The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-03-13

/ powered me, and for a while !
chung on. hand and foot, weak
and trembling. unable to search
the sea for the missing boats or
to behold aught OF the sea but
that which reared beneath and
strove to overwhelm the Ghost.
But the thought OF the men In
the midst OF II steadied me, and
In my quest for them | forgot my
self. For an hour | saw nothing
but the naked, desolate sea. And
then. where vagrant shaft OF
sunlight struck the ocean and
turned Its surface to wrathful sill.
yer, ! caught small black spect
thrust skyward for an instant and
swallowed up. I waited patiently
Again the tiny point OF black pro.
iected itself through the wrathful
blaze a couple OF points off ouI
port-bow. l did not attempt "a
shout, but communicated the news
to Wolf Larsen by waving my
arm. He changed the course, and
| signaled affirmation when the
speck showed dead ahead.
IL grew larger, and so swiftly
that for the first time fully APP
preciated the speed OF our flight.
Wolf Larsen motioned for me to
come down. and when stood be-
side him at the wheel gave me in
structions for heaving to.
Expect all hell to break loose, .
he cautioned me. but don't mind
1t. Yours Is to do your own work
and to have Cooky stand by the
fore-sheet."
managed to make my way for
ward, but there was little choice
OF sides, for the weather-rail
seemed buried as often as the lee.
Having instructed Thomas Mug
ridge as to what he was to do,
clambered into the fore rigging a
few feet, The boat was now very
close, and could make out plain
ly that II was lying head to wind
and sea and dragging on its mast
and sail, which had been thrown
overheard and made to serve as q
sea-anchor. The three men were
battling. Each rolling mountain
whelmed them from view, and |
would wait with sickening anxiety,
fearing that they would never APP
pear again. Then, and with black
suddenness the boat would shoot
clear through the foaming crest,
bow pointed to the sky, and the
whole length of her bottom show
ing, wet and dark, ll'she seemed
on end. There would be a fleet
ing glimpse of the three men
flinging water In frantic haste,
when she would topple over and
fall into the yawning valley, bow
down and showing her full inside
length to the stern upreared al
most directly above the bow. Each
time that she reappeared was a
miracle.
The Ghost suddenly changed
her course, keeping away, and It
came to me with a shock that
Wolf Larsen was giving up the
rescue as impossible. Then I
realized that he was preparing to
heave to, and dropped to the deck
to be in readiness. We were now
dead before the wind, the boat far
away and abreast OF us. | felt an
abrupt easing of the schooner, a
loss for the moment OF all strain
and pressure, coupled with a
swift acceleration of speed. She
was rushing around on her heel
into the wind.
AS she arrived at right angles
to the sea, the full force OF the
wind, (from which we had hither-
to run away, caught us. | was
unfortunately and ignorantly fac
Ing 1t. 1t stood up against me like
a wall, filling my lungs with air
which | could not expel. And as
| choked and strangled, and as the
Ghost wallowed for an instant,
broadside on and rolling straight
over and far into the wind, ] be-
held a huge sea rise far above my
head. turned aside, caught my
breath, and looked again. The
wave overtopped the Ghost, and
| gazed sheer up and into 1t. A
shaft of sunlight smote the over
curl. and / caught a glimpse OF
translucent, rushing green, backed
by milky smother of foam.
Then 1t descended, pandemon-
ium broke loose, everything hap
pened at once. was struck
crushing, stunning blow, nowhere
I'm particular and yet everywhere.
My hold had been broken loose, j
was under water. and the thought
passed through my mind that this
was the terrible thing of which
had heard, the being swept In the
trough of the sea. My body
struck and pounded as IL was
dashed helplessly along and
turned over and over, and when
| could hold my breath no longer,
l breathed the singing salt water
into my lungs. But through 1t all
| chung to the one idea---I must