Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-02-11
CHAPTER v-Contlnued,

After breakfast l had another un.
enviable experience. When I had fin
ished washing the dishes l cleaned the
cabin stove and carried the ashes up
on deck to empty them. Wolf Larsen
and Henderson were standing near the
wheel, deep in conversation. passed
them and flung the ashes over the side
to windward. The wind drove them
back, and not only over me but over
Henderson and Wolf Larsen. The
next instant the latter kicked me vio-
lently, as cur is kicked. | reeled
away from him and leaned against the
cabin In half-fainting condition. But
Wolf Larsen did not follow me up.
Brushing the ashes from his clothes.
he had resumed his conversation with
Henderson. Johansen. who had seen
the affair from the break Of the poop.
sent a couple of sailors aft to clean
up the mess.
Later in the morning received
surprise Of a totally different sort.
Following the cooks instructions. !
had gone into Wolf Larsen's state.
room to put it to rights and make the
bed. Against the wall. near the head
of the bunk, was a rack filled with
books. l glanced over them. noting
with establishment such names as
Shakespeare. Tennyson, Poe and De
Quincy. There were scientific works,
too, among which were represented
men such as Tyndall, Proctor and Oar.
win. Astronomy and physics were
represented, and remarked Bulfinchs
Age of Fable" Shaw's History Of
English and American Literature"
and Johnson's Natural History" in
two large volumes. Then there were
a number of grammars. such as Met
Calls and Reed and Kellogg's; and
smiled as saw a copy of THE Deans
English"
! could not reconcile these books
with the man from what l had seen
of him. and | wondered IL he could
possibly read them. But when came
to make the bed found. between the
blankets. dropped apparently as IL he
had sunk off to sleep. a complete
Browning, the Cambridge edition. 1t
was open at I'm a Balcony" and I
noticed, here and there. passages un.
derlined in pencil. Further. letting
drop the volume during a lurch of the
ship. sheet of paper fell out. It was
scrawled over with geometrical dia-
grams and calculations of some Sort
This glimpse l had caught of. his
other side must have emboldened me.
for I resolved to speak to him about
the money l had lost.
Il have been robbed" I said to him,
a little later. when | found him pacing
up and down the poop alone.
Sir" he corrected. not harshly, but
sternly.
Il have been robbed. SIR" l amend.
ed.
How did it happen?" he asked.
Then l told him the whole circum-
stance, how my clothes had been left
to dry in the galley. and how, later, (
was nearly beaten by the cook when
l mentioned the matter.
He smiled at my recital. "Pickings."
he concluded: "Cooky's pickings And
don't you think your miserable life
worth the price? Besides, consider it
a lesson. You'll learn in time how to
take care of your money for yourself
| suppose. up to now, your lawyer has
done 1t for you. or your business
agent"
I could feel the quiet sneer through
his words. but demanded. How can
l get it back again."
That's your lookout. You haven't
any lawyer or business agent now. so
you'n have to depend on yourself.
When you get dollar. hang on to it.
A man who leaves his money lying
around, the way you did, deserves to
lose 1t. Besides. you have sinned. You
have no right to put temptations In
the way of your fellow-creatures. You
tempted Cooky. and he fell. You have
placed his immortal soul in jeopardy.
BY the way. do you believe in the
immortal soul?"
His lids lifted lazily as he asked the