The Adair County news., 1921-11-08

Rainey gave II up and went amid
could see that the girl was pleading
to handle the ship, and that Carlson
was going to let her do so.
Rainey shrugged his shoulders. 1t
was Carlsen's risk. 1t was no child's
play in that weather to steer prop
erly. 1t took not only strength, but
watchfulness and experience to hold
the course in the welter Of cross-seas.
Lund and Rainey stood together by
the weather-rail. 1t was still Rainey's
deck watch, and at any moment Carl
sen might relinquish the wheel back
to him as soon as the girl got tired.
Suddenly shouts sounded from fer
ward, a medley of them. indistinct
against the Quartering wind Sandy.
the rOustabout, came daShing aft
along the sloping deck, catching
clumSily at rail and rope to steady
himself, flushed with excitement, al
most hysterical with his news.
"a bOwhead, SIR" he cried when he
saw Rainey. "And killers after him
BLOWN dead ahead"
Beyond the bows Rainey could see
nothing Of the whale, that must have
sounded In fear of the killers, but he
saw half a dozen scythelike Black
fins cutting the wafer in streaks of
foam. all abreast, their high dOrSals
waving, wolves of the sea, hunting
for the gray bOWbead whale, to force
its mouth open and feast on the deli
cacy of its living tongue. So Lund
told him in swift sentences while
they waited for the whale TO breach.
Rainey glanced aft. Sandy had
carried his warning TO Carlson and
the girl. and now was craning over
the lee rail, kneedeep in the wash.
trying TO see something of the COM
bat. Peggy Simms' 1.-the figure was
leaning TO one side as she, too, gaZed
ahead. though she still paid attention
to her steering and held the schooner
well up. her face bright with excite
ment, wet with flying brine. wisps of
yellow hair streaming free in the
wind from beneath the close grip of
her wooden red tam-o'-shanter.
'Bl-O-owS" started the deep voice
of a lookout, from where sailors and
hunters had grouped in the bows TO
witness this gladiatOrial combat be-
tween sea monsters, staged fittingly
in a sea that was running wild.
"BI-O-ows!" The deep voice almost
leaped an octave in a sudden shrill Of
apprehension. Others voices mingled
with his in a clamOr Of diSmay.
Look out! Oh, look out! Dead
ahead"
The enormous bulk of the whale
had appeared, not to spout, but to lie
belly up, rocking on the surface with
fms Outspread, paralyZed with terror,
directly in the course Of the Karluk,
while toward 1t, intent only on their
blood lust. leaped the killers. thrust
ing at its head as the schooner Surged
down. In that tremendous sea the
impact would be certain TO mean the
Staving in of something forward, per-
haps the springing of butt.
Hard a lee" yelled Rainey. "Up
with her. UpT
Forward the men jumped to handle
the headSails The Karluk started to
spin about on its keel, instinct to the
changing plane of the rudder. Bur
the waves were running tremendously
high, and the wind blowing with great
force, the water rolling in great noun
tains OF sickly greenish gray, topped
with foam that blew in a level scud.
AS the schooner hung in deep
trough, the wind struck at her, bows
on.
Rainey saw one huge billOw rising,
curving, high as the gaff of the main,
it seemed to him, AZ ne grasped at the
coll Of the main halyards. Down came
the tons of water, booming on the
deck that bent under the blow, spill
ing in a great cataract that swashed
across the deck.
His feet were swept from under
him, for a moment he seemed to swing
horizontal in the stream, cIutching at
the halyards. The sea struck the Op-
posite rail with a roar that threat