The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-12-15

fins cutting the water in streaks Of
foam, all abreast, their high dorsals
waving, wolves Of the sea, hunting
FOR the gray b0whead whale, to force
us 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 broach
Ra1ney 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
we'll 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 lookout, from where sailors and
hunters had grouped in the bows to
witness this gladiatorial combat be-
tween sea monsters, staged tittingly
! In q sea that was running wild,
"Bl-o-ows!" The deep voice almost
leaped an octave in a sudden shrill Of
apprehension. Others voices mingled
with his in a clamor Of dsmay.
"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
fins 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
STAYING in Of something forward, per-
haps the springing Of a butt.
"Hard a lee!" yelled Ralney. up
with her! Up" .
Forward, the men jumped to handle
the headsails. The Karluk started TO
spin about on It's keel, instinct to the
changing plane Of the rudder. But
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 level scud.
As the schooner hung In a deep
trough, the wind struck at her, bows
on.
Rainey saw one huge billow rising,
curving, high as the GAIT of the main,
It seemed to him, as he grasped at the
coil 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 moment he seemed to swing
horizontal in the stream, clutching at
the halyards. The sea struck the op.
poslte rail with roar that threat
ened to tear it away, piling up and
then seething overheard.
With it went figure. Rainey
caught sight Of a CHASTITY face, a
mouth that shouted vainly for help In
the pandemonium, and was instantly
stoppered with strangling brine, pop
eyes appealing in awful fright as
Sandy was washed away In the cas-
cade. The halyards were held on the
pin with a turn and twist that Rainey
swiftly loosened, lifting the coil free,
making a fast loop, and thrustlng
head and arms through 1t 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, It's gray belly
platn In the weller, a living raft
against which the waves broke and
tossed their spray.
Clawing frantically, Sandy clutched
at the base Of the enormous pectoral
fin, clinging with manlacal strength,
mad with fear. Striking out to little
purpose, save to help buoy himself
blinded by the flying scud and broken
crests, Ralney 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 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 su1oca-
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, hut
Rainey would not relax his grip. He
could not. He had centered all bis
energy upon the desire to save Sandy,
and his nerve centers were still tense
1 TO that last conscious demand.
The Karluk was into the wind and
thew were In what little lee there was,
dragging aft at the end Of the hal
wards, being fetched In toward the
rail by the mighty tugs Of Lund; a
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 a
blessed monster out Of him.