The Arvada enterprise. (Arvada, Colo.) 1908-1970, 1916-12-28

again did not know It, but | had
slept the clock around and 1t was
night again,
Once more | woke, troubled be
cause ! could sleep no better. !
struck match and looked at my
watch. 1t marked midnight. And |
had not left the deck until threei
! should have been puzzled had | not
guessed the solution. No wonder |
was sleeping brokenly had slept
twcnty-one hours. listened for a
while to the behavior OF the Ghost,
to the pounding of the seas and the
muilled roar of the wind on deck. and
then turned over on my side and
slept peacefully until morning.
When arose at seven | saw no
sign OF Maud and concluded she was
in the galley preparing breakfast. On
deck found the Ghost doing splcn
didly under her patch of canvas But
in the galley. though n fire was burn
ing and water boiling. found no
Maud
discovered her In the stccraGc by
Wolf Larscn's bunk. | looked at him.
the man who had been hurled down
from the topmost pitch of life to be
buried alive and be worse than dead
There seemed relaxation OF his ex-
prcssionless face which was new.
Maud looked at me and | understood.
His life tlickercd out in the storm"
| said
But he still lives" she answered.
infinite faith in her voice
He had too great strength"
Yes" she said. but now 1t no
longer shacklcs him. He is free
spirit"
He Is a free spirit surely" an
swered. and. taking her hand. led
her on deck.
The storm broke that night. which
is to say that ii diminished as slowly
as it had arisen After breakfast
next morning, when | had hoisted
Wolf Larsen's body on deck ready for
burial, it was still blowing heavily
and large sea was running. The
deck vas continually awash with the
sea which came inboard over the rail
and through the scuppcrs The wind
smote the schooner with sudden
gust. and she hceled over til her lee
rail was buried. the roar in her rig
ging rising in pitch to shrek. We
stood in the water to our knees as
| barred my head.
Il remember only one part of the
service" | said, and that is. And
=, l. hal 80
Maud looked at me. surprised and
shocked: but the spirit OF something
had seen before was strong upon
me. impclling me to give service to
Wolf Larsen as Wolf Larsen had
once given service to another man.
! lifted the end OF the hatch cover.
and the canvas-shroudcd body slipped
feet first into the sea The weight
or iron dragged 1t down. II was gone
"Good-by. Lucifcr. proud spirit"
Maud whispered, so low that II was
drowned by the shouting OF the wind:
but saw the movement OF her lips
and knew
AS We clung to the lee rail and
worked our way aft, happened to
glance to lecward. Tho Ghost. at the
moment. was uptossed on n sen and
| caught n clear view Of , small,
steamship two or three miles away.
rolling and pitching. head on TO tho
sea, ms it steamed toward us II was
painted black. and from the talk OF
the hunters OF their poachIng cxploits
recognized it as a United States
revenue cutter pointcd II ont To
Maud and hurricdly led her aft to the
safety OF the poop.
| started to rush below to the nap.
locker. then remembered that in r,x
ring the Ghos, had forgotten to
make provision for n faphalvard
We need no distress signal Maud
said. They have only to see US"
we are saved" said. soberlv and
solemnIv And then. in an csubcr
ancc of low Il hardly know whether
TO be glad or not"
looked n, her. Our cvcs were not
loa,h to meet We leaned toward
each other and before | knew II my
arms were about her,