Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1934-01-04

She strained into the murk b fom~v
the dimming, living shape so small .
brave. In the heaving desert of death
Not once did 1t soar out OF the oar
Ing valleys but that her heart SCARED
too. Not one billow grappled IL only
TO drop behind In writhing fury buf
that her lips breathed thanks.
Flight on, Eric" she whispered. go
and come back safe. Bring Aim
back TO me, little ship. Oh. don't fail
him now I"
Beside her, Sandomar and his gang
cursed and breathed hard.
Meanwhile Eric was fulfilling bs.
destiny. All his long journevIngs had
been toward this one goal q grain NJ
sand in a lonely sea, and an Indian
child calling him with outstrefched
arms This was the great battle of
his life Nan. Roy, Sandomar had M
part In this 1t was all between him
and his fierce old dam. the sea.
She was the mother of his race. She
had fed him. sehooled him, cherished
him, and now she would try him -
the bone And the test was com
mensurnte with his rank-the heir Of
sea-kings. Ever she had spared no
pains on his hlue-eyed. fair-hatred
brood From those dim days they had
sailed forth In painted galleys, red
bearded ierce-browed brutes In winged
mats. from the deep-cut fiords OF Sean
dinavia. she had harrfed them. proved
them, slain them without mercy, until
she had bred menl
lei to the dark spawn of the west
ern isles Eric owed his fighting chance. |
Inc wooden dory that was his cradle
would stand short shift in seas like
these she would I'LL and founder at
the first rush OF the rolling mountains.
and only the Alaskan kayak. developed
centuries OF rough sailing after
Walrus and whale, could shake free
Ind leap to the crest. II was no more
a whale-bone frame covered with
Talrus hide, yet Eric blessed 1t In the
OF his Morse gods. No stately
mp beating through a tropIc typhoon
lad ever made his heart glow 10
warm.
The hatch he occupied came nearly
o MS armpits. and was scarcely large
'nough to admit his body. The folds
4 his kamleika made II waterfight.
no though one wave after another
roke over him. binding him, blndgeon-
ny his head and shoulders, always
ne craft huoyed up. shook or the
'ater-arms. and fought on. True. IL IL
nee fell In the trough OF the YEAS the
onslaughts would cave In its
lbs. but by good seamanship and
for his life with the double
lade. he managed to avoid this pftfau
he deck was so low that the wind
Md not seize and hustle 1t. His two
timed their strokes with
caught up by his c~onquering spirit I
fought as they had never fought
efore, drunk or sober. on land or sea. :
Y life. bread. OF favor Of woman |
Their goal slowly neared. They J
uld see the kneeIing child. braced I
sainst the wind, pitched down some
mes as the rising waves broke over
e sandy shelves and washed her to L
e waist. but always struggling M. b
Hold on !" Eric shouted. hopinx D
ainst hope that the cry would beat
rough the wind to her earx :
We're coming for yont" n
She appeared to take heart. She :
uld hear naught but the below Of u
gale. but she saw his lips move
q some fellowship of courage lean !.
across the foam made her fight like u
salmon. p
The kayak came up ON the lea OF the "
In comparative quiet wafer.
IN a YELL Eric sprang ont, waded !.
land. and clasped the faintinr child :,
his arms Roaring he knew NOT =
at--perhaps the ancient b~attle-crv
the Vikings yelling up from some
cellar In his brain-he waded hack =
the limp body into the hold :,
nhed into the hatch, and smote the
with his blade.