The spectator., 1922-01-27

to handle the ship and that Carlsen was going to let her do so.
 Rainey shrugged his shoulders. It was Carlsen's risk. It was no child's play in that weather 10 steer prop erly. It took not only strength, but watchfulness and experience 10 hold the course in the Weltcr of cross-seas.
 Lund and Rainey stood together by the weather-rail It was still Rainey's deck watch, and at any moment Carl sen might relinquish the wheel back to him us 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 sloping deck, catching clunsily at rail and rope to steady himself. flushed with excitement, al most hysterical with his news.
 "A bowhead, sirn he cried when he saw Rainey. And killers after him :. Blowin' dead ahead t'
 Beyond the bows Rainey could see nothing of the whale, that must have 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 it's mouth open and feast on the deli cacy of it's living tongue So Lund told him in swift sentences while they waited for the whale to broach.
 Rainey glanced aft. Sandy had carried his warning to Carlsen and the girl. and now was craning over the lee rail, kneedeep in the wash, trying to sec something of the com bat. Peggy Simms' 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 the close grip of her woolep red tam-o. shanter
 Elbows '" 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 fttingly in sea that was running wild.
 "Rl-o-ows ,' The deep voice almost leaped 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, hut 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 lee." yelled Rainey. Up with her, Up!"
 Forward. the men jumped to handle
 
 spin about on its 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 pillow rising, curving, high as the caff of the main, it seemed to him, as he graSpcd 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 l across the deck.
 His feet were swept from under | him, for moment he seemed to swing horizontal in the stream, clutehing at | the halyards. The sea struck the op- poslte rail with roar that threat ened to tear it away. plling up and then seething overheard.
 | Mltn II Ncut HEuIc. lNdlilfN caught sight of a ghastly face, a mouth that shouted vainy 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 turn and twist that Rainey swiftly loosened. lifting the coil free making fast loop, and thrustinp head and arms through IL as he flung himself after the youstabout.
 A great bulk wailowed just before him, the helpless body of the bowheao whale. the killers darting in a mad 1 melee for it's head. Then figure was literally hurled upon the slippery mass of the mammal, its gray belly plain in the welter. n living raft against which the waves broke anc l tossed their spray.
 Clawing frantically, Sandy clutchet at the base of the enormous pectora