Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-02-04

wall Of water. What happened after
that was very confusing. / was be.
meath the water. suffocating and
drowning. Several times l collided
against hard objects, once striking my
right knee terrible blow. Then the
flood seemed suddenly to subside, and
l was breathing the good air again. |
had been swept against the galley and
around the steerage companionway
from the weather side into the lee
scuppers. The pain from my hurt knee
was agonizing. But the cook was after
me. shouting through the lee galley
door:
ERE. you! Don't tyke all night
about It! Where's the pot? Lost
overheard! Serve you bloody well
right II yer neck was broke!"
I managed to struggle to my feet.
The great teapot was still in my hand.
limped to the galley and handed It
to him. But Re was consuming with
Indignation. real or feigned.
"Gawd blime me II you amt a slob
Wot're you good for anyw'y? Cawn't
even carry a bit Of tea aft without
losin' it. Now I'll ave to boil some
more"
Two things I had acquired by my
accident-an injured kneecap that
went undressed and from which I suf-
fered for weary months. and the name
Of Hump" which Wolf Larsen had
called me from the poop. Thereafter.
fore and aft, l was known by no other
name. until the term became a part
of my thought processes and identi-
fed 1t with myself. thought Of myself
as Hump. as though Hump were l and
had always been l.
II was no easy task, waiting on the
cabin table, where sat Wolf Larsen.
Johansen and the six hunters. The
cabin was small, to begin with, and to
move around, as l was compelled to.
was not made easier by the schooner's
violent pitching and wallowing. But
what struck me most forcibly was
the total lack of sympathy on the part
Of the men whom l served. could
feel my knee through my clothes.
swelling and swelling, and I was sick
and faint from the pain of It / could
catch glimpses of my face. white and
distorted with pain, in the
cabin mirror. All the men must have
seen my condition. but not one spoke
or took notice of me. till l was almost
grateful to Wolf Larsen. later on Il
was washing the dishes). when he
said:
Don't let q little thing like that
bother you. You'll get used to such
things In time. It may cripple you
some. but all the same you'll be learn
Ing to walk.
That's what you call a paradox.
ISN'T it," he added.
He seemed pleased when nodded
my head with the customary Yes.
SIR"
II suppose you know q bit about lit
erary things? Eli? Good. I'll have
some talks with you sometime"
And then. taking no further account
II me. he turned his back and went
Up on deck.
That night, when l had finished an
endless amount of work. I was sent to
sleep in the steerage. where / made
Up a spare bunk. was glad to get out
II the detestable presence of the cook
md to be of my feet. To my surprise,
ny clothes had dried on me and there
'eemed no indications of catching cold,
either from the last soaking or from
he prolonged soaking from the foun.
lering of the Martinez. Under ordi-
larry circumstances. after all that
lad undergone, l should have been fit
or bed and a trained nurse.
But my knee was bothering me ter
IDLY. AS well as / could make out.
he kneecap seemed turned I'D on
,dge in the midst of the swelling. As
sat in my bunk examining It (the
Tx hunters were all In the steerage,
and talking in loud voices),
Henderson took a passing glance at It.
Looks nasty" he commented. Tie
! rag around 1t and it'll be all right"
Like the savage. the attitude of
hese men was stoical in great things,
childish In little things. I remember,
ater in the voyage, seeing Kerfoot,
mother Of the hunters. lose a finger |
" having It smashed to a jelly, and |
lie did not even murmur or change the |
on his face. Yet l have
cen the same man. time and again,
ly into the most outrageous passion |
yer a trifle.
He was doing 1t now. vociferating.
waving his arms, and ours
ng like a fiend. and all because of q |
with another hunter as |
o whether seal pup knew instinc-
lively how to swim.
For the most part, the remaining |
our hunters leaned on the table or lay
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