drove its
lapgfb fura In and ay~~ sx&.