Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-12-10


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. II
was Carlsen's risk. It was no child's
play in that weather to steer prop
erly. 1t took not only strength, bur
watchfulness and experience to hold
the course in the weller of cross, seas.
Lund and Rainey stood together by
the weatherrai. 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, medley of them, indistinct
against the quartering wind. Sandy,
the roustabout, came dashing aft
along the slipping deck, catching
clumsily at rail and rope to steady
himself, flushed with excitement, al
most hysterical with his news.
"a bowhead, slrl' he cried when he
saw Ralney. And killers after him
BLOWN dead aheadw
Beyond the bows Rainey could see
nothing OF the whale, that must nave
sounded in fear of the killers, but he
saw half dozen scythelike, black
fins cutting the water In streaks of
foam, all abreast, their high dorsals
waving, wolves of the sea, hunting
for the gray bowhead whale. TO force
its mouth open and feast on the deli
cacv Of fits living tongue SO Lund
told him In swift sentences while
they waited for the whale TO breach.
Rainey glanced nft. 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 Sirans' 1.-THE figure was
leaning 10 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 he 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 fittingly
in 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 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
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 sprlnging Of butt.
Hard a lee" yelled Rainey. "Up
with herl Upr
Forward. the men jumped to handle
the headsals The Karluk started 10
spin about on IT'S keel. instinct to rhe
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 seud.
As the schooner hung In deep
trough, the wind struck at her, bows
on
Rainey saw one huge bIllow rising.
curying, high as the gaff of the main,
it seemed to him, as he grasped at the
coil of the main h8Iyards. 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 OPP
poslfe rail with roar that threat
ened to tear It away, piiing up and
then seething overheard
with it went figure. Rainey
caught sight Of CHASTITY face,
mouth that shouted vainJy 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 we're held on the
Din with q turn and twist that Rainey
swiftly loosened, lifting the coil free.
making 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, q living raft
against which the waves broke and
tossed their spray.
CIawing franticaly, Sandy clutched
at the base Of the enormous pectoral
fin. cIlnging with maniacal strength.
mad with fear Striking ont 20 little
-@s. aa~o IN helm bfnv himself