The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1922-02-25

SOulO Sct llill lHC slil was piNduliic
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 water in streaks Of
foam. all abreast. their high dOrsalS
waving, wolves of the sea, hunting
for the gray bowhead whale, to force
it's 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 sea that was running wild.
"Bl-o-ows !" The deep voice almost
leaned an octave in 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 it's 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"
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, toppel
with foam that blew in level scud.
| AS the schooner hung in a deer
| 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, as he grasred at the
| coil Of the main halyards. Down came
the tons of water, booming on thu
deck that bent under the blow, spill
ing in a great cataract that swashet
| across the deck.
His feet were swept from under
| him, for a moment he seemed to swlns
horizontal in the stream, clutching y
the halyards. The sea struck the Op
posite rail with roar that threat
ened to tear it away, piling up ant
then seething overheard.
With it went figure. Raine,
caught sight of CHASTITY face,
mouth that shouted vainly for help il
the pandemonium, and was instantl'
stoppered with strangling brine, pop
eyes appealing in awful fright a
Sandy was washed away in the cas-
cade. The haIyards were held on tn
pin with turn and twist that Raine,
swiftly loosened, lifting the coil free
making q fast loop, and thrust1n
head and arms through 1t as he fun
himself after the roustabout.
| A great bulk wallowed just befor
him. the helpless body of the bowhea
whale. the killers darting in ma
melee for it's head. Then figure wa
literally hurled upon the slipper
mass Of the mammal, Its gray bell
plain in the welter. living raj
against which the waves broke an
tossed their spray.
Il Clawing frantically, Sandy clutche
at the base of the enormous pectora
fin. clihging with maniacal strength
mad with fear. Striking out to lift'
L -