Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-10-11
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after me, that's what" He was
half crying and his beard was
stopped with spit.
Weldon looked him in the eye.
"All right me hearty" he said
at last. You've had yer lesson.
I'll let We live, see? But go softly
and give me wide berth
savvy?"
AYE, aye"
And so, for a while, the Amer
lea sailed smooth course.
But the men, though they
watched Weldon as dangerous
man, had little respect for him.
He wasn't as strong as most,
though he was quick as cat in
a fight. They weren't above
ganging up to haze him, roughly
and good humoredly, and he
didn't seem to mind, much. But
no man dared go against him on
his own.
A strange thing happened in
little cove in the Patagonian
coast. The America was six
months out and put in for wood
and water. The crew got shore
leave and went to a broken down
Indian village where there was a
sort Of native drink, strong and
bitter. Girls, too. big, strapping
wenches. strong as horses and
used to sailors.
Weldon was along but he
wouldn't have a thing TO do with
those women. That made the In
dams mad; they couldn't under
stand 1t.
One said something and the
rest burst out laughing.
No one knew what it meant
for time. but all the crew took
it up until the whole gang were
pointing to Weldon and laughing
fit TO bust.
Then the mate came along and
said they were calling Weldon
woman.
You should have seen him. He
marched up and down that viii
lage calling them everything he
could think of. He'd fight 'em
one by one, or all at once. He'd
tear their heads off. oh, he'd
murder them.
Well, it seems one of the ma
tive women took it up. She was
over six foot tall broad as a door
with long, black tangled hair and
hands like a gorilla. She stripped
off the fur cloak she wore and
stood up naked and brown as a
berry. Shed fight. She slapped
her chest and stamped up to
Weldon. reaching for him.
To everyone's surprise he turned
flukes and ran for his life
The crew jeered at him for
days after that, in crowds. of
course. What kind Of man was
he. who ran from woman, saw
age. too?
And Weldon took IT, although
he looked mighty ugly.
Then they raised a lone whale
going south. The bark gave
chase and all that day she kept
the beast in sight but that was
all she could do. The old man
was frantic. 1t had been a dry
trip and he daren't miss any
chances.
At dawn the whale was nearer
but to windward.
Hoist and lower" the captain
ordered. yen have to pull up to
him. mister mate"
They pulled for -four miles UNI
til they were about three rises off
him. Then he sounded and came
UP half a mile ahead They pulled
that twenty-eight foot whaleboat
all over the South Atlantic it
seemed, and by late afternoon
they were still following spouts.
There he blows" the mate
shouted for the fourteenth time
Put your backs into it, wei get
him next rise"
Weldon caught a crab" that
is. his oar SKINNED edgewise
through the water and he went
over backwards.
Get up, damn you. What sort
Of sailor are you, you damned
woman. Pull"
Weldon looked poison but he
got on his thWart and grabbed
his failing oar
This amt lady's work" jeered
Big Jake. Give the gal a rest,
mister mate"
Setting his teeth, Weldon
pulled, scooped across a wave
and stopped a gallon of water IN