Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1916-05-09

LARSEN TOOm. lie was III the same
position in which / had left him, and
his head was rocking-almost with
ing-from side to side.
Anything l can do for you?" /
asked
He made no reply at first, but on my
repeating the question he answered,
NO, no; I'm all right Leave me alone
till morning"
But as turned to go noted that his
head had resumed it's rocking motion.
Maud was waiting patiently for me.
and | took notice, with a thrill of Joy,
of the queenly poise of her head and
her glorious, calm eyes Calm and
sure they were as her spirit itself
will you trust yourself to me for
journey of six hundred miles or so?"
| asked
You mean" she asked, and /
knew she had guessed Alright.
Eyes, l mean just that" | replied.
There is nothing left for us but the
open boat"
For me, you mean" she said. you
are certainly as safe here as you have
been"
mo, there is nothing left for US but
the open boat" l iterated stoutly.
will you please dress as warmly as
you can. at once, and make into
bundle whatever you wish to bring
with your"
And make all haste" l added, as
she turned toward her stateroom.
The lazaretto was directly beneath
the cabin, and. opening the trapdoor
in the floor and carrying a candle with
me, l dropped down and began over
hauling the ships stores. I selected
mainly from the canned goods, and by
the time was ready, willing hands
were extended from above to receive
what l passed up.
We worked in silence. | helped my
self also to blankets, mittens, oilskins.
caps, and such things, from the slop-
chest. 1t was no light adventure, this
trusting ourselves in a small boat to
so raw and stormy sea, and it was
imperative that we should guard our
selves against cold and wet.
We worked feverishly at carrying
amidships, so feverishly that Maud,
whose strength was hardly a positive
| quantity, had to give over, exhausted,
and sit on the steps at the break of the
poop. This did not serve to recover
her, and she lay on her back, on the
hard dna1Y OF ratOhpH nj
whole body relaxed. 1t was a trick
remembered of my sister, and | knew
she would soon be herself again. |
knew, also, that weapons would not
| come amiss, and re-entered Wolf Lar
| sens stateroom to get his rife and
no answer, though his head was still
rocking from side to side and he was
not asleep.
"Good-by, Lucifer," I whispered to
myself as l softly closed the door.
Next to obtain was stock of am
munition-an easy matter, though
had to enter the, steerage companion
way to do it.. Here the hunters stored
the ammunition boxes they carried in
! the boats, and here, but few feet
from their noisy revels, l took posses
sion of two boxes.
Next, to lower a boat. Not so
simple a task for one man. Having
cast off the lashings, / hoisted first on
| the forward tackle, then on the aft,
| till the >bOat cleared the rail, when
| lowered away, one tackle and then the
other, for a couple of feet, till it hung
snugly, above the water, against the
schooner's side. l made certain that
it contained the proper equipment of
oars, rowlocks and sail. Water was
a consideration, and l robbed every
| boat aboard of it's breaker. AS there
were nine boats all told, it meant that
| ballast as well, though there was the
chance that the boat would be over
| loaded, what of the generous supply of
other things l was taking.
A few minutes sufficed to finish the
| loading, and l lowered the boat into
the water. AS helped Maud over the
rail and felt her form close to mine,
it was all l could do to keep from cry
ing out, 81 love you! l love you'll"
| Truly Humphrey Van Weyden was at
last in love, l thought, as her fingers
chung to mine while l lowered her
down to the boat. held on to the rail
with one hand and supported her
weight with the other, and was proud
at the moment of the feat. 1t was a
strength l had not possessed few
months before, on the day 1 said good
by to Charley Furuseth and started
for San Francisco on the Inflated
Martinez
AS the boat assembled on sea, her
feet touched and l released her hands.
l cast off the tackles and leaped after
her. had never rowed in my life, but
I put out the oars and at the expense
of much effort got the boat clear Of
the Ghost. Then | experimental with
the sail. / had seen the boat steerers
and hunters set their spritsails many
times, yet this was my first attempt.
What took them possibly two minutes
| took me twenty, but in the end l sue
ceeded in setting and trimming it, and
with the steering oar in my hands
| hauled on the wind.
There lies Japan" l remarked,
straight before u.s."
Humphrey Van Weyden," she said.
''you are a brave man"
Nay" l answered. cit is you who
| are q brave woman"
We turned our heads. swayed by a
common impulse to see the last of the
Ghost. Her low hull lifted and rolled
to windward on a sea; her canvas
| doomed darkly in the night; her
! lnshnd wheel creaked as the rudder