The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1915-03-19
CHAPTER XXI

ehe tuUtc anu laughed aWkWaruly.
CHAPTER XXI
The chagrin Wolf felt from be-
Ing ignored by Maud Brewster
and me In the conversation at
table had to express itself In some
fashion, and II fell to Thomas
Mugridge to be the victim. He
had not mended his ways nor his
shirt, though the latter he con-
tended he had changed. The gar
ment itself did not bear out the
assertion. nor did the aecumula-
tons OF grease on stove and pot
and pan attest general cleanli-
ness.
I've given you warning,
Cooky," Wolf Larsen said, land
now you've got to take your medi-
cine"
Mugridge's face turned white
under its sooty veneer, and when
Wolf Larsen called for a rope and
a couple of men. the miserable
Cockney fled wildly out of the
galley and lodged and ducked
about the deck with the grinning
crew In pursuit. Few things could
have been more to their liking
than to give him tow over the
side, for to the forecastle he had
sent messes and connections of
the vilest order. Conditions IA
vored the undertaking. The Ghost
was slipping through the water at
no more than three miles an
hour, and the sea was fairly calm.
But Mugridge had little stomach
for a dip In II. Possibly he had
seen men towed before. Besides,
the water was frightfully cold,
and his was anything but a rug
ged constitution.
As usual, the watches below
and the hunters turned out for
what promised sport. Mugridge
seemed to be in rabid fear OF the
water, and he exhibited a nimble-
ness and speed we did not dream
he possessed. Cornered In the
right angle of the poop and gal
ley, he sprang like a cat to the
top OF the cabin and ran aft. But
his pursuers forestalled him, he
doubled back across the cabin,
passed over the galley, and gained
the deck by means OF the steer
age-scuttle. Straight forward he
raced, the boat-puller Harrison at
his heels and gaining on him. But
Mugridge. leaping suddenly,
caught the jib-boom-lift. II hap
pened In an instant. Holding his
weight by his arms, and in mid
air doubling his body at the hips,
he let fly with both feet. The
oncoming Harrison caught the
kick squarely In the pit of the
stomach, groaned involuntarily,
and doubled up and sank back
ward to the deck.
Hand-clapping and roars of
laughter from the hunters greet
ed the exploit, while Mugridge,
eluding half of his pursuers at
the foremost, ran aft and through
the remainder like a runner on
the football field. Straight aft
he held, to the poop and along
the poop to the stern. So great
was his speed that as he curved
past the corner of the cabin he
Slipped and fell. Wilson was stand
ing at the wheel, and the Cock
ney's hurtling body struck his
legs. Both went down together,
but Mugridge alone arose. BY
some freak of pressures, his frail
body had snapped the strong
mans leg like pipestem.
Parsons took the wheel, and
the pursuit continued. Round
, and round the decks they went,
Mugridge sick with fear, the sail
ors hallooing and shouting direc-
tons to one another, and the
hunters believing encouragement
and laughter. Mugridge went
down on the fore-hatch under
three men; but he emerged from
the mass like an eel, bleeding at
the mouth, the offending shirt
ripped into tatters, and sprang for
the main-rigging. Up he went,
clear up, beyond the ratlines, to
the very masthead.
Half a dozen sailors swarmed
to the crosstrees after him, where
they clustered and waited while
two of their number, Oofty-Oofty
and Black. (who was Latimer's
boat-steerer) continued up the
thin steel stays, lifting their bod
les higher and higher by means of
their arms.
1t was a perilous undertaking,
for, at a height of over a hundred
feet from the deck, holding on by
their hands, they were not in the
best of positions to protect them
selves from Mugridge's feet. And
Mugridge kicked savagely, till the
Kanaka, hanging on with one
hand, seized the Cockney's foot
with the other. Black duplicated
the performance moment later
with the other foot. Then the
three writhed together in a sway
ing tangle, struggling. sliding.
and falling into the arms OF their
mates on the crosstrees.
The aerial battle was over, and
Thomas Mugridge, whining and
gibbering, his mouth flecked with
bloody foam, was brought down
to deck. Wolf Larsen rove bow
line in piece of rope and slipped