The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1915-02-06
IheScarIet|
Plague
BY JACK LONDON /


o8tlu8s craDes mighty 8ooQ eating
when you've no more teeth and you've
got grandsons that love their old
grandsire and make q point OF catch
ing crabs for him When I was .
boy"
But Edwin. suddenly stopped BY
what he saw. was drawing the bow
string on 2 fitted arrow. He had
paused on the brink Of crevasse in
the embankment. An ancient culvert
had here washed out, and the stream.
no longer confined, had cut passage
through the NIL. On the opposite side,
the end Of rail projected and over
hung. It showed rustily through the
creeping vines which overran 1t. Be-
yond, crouching by bush. q rabbit
looked across at him in trembling hesi-
fancy. Fully fifty feet was the dis
lance. but the arrow flashed true;
and the transfixed rabbit. crying out
In sudden fright and hurt, struggled
painfully away into the brush. The
boy himself was a fash Of brown skin
and flying fur as he bounded down
the steep wall Of the gap and up the
other side. His lean muscles were
springs Of steel that released into
graceful and efficient action. A hun
dred feet beyond, in tangle Of BUSH
es, he overlook the wounded creature.
knocked its head on a convenient
tree trunk and turned It over to Gran
ser to carry.
rabbit is good, very GOOD" the
ancient quavered an. when Il comes
70 'oo'r lone delicacy I prefer crab
4en I was a boy"
\ why do you say so much that
amt got no sense? Edwin impatient
ly interrupted the others threatened
garrulousness.
what want to know" Edwin con.
tinued, lis why you call crab tooth.
some delicacy'! Crab is crab. aln't 1t ?
No one never heard calls It such
funny things"
The old man sighed but did not an
swer, and they moved on in silence.
The surf grew suddenly louder, as
they emerged from tho forest upon q
stretch of sand dunes bordering the
sea. A few goats were browsing
among the sandy hillocks. and a skin.
clad boy. aided BY wolflsh-lookins
dog that was only family reminiscent
| of q collie. was watching them
The old man accelerated his pace
smiling eagerly as he neared the fire
'Mussels!" he muttered ecstatically
"Mussels! And amt that a crab, Hoo.
Hoo? Amt that crab? My. my,
| you boys are good to your old grand
| sire"
Hoo-Hoo. who was apparently OF the
same age as Edwin, grinned.
"All you want, Granser. got four"
The old mans palsied eagernesa
was pitiful Sitting down in the sand
az quickly as his stiff limbs would let
him. he poked large mussel from the
Goals. The heat had forced its shells
apart, and the meat, salmon colored,
was thoroughly cooked. Between
thumb and forennger. in trembling
haste. he caught the morsel
and carried It to his mouth. But 1t was
too hot, and the next moment was VIC
lently elected. The old man spluttered
with the pain. and tears ran out OF his
eyes and down his cheeks.
The boys wore true savages. posses
sing only the cruel humor Of the saw
age. To them the incident was 6xcru-
ciatingly funny. and they burst into
loud laughter. Hoo-Hoo danced up and
down, while Edwin rolled gleefully on
the ground. The boy with the boats
came running to Join in the fun.
"Set 'em to cool, Edwin. set 'em to
COOL" the old man besought, In the
midst Of his grief, making no attempt
to wipe away the tears that still flowed
from his eyes.s "And cool crab, Ed
win. too. You know your grandsire
likes crabs"
From the Goals q great sizzling,
which proceeded from the many mus
sells bursting open their shells and ex'
uding their moisture. They were large
shellnsh. running from three to SIX
inches in length. The boys raked them
out with sticks and placed them on q
large piece of driftwood to cool.
when was q boy we did not laugh
at our elders; we respected them"
The boys took no notice. and Gran.
ser continued to babble an incoherent
flow Of complaint and censure. But
this time he was more careful. and did
not burn his mouth. All began to eat.
using nothing but their hands and
making loud mouth noises and lin