The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-02-19
CHAPTER XVI.

The next day, while the storm was
blowing itself out, Wolf Larsen ana
crammed anatomy and surgery and
set Mugridge's ribs. Then. when the
storm broke, Wolf Larsen cruised
back and forth over that portion OF
the ocean where we had encountered
II. and somewhat more to the west
ward, while the boats were being re-
haired and new sails made and bent.
Sealing schooner after sealing schoon-
er we sighted and boarded, most OF
which were in search of lost boats'
and most of which were carrying
boats and crews they had picked up
and which did not belong to them.
For the thick of the feet had been
to the westward of US, and the boats
scattered far and wide. had headed IN
mad flight for the nearest refuge.
Two of our boats, with men all SAFE
we took off the Cisco, and. to Wolf
Larsen's huge delight and my own
grief. he culled Smoke, Nilsson and
Leach, from the San Diego. So that,
J at the end of five days, we found our
selves short but four men-Hender-
son, Holyoak, Williams and Kelly
and were once more hunting on the
TANKS of the herd.
But Wolf Larsen, as was to be ex'
pected, being a boat short. took pos
session of the first stray one and com
PEELED it's men to hunt with the Ghost
not permitting them to return to theii
own schooner when we sighted 1t.
remember how he forced the hunter
and his two men below, rifle at theil
breasts, when their captain passed by
at biscuit-toss and hailed us for In
formation.
was learning more and more sea
manship; and one clear day-a thin,
we rarely encountered now-I had tn
satisfaction of running and handlin,
the Ghost and picking up the boat
3 myself. Wolf Larsen had been smit
t ten with one of his headaches, and
!, stood at the wheel from morning ur
til evening, sailing across the ocea
3 after the last lee boat and heaving I
e and picking 1t and the other five u
e without command or suggestion fror
him.
+ Gales we encountered now an
; again. for it was a raw and storm
region, and, in the middle Of June.
!, typhoon most memorable to me an
q most important because Of tn
L changes wrought through it upon m
i | no hnnn Unll
. the path of the Transpacific stear
! ships when the typhoon moderate
and here, to the surprise of the hun
ers, we found ourselves in the mid
of the seals-a second herd, or so
of rear guard, they declared, and
most unusual thing. But 1t was Boa
a overt" the boom-boom of guns. ar
the pitiful slaughter through the lor
day.
It was at this time that / was a
preached by Leach. had just fl
ished tallying the skins OF the la
Il boat aboard, when he came to my sid
in the darkness, and said in lc
tone:
| Can you tell me, Mr.. Van Weyde
= how far we are off the coast, and VIII
"a the bearings of Yokohama are?"
NJ My heart leaped with gladness.
MI | knew what he had in mind. and
y gave him the bearings-west-nor'
vest and five hundred miles away.
Thank you, SIR" was all he SO
as he slipped back into the darkne
Next morning No. boat and Jol
son and Leach were missing. w
Larsen was furious. 1t was like 10,
ing for a needle In haystack to ra
that tiny boat out of the blue hmm
y sity. But he put the Ghost throu
her best PAGES so as to get betwe
the deserters and the land. This
complished, he cruised back and TO
On across what he knew must be tn
lad course.
to On the morning of the third
ION shortly after eight bells, cry that
out boat was sighted came down fr
to Smoke at the masthead. All hal
lined the rail, and there, to leewa
> I in the troubled silver of the ris
oat sun, appeared and disappeared BIZ
speck. We squared away and ran
b." It.. I looked at the CLEAN of triun
in Wolf Larsen's eyes, his form sw
ing before me and | felt almost irres
DIS. IDLY impelled to fling myself upon h
say The boat was near enough now for
ost to make out that it was larger Il
! it any sealing boat and built on diff
yes ent lines. Smoke. who had descen
cad to the deck and was now standing