The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1916-05-20
CHAPTER xxi-continued.

He dropped down to the deck and
rested his rifle across the rail. The
bullets we had received had travelled
nearly a mile, but by now we had cut
that distance in half. He fred three
careful shots. At the third the boat.
steerer let loose his steering-oar and
crumpled up in the bottom of the boat.
Il guess that1l fix Them" Wolf Lar
sen said. rising to his feet. 81 couldn't
afford to let the hunter have it. and
there is chance the boat-puller
doesn't know how to steer. In which
case the hunter cannot steer and
shoot at the same time"
His reasoning was justified, for the
boat rushed at once into the wind and
the hunter sprang aft to take the boat
steerer's place. There was no more
shooting, though the rifles were still
cracking merrily from the other boats
The hunter had managed to get the
boat before the wind again, but we ran
down upon 1t, going at least two feet
to its one. A hundred yards away,
saw the boat-puller pass a rife to the
hunter. Wolf Larsen went amidships
and took the coil of the throat-halyards
from its pin. Then he peered over the
rail with leveled rife. Twice saw the
hunter let go the steering-oar with one
hand, reach for his rifle. and hesitate.
We were now alongside and foaming
past.
Here, you'll" Wolf Larsen cried sud-
denly TO the boat-puller. Take a
turn!"
At the same time he flung the coil
OF rope. It struck fairly, nearly
knocking the man over, but he did not
obey. Instead, he looked to his hunter
for orders. The hunter. in turn, was
in q quandary. His rife was between
his knees. but IL he let go the steer
tng-oar In order to shoot. the boat
would sweep around and collide with
the schooner. Also he saw Wolf Lar
sens rife bearing upon him and knew
no would be shot ere he could get his
rifle into play.
Take turn" he said quietly to the
man.
The boat-puller obeyed, taking turn
around the little forward thwart and
paying the line as 1t jerked taut. The
boat, sheered out with rush. and the
hunter steadied it to parallel course
some twenty feet from the side of the
Ghost.
"Now get that sail down and come
alongside!" Wolf Larsen ordered.
Once aboard, the two prisoners
heisted in the boat and under Wolf
Larsen's direction carried the wound
ed boat-steerer down into the fore
castle.
IF our FIVE boats do as well as you
and have done, we'll have a pretty
full crew." Wolf Larsen said to me.
THE man you shot-he Is. hope"
Maud Brewster quavered.
I'm the shoulder" he answered.
Nothing serious. Mr., Van Weyden
will pull him around as good as ever In
three or four weeks"
"But he won't pull those chaps
around, from the look of It," he added,
pointing at the Macedonia's third boat,
for which ! had been steering and
which was now nearly abreast of us.
That's Horner's and Smokes work. !
told them we wanted live men. not
carcasses. But the Joy of shooting to
hit is most compelling thing. when
once you've learned how to shoot. Ever
experienced it. Mr.. Van Weyden?"
shook my head and regarded their
work. 1t had indeed been bloody. for
they had drawn on and Joined our
other three boats in the attack on the
remaining two OF the enemy. The de-
serted boat was In the trough OF the
sea. rolling drunkenly across each
comber, its loose spritsail out at right
angles to 1t and fiuttering and Tapping
in the wind. The hunter and boat
puller we're both lying awkwardly In
the bottom, but the boat-stcerer lay
across the gunwale, half in and half
out, his arms trailing In the water and
his head rolling from side7to side.
Don't look. Miss Brewster. please
don't look" had begged OF her. and !
was glad that she had minded me and
been spared the sight.
Head right into the bunch. Mr.. Van
wsyden." was Wolf Larsen's COM
mand.
AZ he drew nearer. me frins ceased.