The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-02-04


sea, they took me as sort of joke.
In truth. it was Joke to me that !.
the veriest landsman, should be filing
the office of mate; but to be taken as
joke by others was different mat
ter. ] made no complaint, but Wolf
Larsen demanded the most punctil-
GUS sea etiquette in my case-far
received; and at the expense Of sew
eral rows, threats and much grum-
bling, he brought the hunters to time.
| was "Mr. Van Weyden" fore and
aft, and it was only unofIlcially that
Wolf Larsen himself ever addressed
me as Hump"
1t was amusing. Perhaps the wind
would haul a Jew points while we
were at dinner, and as left the table
he would say, "Mr Van Weyden, will
you kindly put about on the port
tack?" And would go on deck. beck
on Louis to me, and learn from nim
what was to be done. Then. a few
minutes later. having digested his in
structions and thoroughly mastered
the maneuver, | would proceed to
issue my orders. | remember an
early instance of this kind, when Wolf
Larsen appeared on the scene just
as | had begun to give orders. He
smoked his cigar and looked on qui
city till the thing was accomplished,
and then paced aft by my side along
the weather poop.
Hump" he said-"I beg pardon, Mr..
Van Weyden-I congratulate you. |
think you can now fire your fathers
legs back into the grave to him.
You've discovered your own and
learned to stand on them. little
ropework, sailmaking and experience
with storms and such things, and by
the end of the voyage you could ship
on any coasting schooner"
1t was during this period, between
the death Of Johansen and the arri.
val on the sealing grounds, that
passed my pleasantest hours on the
Ghost Wolf Larsen was quite con.
siderate, the sailors helped me, and
was no longer in irritating contact
with Thomas Mugridge. And | make
free to say, as the days went by, that
| found / was taking certain secret
pride in myself Fantastic as the stu.
alton was-a landlubber second In
commando was, nevertheless, carry
ing it off we'll; and during that brief
time I was proud Of myself, and
grew to love the heave and roll of the
Ghost under my feet as she wallowed
north and west through the tropic sea
to the islet where we filled our water
casks.
But my happiness was not unal-
loyed. 1t was comparative. a period
of less misery slipped in between a
past of great miseries and a future
of great miseries. For the Ghost, so
| far as the seamen were concerned,
was a hellship of the worst descrip-
ton. They never had a moments rest
or peace. Wolf Larsen treasured
against them the attempt on his life
and the drubbing he had received in
the forecastle; and morning, noon and
night, and all night as well. he de-
voted himself to making life unlivable
for them. Leach and Johnson were
the two particular victims of Wolf
Larsen's diabolic temper, and the look
of profound melancholy which had
settled on Johnson's face and in his
eyes made my heart bleed
With Leach it was different There
was too much of the fighting beast in
him. He seemed possessed by an in
satiable fury which gave no time for
grief. His lips had become distorted
into a permanent snarl, which, at
mere sight of Wolf Larsen, broke out
In sound, horrible and menacing, and
l do believe, unconsciously. | have
seen him follow Wolf Larsen about
with his eyes, like an animal it's
keeper, the while the animal-like snarl
sounded deep In his throat and vi
brated forth between his teeth.
Both he and Johnson would have
killed Wolf Larsen at the slightest op
portunity, but the opportunity never
came. Wolf Larsen was too wise for
that, and, besides, they had no ade
quate weapons. With their fists alone
they had no chance whatever. Time and
again he fought 1t out with Leach, who
fought back, always. like wildcat
tooth and nail and fist until stretched
exhausted or unconscious, on the deck
And he was never averse to another
| encounter.
| ! often wondered why Wolf Larsen
did not kill him and make an end
Of 1t. But he only laughed and
seemed to enjoy It. There seemed a
certain spice about It, such as men
must feel who take delight in max.
ing pets of ferocious animals.
1T gives a thrill to life," he ex,
planned to me- when life is carried
in ones hand. Man is a natural
gambler. and life Is the biggest stake
he can lay. The greater the odds
the greater the thrill"
"Ah, but II is cowardly, cowardly!"
cried. "You have all the advan.
tage."
"Of the two OF US, you and |, who
Is the greater coward?" he asked Sc
riously IF the situation is unpleas.