The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1922-01-19


yellow hair streaming free In the
wind from beneath the close grip of
her wooden red tam-o'-s hanter.
"Bl-0-Owsw 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 flttingly |
in a sea that was running wild.
l"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 It, 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! Up" y
Forward, the men jumped to handle
the headsails. The Karluk started 10
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 a deep
trough. the wind struck at her, bows
on.
Rainey saw one huge billow rising,
curving, high as the gaff of the MAN.
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 swasheo
across the deck.
His feet we're swept from under
him, for a moment he seemed to swine
horizontal in the stream, clutching II
+. the halyards. The sea struck the op
posite rail with roar that threat
ened to tear it away, piling up ane
then seething overheard.
:, With it went a figure. Raine!
) caught sight of CHASTITY face,
mouth that shouted valnly for help.il
= the pandemonium, and was Instant!
stoppered with strangling brine, pop
eyes appealing in awful fright a
Sandy was washed away In the cas-
cade, The halyards were held on tn
. min with a turn and twist that Raine
. swiftly loosened, lifting the coil fret
: making fast loop, and thrustin
head and arms through 1t as he fun
= himself after the roustabout.
s A great bulk wallowed just oefor
!. him, the helpless body Of the bowhea
whale, the killers darting in a ma
melee for its head. Then a figure wa
4 literally hurled upon the slipper
4 mass Of the mammal, Its gray bell
4 plain In the weller, a living RAJ
! against which the waves broke al
], tossed their spray.
A Clawing frantically, Sandy clutche
A at the base Of the enormous pector'
q fin, clinging with maniacal strengt
q mad with fear. Striking out to HIT
4 purpose, save to help buoy himsel
i blinded by the flying scud and broke
crests, Rainey felt himself upreare
swept impotently on and slammt
\ against the Shiny hulk, just clo
enough to Sandy to grasp him BY u
u collar. as the whale, stung BY ki
\ er's tearing at its oily tongue, HALL
N with its fin and the two Of them 81
y down its body, deep under water.
Rainey fought against the suffoc
ton and the fierce desire to gasp al
relieve his tortured lungs. The lat
weight seemed to be carrying n
Nj down as If he was thing Of lead, b
n Rainey would not relax his grip.
81 could not. He had centered all
81 energy upon the desire to save SAINT
N and his nerve centers were still ten
TO that last conscious demand.
The Karluk was into the wind q
they were in what little lee there W
- dragging aft at the end OF the b
II yards, being fetched in toward
fall bv the mighty tugs OF Lund,
~ weird sight to Rainey's smarting e!
as he caught sight Of the giant, W
tn red hair uncovered, his beard VII
r,no IN the wind. his black .glas
,ut still in place, making some sort o.
n1d blessed monster out Of him.
Is. Ralney had his left fist welded
by the line, his right was set in Sand
va collar, and Sandy's death clutch
~. twined itself into Rainey's disk
,ck though the lad was limp, and his Il
I'D seen through the watery flm I
Or. streamed over It, set and white.
net A dozen arms shot down to gr
dy. him. He felt the iron grip Of u
aft upon his left forearm, almost wren
Ing Ing his arm from It's socket
adv he was inhauled, caught At BY .
al, and legs and deposited on the decl
the schooner, that almost insta1
he commenced to 80 about upon its
In lmer course.
r,und bent over him aaklns
.sis % Sc !. III. Y. - notnon - m