The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-02-24
There are signs Of rampant bad

gossip Is going around that Smoke
and Henderson have had a fight.
Henderson seems the best of the
hunters, a slow-going fellow, and
hard to rouse; but reused he must
have been, for Smoke had a
bruised and discolored eye, and
looked particularly vicious when
he came into the cabin for supper.
A cruel thing happened Just be-
fore supper, indicative of the cal
lousness and brutishness of these
men. There Is one green hand in
the crew, Harrison by name, a
clumsy-looking country boy. mas
tered, ] imagine, by the spirit OF
adventure, and making his first
voyage. In the light battling airs
the schooner had been lacking
about a great deal, at which times
the sails passed from one side to
the other and man Is sent aloft
to shift over the fore-gaff-topsail.
In some way, when Harrison was
aloft, the sheet jammed In the
block through which II runs at the
end OF the gaff. As under
stood 1t, there were two ways of
getting II cleared-first. by low
ering the foresail. which was COM
paratively easy and without dan
ger; and second. by climbing out
the peak-halyards to the end OF
the gaff itself. an exceedingly
hazardous performance.
Johansen called out to Harrison
to go out the halyards. II was
patent to everybody that the boy
was afraid And well he might
be, eighty feet above the deck, to
trust himself on those thin and
jerking ropes. Had there been
steady breeze II would not have
been SO bad, but the Ghost was
rolling emptily I'm long sea, and
with each roll the canvas Tapped
and doomed and the halyards
Stacked and jerked taut. They
were capable of swapping a man
off like a fly from a whip-lash.
Harrison heard the order and
understood what was demanded
of him. but hesitated. 1t was
probably the first time he had
been aloft In his life. Johansen,
who had caught the contagion of
Wolf Larsen's masterfulness,
burst out with a volley of abuse
and curses.
"That'll do, Johansen,' Wolf
Larsen said brusquely. IN
have you know that | do the
swearing on this ship. II need
your assistance, I'll call you In"
Yes, SIR" the mate acknowl-
edged submissively.
In the meantime Harrison had
started out on the halyards. ] was
looking up from the galley door,
and | could see him trembling, as
with ague, in every limb. He pro-
ceeded very slowly and cautiously,
an inch at time. Outlined against
the clear blue OF the sky, he had
the appearance Of an enormous
spider crawling along the tracery
of its web.
II was slight uphill climb, for
the foresail peaked high; and the
halyards, running through vari-
GUS blocks on the gaff and the
mast, gave him separate holds for
hands and feet. But the trouble
lay In that the wind was not
strong enough nor steady enough
to keep the sail full. When he
was halfway out, the Ghost took
a long roll to windward and back
again into the hollow between
two seas. Harrison ceased his
progress and held on tightly.
Eighty feet beneath, l could see
the agonized strain of his mus
cles as he gripped for very life. |
The sail emptied and the gaff
swung amidships. The halyards
and, though 1t all hap
pened very quickly, could see
them sag beneath the weight of
his body. Then the gaff swung
to the side with an abrupt swift !
ness, the great sail doomed like a |
cannon, and the three rows of
reef-points Slated against the !
canvas like volley of rifles. Har- |
rison, clinging on, made the giddy |
rush through the air. This rush |
ceased abruptly. The halyards
became instantly taut. 1t was
the snap of the whip. His clutch |
was broken. One hand was torn
loose from its hold. The other
fingered desperately for a mo-
ment, and followed. His body |
pitched out and over, but in some
way he managed to save himself |
with his legs. He was hanging by
them, head downward. A quick
effort brought his hands up to the
halyards again; but he was a long
time regaining his former posi- |
ton, where he hung, pitiable
object.
'I'll bet he has no appetite for
supper" l heard Wolf Larsen's
voice, which came to me from
around the corner of the galley.
STAND from under, you, johann
sen! Watch out! Here she
comes!"
In truth, Harrison was very
sick, as a person is seasick; and
for. long time he chung to his
precarious perch without attempt
ing to move. Johansen, however,
continued violently to urge him
on to the completion of his task.
1T is shame" / heard John
son growing in painfully slow
and correct English. He was
standing by the main rigging a
few feet away from me. THE
boy is willing enough. He will
1earu n he has chance Rut