The Adair County news., 1921-11-08
CONTINUED FROM PAGE q

pin with turn and twist that Rainey
swiftly loosened, lifting the coll free,
making a fast loop, and thrusting
head and arms through it as he flung
himself after the roustabout.
A great bulk wallOwed just before
him. the helpless body of the bowhead
whale, the killers darting in a mad
melee for its head. Then a figure was
literally hurled upon the slippery
mass of the mammal, its gray belly
plain in the welter, a living raft
against which the waves broke and
tossed their spray.
Clawing frantically. Sandy clutched
at the base of the enormous pectoraI
fin, clinging with maniacal strength,
mad with fear Striking out to little
purpose, save to help buoy himself.
blinded by the flying scud and broken
creStS, Rainey felt himself upreared,
swept impotently on and slammed
against the Shiny hulk, just close
enough to Sandy to grasp him by the
collar, as the whale, stung by a kill
er's tearing at its oily tongue, failed
with its fin and the two of them slid
down its body, deep under water.
Rainey fought against the suffoca-
ton and the fierce desire to gasp and
relieve his tortured lungs. The lads
weight seemed to be carrying him
down as If he was a thing Of lead, but
Rainey would not relax his grip. He
could not. He had centered all his
energy upon the desire TO save Sandy,
and his nerve centers were still tense
to that last conscious demand.
The Karluk was into the wind and
they were in what little lee there was,
dragging aft at the end Of the hal
yards, being fetched in toward the
rail by the mighty tugs of Lund, q
weird sight to Rainey's smarting eyes
as he caught sight of the giant, with
red hair uncovered, his beard whip
ping in the wind, his black glasses
still in place, making some sort Of
blessed monster out of him.
Rainey had his left fist welded to
the line, his right was set in Sandy's
collar, and Sandy's death clutch had
twined itself into Rainey's oilskIns,
though the lad was limp, and his face,
seen through the watery finn that
streamed over it, set and white.
A dozen arms shot down to grasp
him. He felt the iron grip of Lund
upon his left forearm, almost wrench
ing his arm from its socket as
he was iuhauled, caught at by body
and legs and deposited on the deck of
the schooner, that almost instantly
commenced to 90 about upon its for
Rer course.
Lund bent over him, asking him
with note that Rainey. for all his
exhaustion, interpreted as one Of real
anxiety:
'How is it with you, matey? Did
We git lunged up?"
Rainey managed to shake his head
and, with Lund's boughIike arm for
support, got to his feet. winded.
shaken, aching from his pounding and
the crash against the whale
Sandy was lying face down. one
hunter kneeling across him. kneading
his ribs to bellows action, lifting his
upper body in time to the pressure.
while another worked his slack arms
up and down.
THAT was splendid, Mr.. Rainey!
Wonderful! 1t was brave of yOu!"
Peggy Simms stood before Rainey,
clinging to the mainstays, a different
girl TO the one that he had known.
Her red lips were apart. showing the
clean shine of her teeth. above her
giowln. cheeks her gray Eyes srarkled
with friendly admiration, one slender
wet hand was held out eagerly toward
him.
Why" said Rainey, in that embar-
rasSment that comes when one knows
he has done well, yet instinctively
seeks to disclaim hOnOrs. ANY one