Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-06-02

tnougnt-for me whom she had been
afraid to have merely peep aboard?
She was too subtle not to follow the
trend of my silence. And she was as
direct as she was subtle.
You must go aboard, Humphrey,
and find out" she said. And II you
want to laugh at me, you have my
consent and forgiveness"
] arose obediently and went down
the beach.
DO be careful" she called after me.
waved my arm from the forecastle
head and dropped down to the deck.
I took off my shoes and went noise
lessly aft in my stocking feet. eau
tiously descending. found the cabin
deserted. The door to his stateroom
was closed. At first l thought Of
knocking, then I remembered my os
tensible errand and resolved to carry
it out. Carefully avoiding noise.
lifted the trapdoor in the floor and set
it to one side. The slop chest, as well
as the provisions. was stored in the
lazaretto. and / took advantage of the
opportunity to lay in a stock of under
clothing.
AS I emerged from the lazaretto
heard sounds in Wolf Larsen's state
room. ! crouched and listened. The
doorknob ratified. Furtively, instinct
lively, l skunk back behind the table
and drew and cooked my revolver.
The door swung open and he came
forth. Never had l seen 80 profound
a despair as that which saw on his
face-the face of Wolf Larsen the
fighter. the strong man, the indomi-
table one. For all the world like a
woman wringing her hands. he raised
his clenched fists and groaned. One
fist Enclosed. and the open palm
swept across his eyes as though
brushing away cobwebs.
God! Cod" he groaned. and the
clenched fists were raised again to the
infinite despair with which his throat
vibrated.
II was horrible. I was trembling
all over. and l could feel the shivers
running up and down my spine and
the sweat standing out on my fore
head Surely there can be little In
this world more awful than the spec
tacle of a strong man in the moment
when he is utterly weak and broken.
But Wolf Larsen regained control
Of himself by an exertion of his re-
markable will. And it was exertion.
His whole frame shook with the strug-
gle. He caught his breath once or
twice and sobbed. Then he was sue
cessful. could have thought him
the old Wolf Larsen, and yet there
was in his movements vague sug.
gestion of weakness and indecision.
He started for the companionway. and
stepped forward quite as ! had been
accustomed to see him do; and yet
again. in his very walk. there seemed
that suggestion of weakness and indie
cision.
rose swiftly to my feet. and,
know. quite unconsciously assumed a
defiant attitude. He took no notice
of me. Nor did he notice the open
trap. Before could grasp the situa-
ton, or act. he had walked right into
the trap. One foot was descending into
the opening. while the other foot was
Just on the verge Of beginning the up
lift. But when the descending foot
missed the solid flooring and felt va.
cancy beneath. 1t was the old Wolf
Larsen and the tiger muscles that
made the falling body spring across
the opening, even as It fell, so that
he struck on his chest and stomach,
with arms outstretched, on the floor
Of the opposite side. The next in.
slant he had drawn up his legs and
rolled clear. But he rolled into my
marmalade and underclothes and
against the trapdoor.
The expression on his face was one
of complete comprehension. But be-
fore / could guess what he had COM
pretended. he had dropped the trap
door into place, closing the lazaretto.
Then understood. He thought he had
me inside. Also, he was blind, blind
as a bat. l watched him, breathing
carefully SO that he should not hear
me. He stepped quickly to his state
room. I saw his hand miss the door
knob by an inch, quickly tumble for
it, and find it. This was my chance.
tiptoed across the cabin and to the
top of the stairs. He came back,
dragging heavy sea chest. which he
deposited on top of the trap. Not
content with this, he fetched a second
chest and placed it on top of the first.
Then he gathered up the marmalade
and underclothes and put them on the
table. When he started up the com.
panionway. retreated. silently roll.
ing over on top of the cabin.
He showed the slide part way back
and rested his arms on it, his body
still in the companionway. His atti-