Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-03-14
CHAPTER XII.

Several days more passed before
Johnson crawled on deck and went
about his work in a half-hearted way
He was still sick man, and 1 more
than once observed him creeping pain
fully aloft to a topsail, or dropping
YEARLY as he stood at the wheel. But,
still worse, it seemed that his spirit
was broken. He was abiect before
Wolf Larsen and almost .groveled to
Johansen. Not so was the conduct of
Leach. He went about the deck like
a tiger cub, glaring his hatred openly
at Wolf Larsen and Johansen.
III do for you yet, you slab-footed
Swede," | heard him say to Johansen
one night on deck.
The mate cursed him in the dark
ness, and the next moment some mis-
sfle struck the galley a sharp rap.
There was more cursing, and mock
ing laugh, and when all was quiet I
stole outside and found a heavy knife
imbedded over an inch in the solid
wood. A few minutes later the mate
came fumbling about in search of it,
but | returned it privily to Leach next
day. He grinned when I handed it
over, yet it was a grin that contained
more sincere thanks than a multitude
Of the verbosities of speech common
to the members of my own class.
Unlike anyone else in the ships
company, l now found myself with no
Quarrels on my hands and in the good
graces of all. The hunters possibly
no more than tolerated me, though
none of them disliked me; while
Smoke and Henderson, convalescent
under a deck awning and swinging day
and night in their hammocks, assured
me that was better than any hospital
nurse and that they would not forget
me at the end of the voyage when
they were paid off. CAS- though | stood
in need of their money! |, who could
have bought them out, bag and bag
gage. and the schooner and its equip
ment, score of times overly But
upon me had devolved the task of tend
ing their wounds, and pulling them
through, and l did my best by them.
Wolf Larsen underwent another bad
attack of headache which lasted two
days He must have suffered severely,
for he called me in, and Obeyed my
commands like a sick child. But
nothing | could do seemed to relieve
him. At my suggestion, however, he
gave up smoking and drinking; though
why such a magnificent animal as he
should have headaches at all puzzles
me.
l talked with Johansen last night
the first superfluous words with which
he has favored me since the voyage
began. He left Sweden when he was
eighteen, is now thirty-eight, and in
all the intervening time has not been
home once. He had met a townsman.
a couple of years before. in some
sailor boarding house in Chile, so that
he knew his mother to be still alive.
she must be a pretty old woman
now" he said staring meditatively
into the pinnacle and then jerking a
sharp glance at Harrison, who was
steering a point off the course.
But does she work? now? How old
is she?"
About seventy" he answered. And
then, boastingly, I'VE work from the
time we are born until we die, in my
country. That's why we live so long.
l will live to a hundred"
shall never forget this converse
ton. The words were the last l ever
heard him utter. Perhaps they were
the last he did utter, too. For, going
down into the cabin to turn in. l de-
cided that it was too stuffy to sleep
below. 1t was a calm night. We were
out of the trades. and the Ghost was
forging ahead barely knot an hour.
So / tucked a blanket and pillow I'M
der my arm and went up on deck.
AS I passed between Harrison and
the pinnacle. which was built into the
top of the cabin. noticed that he was
this time fully three points of. His
eyes were wide and staring. He
seemed greatly perturbed.
What's the matter?" asked. Are
you sick?"
He shook his head, and with deep
sigh. as of awakening, caught his
breath.
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