The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-04-14
CHAPTER XII.

Several days more passed before
Johnson crawled on deck and went
about his work in a half-hearted way.
lie was still sick man, and | more
than once observed him creeping pain
fully aloft to topsail, or dropping
w"arily as he stood at the wheel. But.
Etill worse, 1t seemed that his spirit
was broken. He was abject before
Wolf Larsen and almost groveled to
Johansen. Not so was the conduct OF
Leach. He went about the deck like
q tiger cub. glaring his hatred openly
at Wolf Larsen and Johansen.
"I1l do for you yet. you slab-footed
Ewede," heard him say to Johansen
one night on deck.
The mate cursed him In the dark.
ness. and the next moment some mis-
sile struck the galley a sharp rap.
There was more cursing. and mock
ing laugh, and when all was quiet !
stole outside and found heavy knife
Embedded over an inch In the solid
wood. A few minutes later the mate
came fumbling about in search of 1t,
but returned II privily to Leach next
day. He grInned when handed II
over. yet II was grin that contained
more sincere thanks than a multitude
OF the verbosities of speech common
60 the members of my own class.
Unlike anyone else in the ships
company, now found myself with nc
luarrels on my hands and in the goot
graces OF all. The hunters possibly
no more than tolerated me, though
none of them disliked me; while
Smoke and Henderson, convalescen
under a deck awning and swinging da!
and night in their hammocks, assured
me that was better than any hospita
nurse and that they would not forge
me at the end of the voyage whel
they were paid off. CAS- though stooI
In need of their money! |, who coul
have bought them out, bag and bias
gage. and the schooner and its equiI
ment, a score of times overly Blu
upon me had devolved the task Of tent
Ing their wounds. and pulling ther
through. and did my best by them.
Wolf Larsen underwent another ba
attack of headache which lasted tw
days. He must have suffered severel.
for he called me in. and obeyed m
commands like a sick child. 81
nothing could do seemed to reliey
him. At my suggestion. however.
gave up smoking and drinking; thong
why such a magnificent animal as }
should have headaches at all puzzle
me.
talked with Johansen last night
the first superfuous words with whiC
he has favored me since the voyal
began. He left Sweden when he W,
eighteen, is now thirty-eight. and
all the intervening time has not bee
home once. He had met townsma
a couple OF years before, In son
sailor boarding house In Chile. so tn
he knew his mother to be still alive.
"She must be pretty old womi
now" he said. staring meditative
into the pinnacle and then jerking
sharp glance at Harrison, who W
steering a point on the course.
But does she work? now? How @
Is sheg"
"About seventy" he answered. Al
then. boastingly, I'VE work from I
time we are born until We die. in I
country. That's why we live so lor
I will live to hundred"
shall never forget this conver
ton The words were the last ! eV
heard him utter. Perhaps they We
the last he did utter. too. For, goi
down into the cabin to turn In.
cided that Il was too stuffy to sic
below. II was a calm night. We w
out of the trades. and the Ghost v
forging ahead barely knot an no
So | tucked a blanket and pillow
der my arm and went up on deck
As passed between Harrison q
the pinnacle. which was built into
Ton Of the cabin. noticed that he
this time fully. three points on.
eyes were wide and staring.
seemed greatly perturbed.
what's the natter? ] asked. =
you sick?"
he shook ais head. and with d
sirh. as Of awakening. caught
breath