The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-02-20
"SEA WOLF ,', ,; ;,, u; ;;, q ;;,'
by

| called up all my resolution, set
my teeth, and hobbled back and
forth from galley to cabin and
cabin to galley without further
mishap. Two things I had ac-
CURED by my accident: an injured
kneeeap that went undressed and
from which ! suffered for weary
months, and the name of Hump -
which Wolf Larsen had called me
from the poop. Thereafter, fore
and aft, | was known by no other
name, until the term became a
part of my thought-processe and
! identified 1t with myself, thought
OF myself as Hump, as though
Hump were | and had always
been /.
1t was no easy task. waiting on
the cabin table, where sat Wolf
Larsen, Johansen, and the six
hunters. The cabin was small, to
begin with and to move around as
] was compelled to, was not made
easier by the schooner's violent
pitching and wallowing. But what
struck me most forcibly was the
total lack OF sympathy on the
part OF the men whom l served.
] could feel my knee through my
clothes, swelling, and swelling,
and was sick and faint from the
pain of 1t. | could catch glim uses
of my face, white and ghas.ly,
distorted with pain, in the cabin
mirror. All the men must have
seen my condition, but not one
spoke or took notice of me, till /
was almost grateful to Wolf Lar
sen, later on, CT was washing the
dishes), when he said
Don't let a little thing like
that bother you. You'll get used
to such things in time. 1t may
cripple you some, but all the same
you'll be learning to walk.
That's what you call para
dox, isn't it," he added.
lie seemed pleased when ! nod
ed my head with the customary
Yes, SIR"
II suppose You know a bit about
literary things? Eth, Good. I'll
have some talks with you some
time"
And then, taking no further ac-
count of me, he turned his back
and went up on deck.
That night, when ] had finished
n Inoc n nf xunrE I MN q
sent to sleep in the steerage,
where / made up a spare bunk.
I was glad to get out of the de-
testable presence of the cook and
to be off my feet. To my sur
prise, my clothes had dried on me
and there seemed no indications
of catching cold, either from the
last soaking or from the pro-
longed soaking from the founder
ing of the Martinez. Under ordi-
nary circumstances, after all that
had undergone, | should have
been fit for bed and trained
nurse.
But my knee was bothering me
terribly. AS well as | could make
out, the kneecap seemed turned up
on edge in the midst of the swell
ing. AS | sat in my bunk exam
lining 1t, (the six hunters were all
in. the steerage, smoking and talk
ing in loud voices), Henderson
took a passing glance at it.
l3 Looks nasty" he commented.
'eTie rag around 1t and it'll be
Tall right"
That was all; and on the land
would have been lying on the
broad of my back, with a surgeon
attending on me, and with strict
injunctions to do nothing but rest.
But | must do these men justice.
Callous as they were to my suf-
ffing, they were equally callous
III their own when anything befell
Them. And this was due, be-
tieye, first, to habit; and second,
tpfhe fact that they were less SEN
lsitively organized. really be-
lieve that a finely organized, high
strung man would suffer twice
and thrice as much as they from
a like injury.
Tired as l was, exhausted, In
fact, II was prevented from sleep.
| ing by the pain in my knee. II
was all / could do to keep from
lgroaning aloud. At home shouls
undoubtedly have given vent Il
my anguish; but this new and ele-
mental environment seemed t
call for a savage repression. Like
| the savage, the attitude of these
men was stoical in great things
childish In little things ! remem
Der, later In the voyage, seeinI
Kerfoot, another Of the hunters