Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1941-02-13
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G. BEN Af1E5 WILLIAMS
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suggested, 81 know you think Peter
might have saved Uncle Tom from
being killed but don't people get
killed whaling right along? I'm sure
if anyone could have done anything,
Peter would have"
He cried: "Oh, all right! You can
stand up for him if you want to!''
She decided that for her own
peace of mind she must know in
detail how her uncle died. The log
was usually on the desk in the COM
mon room. She had never looked
at it, but she went to do so now,
turning back the pages slowly. Since
the Venturer left Gilead, Richard
had made the entries and she
thought his handwriting had changed
tremendously in the five or six years
since he wrote her that harsh note
in reply to hers which Peter, with
boys malicious cruelty, had given
him. She turned back the pages of
the log till she came to entries in
Richards fathers hand, till she
found at last the one she sought.
1t did not make the matter clear.
Nevertheless its implications were
damning. Captain Corr had written:
"Day began fair, wind light and
westerly. Sighted bowhead well out
from the ice and lowered three
boats. The mate, Tom Hanline, got
fast; but the whale cut his fukes
and smashed the boat, then swept
the water. Tom Hanline was hold
ing up Joe Bingham who could not
swim. The whale smashed them.
Third mate Peter Corr was handy.
He picked up the other men. My
son Richard came up fast and killed
the whale. Cutting in tonight. The
bodies were not found. Day ended
as it began"
The words, Mary thought, carried
an overtone of deep regret like
shame.
She put the log away, wishing she
had not read it; and during the next
few days she tried to forget this
cloud which hung over Peters head.
Richard counted on filling their
remaining casks among the right
whales south of Juan Fernandez;
but before setting his course that
way he wished to provision the ship.
When Mary looked out of her cabin
window next morning, she saw an
island close aboard; and after
breakfast she brought George on
deck to sit with her under the boat
house and watch the rugged, lux
uriantly wooded shore along which
they were making. Isaiah joined
them. Mary wondered why no ca
noes appeared
The anchorage is further on"
Isaiah told her. They'll be there
to meet us, and pretty covey of
girls swimming out to come aboard.
I've put in here before. The girls
are main fine lot.
George looked at him; and Mary
said smilingly: "Such talk, Isaiah!
I'm surprised at you'll
A little later he nodded toward the
bay they were entering. Here come
the canoes to meet us now.'
81 see them,' Mary assented.
He seemed absorbed in the scene
before them; chuckled, said: "Them
canoes coming off are loaded down
with what we'll want. That 'un off
1.-THE looard's got live pig in it.
Hear him squeal?"
The men were aloft busy with the
sails; the canoes laden deep and
full of eager islanders came racing
near as the Venturer swung to her
anchor. George and Mary went aft
where Richard was; and Mary saw
that Richard was frowning, look
ing uneasily at the canoes and the
black heads of the girls swimming
out to the ship. The men aloft fin
ished their tasks there and tumbled
down to the deck again and lined the
rail. Swimming girls, their long hair
streaming, came nearer; and the
men aboard shouted to them in a
robust and gusty welcome. Mary
watched, smiling, catching the hap
py infection of their friendliness;
and she turned to speak to Richard,
and saw him watching George, and
then Richard said suddenly: ''Mr.
McAusland, wish you and Mary
would 60 below"
George was looking at the girls,
his face stern. He asked: "Why,
Cap'n CORR"
Those girls will be swarning
aboard here in another five min
utes."
''Then why need you let them
aboard? Keep the girls off the ship.
Surely you can hold your men in
hand?"
Richard shook his head. "Be rea-
sonable, Mr.. McAusland. Father al
ways picked young men for his
ships. They haven't seen a woman
for over four months. You're young
enough yourself to know that
young man misses the sight of a
pretty girl. It's human nature"
George spoke with more restraint
than he felt. eff men can't con-
troll themselves, shouldn't they be
CONTROLLED"
ever try to stop rain falling?"
Richard challenged. "These men
i Lo1,a ~ ,r,orly for mn Va, I~r1,..