The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1916-01-08
CHAPTER VIII.

as Nugridge fumed and ragged and dld
nv work as well as his own.
Watch out for squalls. is all can say ,
10 YOU" was Louis warning. given dur |
ing a spare half-hOur on deck while |
Larsen was engaged in Strengthening |
out a row among the hunters.
was not altogether surprised when |
the squall foretold by Louis smote !
me. We had been having heated
discussion-upo life, of course-and.
grown overbold, | was passing stlf
structures upon Wolf Larsen and the
life of Wolf Larsen. The dark sun
bronze Of his face went black Win
wrath. his eyes were ablaZe. He sprang
for me with a half roar, gripping my
arm. | wilted and shrieked aloud. My
biceps were being crushed to a pulp.
He seemed to recover himself. for a
lucid CLEAN came into his eyes. and he
relaxed his hold with a short laugh
that was more like a growl. | fell to
the floor, feeling very faint, while he
sat down, lighted a cigar, and watched
me as a cat watches a mouse. AS
! writhed about | could see in his eyes
/ that curiosity | had so often noted,
| that wonder ard perp,eXity, that ques-
tioning, that everlasting query OF his
as to what it was all about.
| finally crawlod to my feet and
asconGed the companion stairs. Fair
weather was over. and there was moth
ing left but to return to the galley.
| NV left arm was numb. as though par
alvZed. and days passed before | could
use il. while weeks went by before
the last stiffness and pain went out
Of it. And he had done nothing but
nut his hand upon my arm and
eoueeze What he might have done
| did not fully realize till next day,
when he put his head into the galley.
and. as a sign of renewed friendliness
asked me how my arm was getting on.
"It might have been worse he
smiled
| was peeling potatoes. He picked
one up from the pan. 1t YES fair sized
firm and unpeeied. He closed his
hand upon II, squeezed. and the potato
squirted out between his fingers IN
musriy streams. The pulpy remnant
be, dropped back into the pan and
turned away, and had sharp vision
of how it might have Jared with me
had the monster put his real strength
upon me.
But the three days rest brought the
trouble had fOreseen. 1t was plainly
Thomas Mugridge's intention to make
me pay for those three days. H'
| treated me vilely, cursed me continu
ally, and heaped his own work upOl
I me. He even ventured to raise hi
q fist to me, but was becoming animal
: like myself, and | snarled in his face
I so terribly that it must have fright
s ened him back.
l. A pair of beasts is what we were
/ penned together and showing GU
l. teeth. He was a coward. afraid I
= strike me because | had not quaile
/, sufficiently in advance; so he chos
i a new way to intimidate me. Their
y was only one galley knife that, as
n
\ ted it up and down all day long. e.
n cry odd moment he could find he ha
y the knife and stone out and was whe
4 ting away till | could have laughe
Y aloud, it was so very ludicrous.
n 1t was also serious, for | learne
N that he was capable Of using it, thu
N under all his cowardice there was
N courage of cowardice, like mine, tia
N would impel him to do the very thin
N his whole nature protested against d
Va ing and was afraid of doing. "CoOky
81 sharpening his knife for Hump" W;
N being whispered about among the sa
ors. and some of them twitted hi
] about it. This he took in good pal
u and was really pleased, nodding h
\ head with direful foreknowledge al
" mystery. until George Leach, Il
III erstwhile cabin-boy, ventured son
n rough pleasantly on the subject.
al Now it happened that Leach W
M one of the sailors told off to dou
IA Mugridge after his game of cards wi
~ the captain. Leach had evidently do
y his task with thoroughness that MI
dc ridge had not forgiven, for words f
lowed and evil names invOlvi
smirched ancestries. Mugridge me
- aced with the knife he was sharpeni
Iii for me. Leach laughed and hurl
at more of his Telegraph hill billing
me gate. and before either he or | KIN
I'M what had happened, his right arm h
an been ripped open from elbow to VIZ
tie by quick slash OF the knife. I
du- cock backed away, a fiendish expr
to sion on his face. the knife heel beft
him in a position Of defense.
hit. Leach took it quite calmly. thou
do blood was spouting upon the deck
generously as water from a founta
vas I'm goin' to get you, Cooky."
bic said. "and I'll get you hard. Ant
ers. won't be in no hurry about it. 70
us be without that knife when ! co
"a for you"
ar So saying, he turned and wall
ing quietly forward Mugridge's face ,
we livid with fear at what he had d.
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