The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-07-12
THE SEA WOLF
BY JACK LONDON
Condensation by Clifton 6.carberry

The keen eyes of Wolf Larsen,
master of the sealing schooner Ghost,
bound for japanese poaching grounds,
spotted the bobbing head of Humphrey
Van Weyden amid the waves Of San
francisco bay, into whose waters
Humphrey had been thrown as a re-
suit Of a shipwreck A few moments
more and Humphrey was aboard the
Ghost.
Rescued, he faced his rescuer with
thanks and a request to be put ashore
The skipper eyed him curiously
What do you do for a living?" he
asked
II am a gentleman" Humphrey
stammered
Who feeds you?"
Il have an income"
Wolf Larsen's lips curled in a sheer.
You stand on dead mems legs. You
couldn't walk alone between two sun
rises and hustle the meat for your
belly for three meals. You stay here
as cabin boy for the good of your
soul. III make man of you"
Instant rebellion leaped into Hump
hreys eyes. Before he could protest
there came a sudden interruption-a
clamor from the real cabin boy, a
great husky youth who stood by. Wolf
Larsen turned and crashed his fist
into the boys stomach. Crumpled like
wet rag around a stick, the lad
collapsed into heap on the deck
Well" said Wolf Larsen meaning
ly to Humphrey, have you made up
your mipd?'
The spark of manhood in Humphrey
died out
Yes he replied weakly
Say. Yes, SIR"
And thus Humphrey passed into the
servitude of Wolf Larsen, the Sea
Wolf. His blinking eyes, half reveal
ing and half concealing his terror, sur
veyed his master and thus appraised
him: Massive of build, like huge
! gorilla; with a strength, savage and
ferocious, features of no evil stamp;
eyes Nof battling proteau gray, some
| times as chill as an Arctic landscape,
sometimes all aglow with love-lights-
intense, masculine and compelling
which at the same time fascinated and
i dominated women until they surrend
er in a gladness Of joy and of relief
and sacrifice"
His creed, the mighty will which en-
gined Wolf Larsen, was short
Life is mess" he declared. The
big eat the little that they may con-
tinue to move; the strong eat the
weak that they may retain their
strength. The lucky eat the most and
move the longest, that is ALL
His company on shipboard: seamen
sodden and sullen by drink, more ami
NAL than human; a group of seal
hunters, wild reckless nomads, ignor.
ant of an ordered world-all slaves in
body and spirit to the Sea Wolf
Yet there was a gentle side, to Wolf
Larsen. He was no ignorant cave
man. He could discuss literature
with Hump roll over his lips the
poetic glories' of Shelley and Brown
ing, argue the sciences with amazing
! fluency and be dsarmingly charming
at times.
AS the days rolled on and murder
Gus quarrels made the hours hideous
Humphreys backbone gradually stiff
fened. He dreamed of killing the Sea
Wolf But Larsen fascinated him and
like some splendid animal, some dan
gerous beast, held him in a spell. He
knew the world should be rid of such
a monster, yet Larsen's eyes com
PEELED obedience.
Day by day, with not a CLEAN Of
Sy
tishness, this tragic drama went on
Humphrey despaired of even a CLEAN
of sunshine. Suddenly fate inter
vened in the person of Maude Brew
ster.
Like Humphrey she came to the
Ghost from the sea, saved from q
wrecked liner. Like Humphrey, she
expected to be put aboard a passing
vessel. But no. The Sea Wolf hac
other plans. She was added to the
crew as Humphrey was, and likewise
"for the good of her soul"
Maude received the news in won
derment. What kind Of a man wa!
this hooking master Of the Ghost
She was soon to find out.
The cook had offended Larsen. !.
rope was coiled around the Offender
and he was est overheard in tn,
. wake Of the ship. A shark rushed fo
him and Larsen ordered him pullet
in. Despite the maddened haste, tn,
shark in the final rush tore away tn,
foot of the victim.
THE shark was not in the reckon
/ ing. Miss Brewster" said the Sc.
Wolf smilingly 1T was-shan W,
say-an act of Providence"
This scene convinced Humphre,
that he must kill Wolf Larsen. Hi:
courage flared up so brightly that h,
actually threatened to murder him.
The Sea Wolf barked a whimsical
guffaw: Bravo, Hump. you do mt
proud. l like you the better for it,
Humphrey WINGED. He confided hi
resolution to Maude, with whom h,
had fallen in love- She counsellet
against it, protesting that moral cour
age always defeats brute force. bu
she failed to convince him. He knew
the Sea Wolf too we'll
The dancing lights in Wolf Larsen
eyes when he looked into Maude's
warned Humphrey that some day tn,
storm would break And it did. Il
the midst of the night, he rushed int,
Maude's cabin to find her in tn,
| crushing embrace of Wolf La rsen