The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-04-05

Larsen take the initiative, but to
take II myself.
i cooked both barrels and lev
eled the shotgun at him. Had he
moved, attempted to drop down
the companionway, know /
would have shot him. But he
stood motionless and staring as
before, And as faced him, with
leveled gun shaking in my hands,
| mad time to note the worn and
haggard appearance of his face.
II was as II some strong anxiety
had wasted 1t. The cheeks were
sunken, and there was wearied,
puckered expression on the brow.
And 1t seemed to me that his eyes
were strange, not only the express
sion, but the physical, seeming as
though the optic nerves and sup
porting muscles had suffered
strain and slightly twisted the
eyeballs.
All this ! saw, and my brain
now working rapidly, l thought a
thousand thoughts: and yet |
could not pull the triggers. low
cred the gun and stepped to the
corner of the cabin, primarily to
relieve the tension on my nerves
and to make new start. and in
cidentally to be closer. Again /
raised the gun. He was almost
at arms length. There was no
hope for him. / was resolved.
There was no possible chance of
missing him, no matter how poor
my Workmanship. And yet
wrestled with myself and could
not pull the triggers.
"Well?" he demanded impa-
tiently.
strove vainly to force my
fingers down on the triggers, and
vainly | strove to say something.
why don't you shoot?" he
asked.
cleared my throat of huski-
ness which prevented speech.
Hump" he said slowly, you
can't do it. You are not exactly
afraid. You are. impotent. Your
conventional morality is stronger
than you. You are the slave to
the opinions which have credence
among the people you have
known and have read about.
Their code has been drummed
into your head from the time you
lisped, and In spite of your phil
osophy, and of what have.
taught you, It won't let you kill
an. unarmed, unresisting man."
Il know it," | said hoarsely.
And you know that / would
kill an unarmed man as readily
as | would smoke cigar" he
went on. You know me for
what / am,-my worth in the
world by your standard. You
have called me snake, shark
monster, and Caliban. And yet,
you little rag puppet, you little
echoing mechanism, you are I'M
able to kill me as you would a
snake or shark, because / have
hands, feet, and body shaped
somewhat like yours. Bah! Il
had hoped better things of you,
Hump"
He stepped out of the compan-
ionway and came up to me.
Put down that gun. ] want
to ask you some questions. II
haven't had chance to look
around yet. What place is this?
How is the Ghost lying? How
did you get wet? Where's Maud?
Il beg your pardon, Miss Brew
ster-or should / say, Mrs. Van
Weyden'?"
l had backed away from him,
almost weeping at my inability
to shoot him, but not fool enough
to put down the gun. I hoped,
desperately, that he might COM
NIT some hostile act, attempt to
strike me or choke me; for in
such way only | knew | could be
stirred to shoot.
This is Endeavor Island" 4
said.
Never heard of It," he broke
in.
SAT least. that's our name for
it," ! amended.
"our?" he queried. who's
our?"
Miss Brewster and myself.
And the Ghost is lying, as you
can see for yourself, bow on the
beach,"
There are seals here" he said.
They woke me up with their
barking, or I'd be sleeping yet.
/ heard them when / drove in last
night. They were the first warn
ing that l was on a lee shore. It's
a rookery, the kind of a thing
I've hunted for years. Thanks
to my brother Death, I've lighted
on q fortune. It's a mint. What's
it's bearings?"
Haven't the least idea,'' /
said. but you ought to know
quite closely. What were your
last observations?"
He smiled inscrutably, but did
not answer.
well, where's all hands?" 1
asked. How does It come that
you are alone?"
l was prepared for him again
to set aside my question. and was
surprised at the readiness Of his
reply.