The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1942-04-16

Garrett Waterson's cabin, as they
entered it now, was strange mess.
1t differed from all other cabins in
that it was full of more charts than
most people have ever seen. There
were charts all over the wall, over
tapping each other in reefs and pads
and a great number of these had
been drafted by Dick Wayne. There
was even a chart nailed to the bot
tom of the deck above Garrett Wa
terson's bunk, where he could read
it as he lay in bed. Hardly any
one ever got into this room, GER
tainly, since Garrett Waterson had
first taken possession, no one had
ever cleaned it up. Old shoes, and
sea boots, and miscellaneous cloth
ing were piled about, or hung upon
nails. But all this litter could mean
nothing in this room - the charts
were everything here.
Everything, that is, except the
man. The ancient figure in the bunk
had been man of huge frame,
once. Fever had carved his face
very close to the bone, taking away
much of his substance. Yet neither
old age nor wasting fever could ever
make this man appear ascetic-he
simply never had been made on as
cetic lines. Everything about him
had been built in the beginning to
be big and vital. There was some
thing arresting, even terrible, about
this big frame which had been built
to a vitality for which the fuel was
now gone.
And there was no doubt about the
fuel being gone. A faint surprise
showed in the eyes of DR.. Shimazu
as he perceived that Garrett Wa
terson was still definitely alive. Lit
tie but the body structure of the
frame itself now remained to show
what Garrett Waterson had been.
First inspection found no sign of
life in the face, or in the big skel-
etonized form under the blankets.
After a minute, though, they saw
the gleam of the living eyes. In
Garrett Waterson's eyes still lived
the embattled flame which had driv-
en- this man always to wild, extrava-
CANT, and uncompromising things.
Garrett Waterson spoke huskily to
Tonga Dick. You're a knockout,
you little squirt, you are," he said.
Whats the idea?"
Perhaps no one else in the warm
seas had ever been able to doni-
ro+a Tooro n;ol, &c Carra++ uya4~~
son could. Shimazu was amazed to
hear Dick speak hesitatingly.
WELL" Dick said, without much
effect, Il thought ought to come
back here"
Garrett Watersons voice roared
hollowly. what the hell else should
we do but come back? Do you have
to duck out with our only fast ship?"
Didn't know you meant to come"
This time the effect was galvanic.
The old skeleton form that had
seemed dead whipped up on one ell
bow with dreadful, inappropriate
energy. Garrett Watersons voice
came like the ghostly shell of a roar
that once would have blown main
81 down.
''Who are you, you insufferable
pup, to say what we are going to
do?"
AS Garrett Waterson raised HIM
self, Shimazu made quick, instinc-
tive movement, as If he wished to
stop an effort which obviously was
more than that ancient and wasted
frame could stand. But Dick halted
Shimazu with a gesture SO casual
that it carried an implication of ut
ter fatality. He knew, if Shimazu
did not, that only one thing would
ever stop Garrett Waterson from any
unwisdom whatever.
Sorry, SIR
Damn your sorriness," Garrett
Waterson said in a diminished voice.
He eased himself back until he lay
as lifeless as before. "And damn
you," he added.
"Okay," Dick said. Damn me.
What them"
where is this girl?" Waterson
demanded.
WELL" Dick began, "the fact
is
whats she like?" Garrett hur-
ried him.
'Well," Dick began again, "she
weighs about one hundred and twen-
ty pounds, with kind of blue eyes,
and"
Blonde and sallow," Garrett Wa
terson said bitterly. ''By God, I
knew it! Self-righteous, holier-than-
thou. Preaching half the time. Wears
starchy clothes. Oh, I knew It'll"
The outburst winded the old man,