The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-11-15
Claimed by the Sea


I'm materialist Materialistz can.
terialist And matcriaiista cannot
not admit of a belief In supernatural
and yet. ever since that day when
the ghost OF Malachi Green swept
my friend Peter 10 his fearful doom,
have been convinced that the dead
arr ever with us IN their wrath. l
dare not confess this belief to any.
My position a. an irreoonellable ma
teriaiist would be gone. Hut | must
write H. Even to me there IL rtiil
a lingering fear. FOR I was witness
to tho hcinous crime
They were sailors. both these men,
Of many winters practice. | was a
passenger on a small cruising vessel
in the south Pacific with them. one
night while we were several days
ont from port terrific storm arose
on the waters. The murky clouds
which hung low all day broke with
a tremendous force that rocked the
vessel like the trcmors OF giant
crater would a toy village. Furious
waves dashed tho ships sides in
agony al the craft hattied her way
thru the storm. fcarfuily I emery,
ed from the cabin 20 see the rtrug
sic OF two forms on the lower deck
No sound could b. heard above the
howl OF the wind. but az I rushed
to them | saw one u~ixe the other
and huri lt violently over the rail
with. shrek that could be dis
cernrd above tho raging sea. heard
the voice Of Malachi Green tear the
bowling night with is despair as the
body slid Into the horrible darkness.
Peter was standing stunned beside
the rail lie seemed fru1en with
terror.
I'VE auarreied. done H. I'm
glad" he painted.
From that grim moment Peter
seemed transfigured into dRzcd
mechanism which went thru the rou.
tine ot living with no apparent pur.
pose or desires. His one emotion
was an unroasonlng. blind hatred
and fear Of the water. From a pas.
sionatc pilgrim Of the seas he be.
came a tlrnid iandiubb~r. whitening
beneath the mere mention Of things
"an'i''n,
fof years ne hNed fsr inland. as
tar r,'soNcd from water a. nature
would permit NsNsr. AFTER that
soaring cruise. did he sail again. To
Ime no confessed that a nausea and
ak"ht1ins terror oo$cssed hsn at tne
tnodknt OF the sea And Yet MS
ute'inN were al ot ~st's. vast unit
.sss Nrctches OF water inhabited ~
MA'aehi. malachi az ssnxefui az
Sep,uh"'
ihen came the war.
fe'er' as experienced piiot. was IN
trisucd by conscience and country
INTO me navy tits weary soul
sought refuge from Us fate In ssrv.
ice wnsre en'Aiisd sacrifice ana
tFaraii for him Each cruise was a
crueifixion OF his spirit The mem
DRY OF the storm and Malachi haunt.
Cd MIN unfortunately. Each day on
board he looked for death. and each
H~ - 49,
marine.
Thru the weary months OF the war
ne Travelled, hourly anticipating the
fulfilinent Of his doom. intuiuvciy
ne knew that rstribuiion would
come thru Malachi In their common
element. the sea. Ten thousand
times his soul auailed beforos that
spec,er and died.
The hornesfard trip was nearing
the last days when the land and dts
charge doomed before Peter. His
resolve never to approach the water
again was more powerful after the
tnry OF his Sufferings during tho
service In The navy. But two more
aays ana No would havo escaped the
Nemesis which pursued him He
knew 'hau 7 ne gained the shore this
iast ,rlp he had explatsd his crime
and the ghost Of Malachi was no
more than the phantom Of re-
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