The L'Anse sentinel., 1916-03-04
CHAPTER VII.

CHAPTER VII.
At last. after three days of variable
winds. we have caught the northeast
trades. ! came on deck. after q good
nights rest in spite of my poor knee.
to find the Ghost foaming along. wing.
and-wing. and every sail drawing OK.
cept the jibs. with fresh breeze
astern. Ten knots. twelve knots. eleven
knots. varying from time to time.
is the speed we are making. And
ever out of the northeast the brave
wind blows. driving us on our course
$50 miles between the dawns.
Each day grows perceptibly warmer.
In the second dog-watch the sailors
come on deck, stripped. and heave
buckets Of water upon one smother
from oversize. Flying fish are begin.
ming to be seen. and during the night
the watch above scrambles over the
deck In pursuit of those that fall
aboard. In the morning Thomas Mug.
ridge being duly bribed. the galley is
pleasantly areek with the odor Of
their frying. while dolphin meat is
served fore and aft on such occasions
as Johnson catches the blazing beau
ties from the bowsprit end.
The days and nights are ''all won
der and a wild delight" and though
have little time from my dreary
work. steal odd moments to gaze and
gaze at the unending glory Of what !
-zx~~ Nrao ~ "A tha xr,ortd r,oooaosaa
do not forget one night. when should
have been asleep. of lying on the fore
castle head and casing down at the
spectral ripple of foam thrust aside
by the Ghosts forefoot. II sounded
like the gurgling Of a brook over
messy stones in some quiet dell, and
the grooming song of It lured me away
and ont OF myself till was no longer
Hump the cabin.boy. nor Van Wey-
den, the man who had dreamed away
thirty-five years among books. But a
voice behind me. the unmistakable
voice Of Wolf Larsen, strong with the
| invincible certitude Of the man and
mellow with appreciation of the words
| he was quoting. aroused me.
20 the blnsing tropic night when the
wakes a welt Of light
That holds the hot sky tame.
And the steady forefoot snorcs through
the pianet-powdered floors
Where the scared whale nukes IN name
Her plates are SCARED by the sun. dear
/ lara. tt
| And her ropes are taut with the dew.
| For we're booming down on the old trail.
| our own trail. the out trail.
We're saKging south on the Long Trail
the trail that IL always new"
"Eh. Hump? How's It strike your"
he asked. after the due pause which
the words and setting demanded,
looked into his face. It was aglow
with light. as the sea itself. and the
eyes were flashing in the starshins.
1T strikes me as remarkable. to say
the least. that you should show enthu-
siasm." answered coldly.
why. man. It's living! It's lifel"
he cried.
Which 10 cheap thing and with.
out value" nung his words at him.
He laughed. and It was the first time
had heard honest mirth In HIS voice.
"Ah, cannot get you to understand,
cannot drive It into your head. what
a thing this life is. or course life Is
valueless. except to itself. And ! can
tell you that my life 10 pretty valuable
Just now--to myself. II 10 beyond
price. which you will acknowledge ID
q terrific overrating, but which can.
not help. for II n the life that IL In
me that makes the rating"
He left, me as suddenly a. he had
come. springing to the deck with the
weight and softness Of tiger. Some
times think him mad. or half mad al
least, what OF his strange moods and
vagaries. At other times take him
for q great man, a genius who has
never arrived. He is certainly an in
dividualist Of the most pronounced
type. Not only that, but he is very
lonely. His tremendous virility and
mental strength wall him apart. Mer
are more like children to him. ever
the hunters, and AZ children he treats
them. descending perforce to theil
level and playing with them AZ . mar
plays with puppies. on else be probes
them with the. cruel hand Of vivisoc
| Zionist, cropping about in their. menta
processes - though to see Of wha
soul-stuff h made.
While on the question Of vagaxisa
II 1 shall tell what befsn Thomas Mug
ridge ID the cabin. and q NE oaml
time complets "A incident upon Wild
IL havs already touched once - tvioo
The tvs'vs e'siock dinner ves 90.