The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-04-12
BY JACK LONDON.
from Yesterday

II rooms ana COOKING IN tue Sdiiey.
The Imprisonment of Wolf Larsen
had happened most OPPORTUNITY,
for what must have been the In
dian summer of this high lati-
tude was gone and drizzling
stormy weather had set in. We
were very comfortable, and the
inadequate shears. with the fore
mast suspended from them, gave
businesslike air to the schooner
and a promise of departure.
And now that we had Wolf
Larsen in irons, how little did we
need IT. Like his first attack. his
second had been accompanied by
serious disablement. Maud made
the discovery in the afternoon
while trying to give him nourish-
ment. lie had shown signs of
consciousness. and she had spoken
to him. eliciting no response. He
was lying on his left side at the
time, and in evident pain. With
a restless movement he rolled his
head around, clearing his left
ear from the pillow against which
1t had been pressed. At once he
heard and answered her, and at
once she came to me.
Pressing the pillow against his
left ear, | asked him IL he heard
me, but he gave no sign. Re-
moving the pillow and repeating
the question, he answered prompt
ly that he did.
do you know you are deaf In
the right earl" | asked.
YES" he answered in a low,
strong voice, land worse than
that. My whole right side is af-
fected. 1t seems asleep. i can
not move arm or leg"
Beginning AGAIN." I demand
ed angrily.
He shook his head, his stern
mouth shaping the strangest,
twisted smile. 1t was indeed a
- twisted smile, for it was on the
left side only, the facial muscles
of the right side moving not at
all.
THAT was the last play of the
Wolf" he said. Il am paralyzed
shall never walk again. Oh
only on the other SIDE" he add
ed, as though divining the suspi--
cious glance | flung at his left
leg, the knee of which had jus,
then drawn up and elevated the
blankets.
Its unfortunate" he contin
ued. I'D like to have done fol
Won first, Hump. And | thought
l had that much left in me-"
But why?"-I asked, partly II
horror, partly out of curiosity.
Again his stern mouth framed
the twisted smile, as he said:
'Oh, just to be alive, to be liv
ing and doing, to be the bigges
bit of the ferment to the end, t.
eat you. But to die this way
He shrugged his shoulders, o.
attempted to shrug them, rather
for the left shoulder alone moved
Like the smile, the shrug wa
twisted.
But how can you account fol
it?" I asked. Where is tn,
seat of your trouble?"
THE BRAIN" he said at once
brought it on"
Symptoms" ] said.
He nodded his head. There /
no accounting for 1t. ] was neve
sick in my life. Something's gon
wrong with my brain. A cancer
a tumor, or something of that ma
ture,-a thing that devours an
destroys. It's attacking m
nerve-centers, eating them III
bit by bit, cell by cell-from tn
pain"
"The motor-centers, too,'
suggested.
so il would seem; and tn
curse of II is that must lie here
conscious, mentally unimpaired
knowing that the lines are goin
down, breaking bit by bit com
munication with the world.
cannot see, Nearing and feelin
are leaving ME, at this rate
shall soon cease to speak; yet al
the time l shall be here, alive
active. and powerless."
when you say you are herr
I'd suggest the likelihood of tn
SOUL" l said.
"Bosh!' was his retort. "a
simply means that in the attac
on my brain the higher psychici
centers are untouched. | can r,
member, / can think and reasol
When that goes, l go. ] am no
The soul?"
He broke out in mocking laugl
ter, then turned his left ear to ii
= pillow as sign that he wishe
no further conversation.
- Maud and ! went about OIL
DR. work oppressed by the fearf
rib. fate which had overtaken him.
lib. how fearful we were yet fully
III realize. There was the awfu
ill., neas of retribution about 1t. o,
ea thoughts we're deep and sclem
N and we spoke to each 9th,
scarcely above whispers.
1a "You might remove the han,
cuffs he said that night, as '
% stood in consultation over hir
lI"It's dead safe. I'm a paralyt
now. The next thing to watt
- out for is bed sores"
er. He smiled his twisted smil
rn, and Maud, her eyes wide wi
IL; horror, was compelled to tn
away her head.
do you know that your smi
ID crooked?" / asked him; for
CO knew that she must attend hi
ace and wished to save her as mu