Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-02-18
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the words and settyL3yUl4l -
looked into his face Il wa aglow
with light. as the sea itself. and the
eyes were flashing in the starshine.
1T strikes me as remarkable. to say
the least, that you should show enthu-
siasm." answered coldly.
why. man. it's living! It's life!"
he cried.
Which IS q cheap thing and with
out value" ! flung his words at him.
He laughed. and 1t was the first time
! had heard honest mirth in his voice.
"Ah. ] cannot get you to understand,
cannot drive it into your head. what
thing this life is. OF course life Is
valueless. except to itself. And can
tell you that my life is pretty valuable
just now-to myself. It is beyond
price. which you will acknowledge is
terrific overrating. but which | can
not help. for 1t is the life that Is In
me that makes the rating"
He left me as suddenly as he had
come. springing to the deck with the
weight and softness of tiger. Some
times think him mad, or half mad at
least. what Of his strange moods and
vagaries. At other times l take him
for a great man, a genius who has
never arrived. He is certainly an in
type. Not only that. but he is very
lonely. His tremendous virility and
mental strength wall him apart. Men
are more like children to him. even
the hunters. and as children he treats
them, descending perforce to their
level and playing with them as man
plays with puppies. Or else he probes
them with the cruel hand of a vivisec-
zionist, cropping about in their mental
processes as though to see of what
soul-stuff is made.
While on the question of vagaries.
I shall tell what befell Thomas Mug
ridge in the cabin, and at the same
time complete an incident upon which
l have already touched once or twice.
The twelve o'clock dinner was over.
one day, and had just finished put
ting the cabin in order, when Wolf
Larsen and Thomas Mugridge de-
scended the companion stairs. Though
the cook had a cubbyhole Of state
room opening off from the cabin. in
the cabin itself he had never dared
to linger or to be seen. and he fitted
to and fro, once or twice day. like
timid specter.
so you know how to play Map"
Wolf Larsen was saying in pleased
sort of voice. Il might have guessed
an Englishman would know. l learned
it myself in English ships"
Thomas Mugridge was beside him.
self, a blithering imbecile, SO pleased
was he at cumming thus with the
captain. The little airs he put on and
the painful striving to assume the
easy carriage of a man born to dig
nified place in life would have been
sickening had they not been ludicrous.
He quite ignored my presence, though
l credited him with being simply I'M
able to see me. His pale. wishy-washy
eyes were swimming like lazy summer
seas, though what blissful visions they
beheld were beyond my imagination.
Get the cards, Hump" Wolf Lar
sen ordered. as they took seats at the
table. And bring out the cigars and
the whisky you'll find in my berth"
returned with the articles in time
to hear the cockney limiting broadly
that there was a mystery about him.
that he might be a gentleman's son
gone wrong or something or other;
also, that he was remittance man
and was paid to keep away from Eng
land-"pyed 'ansomely to sling my
'ook an keep slingin' IT,"
had brought the customary liquor
glasses, but Wolf Larsen frowned.
shook his head. and signaled with his
hands for me to bring the tumblers.
These he filed two-:hirds full with
undiluted whisky-"a gentleman's
drink" quoth Thomas Mugridge-and
they clinked their glasses to the glo-
rious game of NAP" lighted cigars.
and fell to shutting and dealing the
cards.
They played for money. They in
creased the amounts of the bets. They
drank whisky. they drank 1t neat, and
| fetched more. | do not know wheth-
er Wolf Larsen cheated or not-a
thing he was thoroughly capable of
doing-but he won steadily. The cook
made repeated journeys to his bunk
for money. Each time he performed
the journey with greater swagger. but
he never brought more than a few
dollars at a time. He grew maudlin,
familiar, could hardly see the cards or
sit upright. AS a preliminary to an
other journey to his bunk, he hooked
Wolf Larsen's buttonhole with
greasy forefinger and vacuously pro-
claimed and reiterated, Il got money.
| got money. tell yer. an I'm gen.
| tleman's son."
Wolf Larsen was unaffected by the
drink, yet he drank glass for glass,
and IL anything his glasses were fuller.
There was no change in him. He did
not appear even amused at the others
antics.
CTO BE CONTINUED)