The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-04-05
What freak Of fortune had

""i ~ my pdch ana knew the
profundity of despair. Escape was
hopeless, out of the question. 1
thought of Maud, asleep there in
the hut we had reared; | remem-
bered her Good night, Hum
phrey"; my woman, my mate"
went ringing through my brain,
out now, alas, 1t was a knell that
sounded, Then everything went
black before my eyes.
| Possibly 1t was the fraction of
a second, but had no knowledge
OF now long an interval had
lapsed before was myself again.
There lay the Ghost, bow on to
the beach, her splintered bow
spirit projecting over the sand.
her tangled spars rubbing against
her side to the lift of the Groom
! Ing waves. Something must be
done, must be done.
| 1t came upon me suddenly, as
strange, that nothing moved
aboard. Wearied from the night
OF struggle and wreck, all hands
were yet asleep, / thought. My
next thought was that Maud and
| might yet escape. II we could
take to the boat and make around
the point before any one awoke?
] would call her and start. My
hand was lifted at her door to
Knock, when i recollected the
smallness OF the island. We
could never hide ourselves upon
1t. There was nothing for us but
the wide raw ocean. / thought
of our snug little huts. our sup
plies of meat and oil and moss
and firewood, and | knew that we
could never survive the wintry
sea and the great storms which
were to come.
So | stood with hesitant
knuckle, without her door. 1t
was impossible, impossible. A
wild thought of rushing in and
killing her as she slept rose in
my mind. And then, in a flash,
the better solution came to me.
All hands were asleep. Why not
creep aboard the Ghost-well
knew the way to Wolf Larsen's
bunk, and kill him in his sleep?
After that-well, we would see.
But with him dead there was
ltime and space in which to pre-
pare to do other things; and be-
sides, whatever new situation
arose, 1t could not possibly be
worse than the present one.
+ MY knife was at my hip. I re-
turned to my hut for the shotgun,
made sure 1t was loaded, and
went down to the Ghost. With
some difficulty, and at the ex-
pense of wetting to the waist,
climbed aboard. The forecastle
scuttle was open. / paused to lis
ten for the breathing of the men,
but there was no breathing. l al
most gasped as the thought came
to me: What II the Ghost is de-
serted? | listened more closely.
There was no sound. | cautiously
descended the ladder. The place
had the empty. and musty feel
and smell usual to dwelling no
longer inhabited. Everywhere
was thick litter of discarded and
ragged garments, old sea-boots,
leaky Oilskins-all the worthless
forecastle dunnage of a long voy-
age.
Abandoned hastily, was my
conclusion, as descended to the
deck. Hope was alive again in
my breast, and l looked about
me with greater GOODNESS. I noted
that the boats were missing. The
steerage told the same tale as the
forecastle. The hunters had
packed their belongings with SIM
liar haste. The Ghost was de-
serted. 1t was Maud's and mine.
| thought Of the ships stores and
the lazarette beneath the cabin,
and the idea came to me of sur
prising Maud with something
! nice for breakfast.
The reaction from my fear, and
the knowledge that the terrible
deed / had come to do was no
longer necessary. made me boy
ish and eager. ] went up the
| steerage companionway two steps
at a time, with nothing distinct
In my mind except Joy and the
hope that Maud would sleep on
until the surprise breakfast was
quite ready for her. AS round
ed the galley, a new satisfaction
was mine at thought of all the
splendid cooking utensils inside.
! sprang up the break Of the poop,
and saw--Wolf Larsen. What of
my impetus and the stunning sur
prise, l clattered three or four
steps along the deck before /
| could stop myself. He was stand
ing in the companionway, only
| his head and shoulders visible,
staring straight at me. His arms
we're resting ON the half-open
Islide. He made no movement
whatever - simply stood there.
stsring at me.
i began to tremble. The old
stomach sickness clutched me. /
put one hand on the edge Of the
house to steady myself. My lips
seemed suddenly dry and moIs-
ltsned them against the need of
Ispeech. Nor did I for an instant
Lake my eyes OF fhim. Neither OF
as spoke. There was something
3nkinous In his silence, his immo-
4 biIity. All my old fear of him
4 tturned and by new fear was
4 Increased an hundred fold. And
still we stood. the pair OF US, star
ing at each other.