Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-02-04

shrouding them with its secrecy. Their
fire made q little amphitheater Of
gilded branches and trunks on the edge
OF the woods; and from the depths Of
that outer rim Of night came queer
little rustlings. secret movements. a
strange thrilling that tokened the prel-
ude Of Spring. 1t was In the soft
night air, this passion Of nature; and
they felt 1t. A strange awkwardness
came between them. And. suddenly.
they we're uneasy.
Smoker" asked forster
She took a cigarette and leaned over
as he held the match, looking into his
work -roughcned palms.
Thanks"
"He was a swine" said forster sud
denly "A big bum, He only got what
was coming to him" And. without
waiting, as If talking to himself, he
went on swiftly, wildly, telling her OF
his voyage in the Inflated Polaris-
how he came to America-with mans
blood on his knife.
She was a windjammer, the Polaris-
square-rigged sailing ship: and II
| took them 1874 days from Hull 70 San
Francisco-round the Horn.
He spoke Of the Polaris with all sail
set, driving southwark through the
trades like great white bird. Racing
days. Scudding seas-a white wake
down across the blue shingles Of the
Atlantic. Flying fish. The gulf
| lanes OF yellow weed. The Po!aris
rolling helplessly in misty patch Of
the Atlantic where it seemed to rain
all the time, drifting, gasping for each
| faint puff of air, slipping through the
murk like gray ghost.
She was enthralled
Off the Horn--"Cape Stiff" forster
called it-disaster smote them without
warning. The captains wife died and
the skipper refused to bury her az sea.
He made the ships carpenter build
casket, lined with lead-"and Te
picked her" said forster. in whis-
ky"
just forward on the wheel, the Po!aTls
tried TO beat round the Horn. How
| on black nights they had 70 steer,
peering over that silent body. How Il
| began to break the mems nerves.
The captain. Frustrated by his grief,
kent to his cabin. A bucko mate. Lind
ouist. ran the ship. driving her into
| the icy seas off the cape. and here,
coated With ice. the Polaris lost her
| foremost. One man was swept over
! side, forster received this crack On
the head" and the back Of an old
sailor. the veteran Saul. was broken
The seas had smashed open their FORE
castle and old Saul lay freezing among
his Misunderstanding for warmth and
attention. The sailors begged the ships
officers to remove him TO their warm
cabin. Let the old man die in comfort,
at least-but Lindquist drove them for
ward
He was a killer" said Torsten.
And that licked us. We were afraid
of him. I'm not making any excuses
was as bad as the rest-Ue knew he
was lust waiting for the chance 20 put
| walk up TO an officer with a cooked re-
volver in your hand He'd shoot vol
and swear it was mutiny. We quit"
He explained that the sailors had 70
watch old Saul die cursing them for
the towards they were. II got On their
souls. 1t made them even more cow
ardly. Old Saul died in the seas of
The Horn. and the Polaris battied
| through. lirnped I'D the west coaSt o..
South America and-l84 days out from
Hull-entered the Golden Gate. San
Francisco.
1t must have been this crack on
the head. said forster slowly. Il
didn't know where I was at f9rS.. after
Id got IT: I used 10 forget mr. own
name-but all the way Up the coast the
idea kept growing in my mind that !
had 70 square things with L.ndQu!st.
had to paw him back for OLD Saul.
couldn't get it out Of my head I think
he saw Il coming FOR once or twice he
took a crack at me, tried 70 &c: ne 70