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diff --git a/old/55780-0.txt b/old/55780-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 4f31324..0000000 --- a/old/55780-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,5497 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Strife of the Sea, by T. Jenkins Hains - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Strife of the Sea - -Author: T. Jenkins Hains - -Release Date: October 20, 2017 [EBook #55780] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE STRIFE OF THE SEA *** - - - - -Produced by Charlie Howard and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: IN THE WAKE OF THE WEATHER CLOTH.--See Pages 305-320.] - - - - - THE STRIFE - OF THE SEA - - T. JENKINS HAINS - - AUTHOR OF “THE WIND-JAMMERS,” ETC. - - [Illustration] - - NEW YORK - THE BAKER & TAYLOR CO. - _33-37 East Seventeenth St., Union Sq., North_ - - - - -Copyright, 1903, by THE BAKER & TAYLOR CO. - - Copyright, 1901 and 1902, by HARPER & BROS. - Copyright, 1902 and 1903, by THE SUCCESS CO. - Copyright, 1902 and 1903, by THE INDEPENDENT. - Copyright, 1903, by THE BUTTERICK PUB. CO. (LTD.) - -_Published October, 1903._ - - - - -TO - -ROBERT MACKAY - - - - -[Illustration: CONTENTS] - - - PAGE - THE OLD MAN OF SAND KEY, 11 - - THE OUTCAST, 37 - - THE SEA DOG, 77 - - THE CAPE HORNERS, 101 - - THE LOGGERHEAD, 135 - - THE WHITE FOLLOWER, 165 - - KING ALBICORE, 199 - - THE NIBBLERS, 227 - - JOHNNY SHARK, 251 - - A TRAGEDY OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC, 277 - - IN THE WAKE OF THE WEATHER-CLOTH, 313 - - - - -ILLUSTRATIONS - - - CLAWING OFF THE CAPE, _Frontispiece_ - - _Facing Page_ - THE GREAT SHAPE SAILED FOR THE TOP OF THE BUOY, 44 - - FULL INTO THE CENTER KING ALBICORE TORE HIS WAY, 214 - - THE LINE WAS WHIZZING OUT, 300 - - - - -THE STRIFE OF THE SEA - - - - -[Illustration: _THE OLD MAN OF SAND KEY_] - - -He was an old man when he first made his appearance on the reef at -the Sand Key Light. This was years ago, but one could tell it even -then by the way he drew in his chin, or rather pouch, in a dignified -manner as he soared in short circles over the outlying coral ledges -which shone vari-colored in the sunshine beneath the blue waters of -the Gulf Stream. He had fished alone for many seasons without joining -the smaller and more social birds, and the keepers had grown to know -him. He was a dignified and silent bird, and his stately flight and -ponderous waddle over the dry reef had made it quite evident that he -was a bird with a past. Sandy Shackford, the head keeper, knew him well -and relied implicitly upon his judgment as to the location of certain -denizens of the warm Stream. He had come back again after a month’s -absence, and was circling majestically over the coral banks not a -hundred fathoms from the light. - -The day was beautiful and the sunshine was hot. The warm current of -the Gulf flowed silently now with the gentle southwest wind, and the -white sails of the spongers from Havana and Key West began to dot the -horizon. Here and there a large barracouta or albicore would dart like -a streak of shimmering silver through the liquid, and the old man would -cast his glance in the direction of the vanishing point with a ready -pinion to sweep headlong at the mullet or sailor’s-choice which were -being pursued. - -His gray head was streaked with penciled feathers which grew longer -as they reached his neck, and his breast was colored a dull, mottled -lead. His back and wings gave a general impression of gray and black, -the long pinions of the latter being furnished with stiff quills which -tapered with a lighter shade to the tips. His beak and pouch were of -more than ordinary proportions, for the former was heavy and hooked -at the end and the latter was large and elastic, capable of holding a -three-pound mullet. - -He soared slowly over the reef for some time, and the keeper watched -him, sitting upon the rail of the lantern smoking his pipe, while his -assistant filled the body of the huge lamp and trimmed its several -wicks. - -To the westward a slight ripple showed upon the surface of the quiet -sea. The pelican sighted it and stood away toward it, for it looked -like a mackerel that had come to the surface to take in the sunshine -and general beauty of the day. In a moment the old man had swung over -the spot at a height of about a hundred feet; then suddenly folding his -wings, he straightened out his body, opened his beak, and shot straight -downwards upon the doomed fish. It was literally a bolt from heaven -from out of a clear sky. The lower beak expanded as it hit the water -and opened the pouch into a dipper which scooped up the mackerel, -while the weight of the heavy body falling from the great height -carried everything below the surface with a resounding splash that -could be heard distinctly upon the light. Then up he came from the dive -with the fish struggling frantically in his tough leathern sack. He -rested a moment to get his breath and then stretched forth his pinions -again and rose in a great circle into the clear blue air. - -“The old man’s fishin’ mackerel this mornin’,” said Sandy, “an’ I -reckon I’ll get the dory an’ try a squid over along the edge o’ the -Stream as soon as the breeze makes.” - -“Well, take care you don’t lose nothin’,” said Bill with a grin. - -“Whatcher mean?” snarled the older keeper. - -“Nothin’,” answered the assistant. - -“Then don’t say it,” said Sandy, and he walked down the steps of the -spider-like structure, muttering ominously, until he reached the reef -a hundred feet below, where, hauled high and dry, lay his boat. Sandy -was an old man, and had depended upon false teeth for some years. The -last time he had gone fishing he had lost them from his boat, and -as he could not leave the light he had nearly starved to death. In -desperation at last he had set the ensign union down and signaled for -assistance, the second keeper Bill being ashore on leave, and after -the U.S.S. _Ohio_ had come all the way from Key West to find out the -cause of the trouble he had been forced to explain to the officer his -humiliating disaster. As the danger of landing in the surf had been -great and the services of the man-of-war had been required for a whole -day, he had been forced to listen to a lecture upon the absurdity of -his behavior that did little to encourage him, and it was only his -emaciated appearance and unfeigned weakness from loss of food that -saved him his position as keeper. - -He shoved his small boat off and sprang into her. Then he stepped the -mast, and hauling aft the sheet swung her head around and stood off -the reef, riding easily over the low swell. High above him was the -lantern, and he looked up to see Bill gazing down at him and pointing -toward the southward, where a ripple showed the breaching fish. His -lines were in the after locker, and he soon had them out, one of -them with a wooden squid trolling over the stern as the little craft -gathered headway. - -The memory of his former disaster now came upon him, and he took out -his teeth, which were new, and examined the plates upon which they were -fastened. A small hole in either side showed, and through these he -rove a piece of line. Then he placed the teeth back in his mouth and -fastened the ends of the line back of his ear. - -“Let ’em drop an’ be danged to it, they’ll git back mighty quick this -time,” he muttered. “I wonder where that old pelican left the school of -fish?” - -The old bird had satisfied his present needs and had flown away to a -distant part of the outlying bank, where he was now proceeding to -enjoy his catch at leisure. Far away to the northward, where Key West -showed above the horizon, a long line of black specks were rapidly -approaching through the air. They were the regular fishermen of the -reef, and they were bound out to sea this morning for their daily meal. -On they came in single file like a line of soldiers, their distance -apart remaining regular and the motions of their leader followed with -military precision. Every time he would strike the air several sharp -strokes with his wings, the motion would be instantly taken up by the -long line of followers flapping their own in unison. - -The “old man” heeded them very little indeed as he quietly ate his -fish, and they knew enough not to bother him. They sailed majestically -past and swung in huge circles over the blue Gulf to locate the passing -school. - -The old man mused as he ate, and wondered at their stupidity. Even the -light-keeper knew as much as they. There was the breaching school a -mile away to windward, and the stupid birds were still watching him. - -He saw his wives go past in line. There was old Top-knot, a wise and -ugly companion of former days, her penciled feathers on her neck rubbed -the wrong way. Behind her came a young son, an ingrate, who even now -would try to steal the fish from him did he but leave it for a moment -to dive for another. He glanced at him and ate steadily on. He would -finish his fish first and look out for his ungrateful son afterwards. - -Further behind came his youngest companion, one who had hatched forth -twelve stout birds during the past few years and who was still supple -and vigorous, her smooth feathers still showing a gloss very pretty to -look at. But she gave him no notice, and he ate in silence until they -all passed far beyond and sighted at last the breaching mackerel. - -When he had finished he sat stately and dignified upon the sand of the -reef, all alone. Far away to the southward, where the high mountains of -the Cuban shore rose above the line of water when he soared aloft, a -thin smoke rose from some passing steamer. To the northward the spars -of the shipping at Key West stuck above the calm sea. All about was -peaceful, bright, and beautiful daylight, and the ugly spider-like -tower of the Sand Key Light stood like a huge sentinel as though to -guard the scene. - -The day was so quiet that the sullen splashes of the fisher birds -sounded over the smooth surface of the sea, and the breeze scarcely -rippled the blue water. The deep Gulf rolled and heaved in the -sunshine, and the drone of the small breakers that fell upon the -reef sounded low and had a sleepy effect upon the old fellow who had -finished his fish. - -He sat with his pouch drawn in and his long, heavy beak resting upon -his neck, which he bent well into the shape of a letter S. Now and -then he would close an eye as the glare from the white coral in the -sunshine became too bright. The man in the boat was trolling back and -forth through the school of fish with hardly enough way on his craft -to make them strike, but every now and then he saw him haul aboard a -shimmering object that struggled and fought for freedom. Above, and at -a little distance, soared the pelicans. Every now and then one would -suddenly fold its wings and make a straight dive from the height of a -hundred feet or more, striking the sea with a splash that sent up a -little jet of foam. - -The sun rose higher and the scorching reef glared in the fierce light. -The old man shifted his feet on the burning sand and looked about him -for a spot where he might bring another fish and lie quiet for the -afternoon. He turned his head toward the westward, where Mangrove Key -rose like a dark green bush a few feet above the water of the reef. Two -small specks were in the blue void above it, and his eyes instantly -detected them and remained staring at them with unwinking gaze. - -The specks grew larger rapidly, but they were a long way off yet, and -he might be mistaken as to what they were. He had seen them rise above -the blue line before, and if they were what he took them to be there -would be trouble on the reef before long. Yes, he was not mistaken. -They rose steadily, coming on a straight line for him, and now they -were only a mile distant. Then he noticed one of the objects swerve -slightly to the eastward and he saw they were, indeed, a pair of the -great bald eagles from the Everglades of Florida. - -He was an old man, and he gazed steadily at them without much concern, -although he knew they meant death to all who opposed their path. They -were pirates. They were the cruelest of killers and as implacable and -certain in their purpose as the Grim Destroyer himself. The pelicans -fishing for their living over the reef were good and easy prey. A -sudden dash among them, with beak and talons cutting and slashing -right and left, and there would be some full pouches of fish to empty. -It was much better to let the stupid birds fill up first and then sweep -among them. Then, after despoiling them of their hard-gotten catch, -they would carry as much of the plunder as they cared for to some -sheltering key to devour at leisure. - -The white head of the leading pirate shone in the sunshine and his -fierce eyes were fixed upon the fishermen. The old man was apparently -unnoticed, although there was little within the sweep of that savage -gaze that was left unmarked. Those eyes could see the slightest object -on land or sea far beyond the reach of ordinary vision. They had even -this morning, probably, been watching the fishermen from some distant -key miles away to the northward. - -The old man was a huge, tough old fellow, and he dreaded nothing. He -gazed at the fishermen and a feeling of disdain for their weakness -came upon him. He thought of his old scolding mate, Top-knot. What a -scared old bird she would be in a moment with that great eagle sailing -straight as a bullet for her, his beak agape, and his hoarse scream -sounding in her wake. How she would make for the open sea, only to be -caught in a few moments and torn until she disgorged her fish. His -eldest son would make a show of fight, perhaps, and in a very few -minutes would be a badly used up pelican. As for the rest, how they -would wildly and silently strike for the open ocean, going in single -file as was their custom, only to be overtaken one by one, until they -were all ripped and torn by the fierce fighters, who would follow -leisurely along behind, striking and clutching, screaming and calling -to increase their fright and dismay. - -He was almost amused at the prospect, for the pirate birds seemed to -know him instinctively for a barren prize and swept with the speed of -the wind past him and over the reef to the blue waters of the Gulf -beyond, where the fishermen were still unaware of their approach. He -would watch and see the skirmish, for no harm could come to him even -though all the rest were killed and wounded. He swung himself around -and gazed seaward again, and suddenly the thought of his uselessness -came upon him. - -Why should he sit there and see this thing done--he, an old man? He -had led the flock for many years. Should he, the father of many and -the companion of all in former days, see them cut up by two enemies? -What if they no longer cared for him? What if the younger birds were -ungrateful and would steal his fish? Was he not the old leader, the -one they all had looked to in the years gone by? Did not even the men -in the tower treat his knowledge with respect? And here a couple of -fierce marauders from the forests of the land had passed him to wreak -their will upon the timid birds whose leader had grown old. Memories -of former days came to him, and something made him raise his head very -straight and draw his pouch close in. - -He sat gazing for a few moments longer. The eagles now had closed up -half the distance, for they were going with a rush. A pelican saw -them and headed straight out to sea, striking the air wildly with -outstretched pinions. Then in they dashed with hoarse cries that caused -the keeper in the boat to luff into the wind to witness the struggle. - -The old man launched his weight into the air, and with a few sudden -strokes rose to the height of a couple of fathoms above the sea, -bearing down toward the screaming birds with the rapidity of an express -train. - -Above Sandy Shackford a very mixed affair was taking place. The two -eagles had dashed into the pelicans without warning and were within -striking distance before many of them could even turn to flee. Old -Top-knot had just caught a fine fish and was in the act of rising with -it when the leading eagle swooped down upon her with a shrill scream. -She was an old and nervous bird and a touch from any other creature -she dreaded at all times. Now, right behind her came a giant shape, -with glaring eyes and gaping beak, a very death’s-head, white and -grisly, while beneath were a pair of powerful feet, armed with sharp -talons, ready to seize her in a deadly grip. She gave a desperate leap -to clear the sea and stretch her wings, but the sight was too much -for her, and she sank back upon the surface. The great eagle was too -terrifying for her old nerves, and she sat helpless. - -In an instant the eagle was upon her. He seized her fiercely in his -talons and struck her savagely in the back, and the poor old bird -instantly disgorged her newly caught fish. Her savage assailant -hesitated a moment before striking her down for good and all, while he -watched the fish swim away into the depths below. Then he turned to -finish her. - -At that instant there was a tremendous rush through the air, and a huge -body struck him full in the breast, knocking him floundering upon the -sea. The old man had come at him as straight as a bullet from a gun, -and, with the full force of his fifteen pounds sailing through the air, -had struck him with his tough old body, that had been hardened by many -a high dive from above. - -The eagle was taken completely aback, and struggled quickly into the -air to get out of that vicinity, while the old man, carried along by -the impetus of his rush, soared around in a great circle and came -slowly back to renew the attack. In a moment the eagle had recovered, -and, with true game spirit, swung about to meet this new defender of -the fishermen. They met in mid-air, about two fathoms above the sea, -and Sandy Shackford cheered wildly for his old acquaintance as he -landed a heavy blow with his long, hooked bill. - -“Go it, old man!” he cried. “Give it to him. Oh, if I had my gun, -wouldn’t I soak him for ye!” - -The other birds had fled seaward, and were now almost out of sight, -being pursued by the second eagle. One limp form floated on the sea to -mark the course of the marauder. Old Top-knot had recovered from the -shock, and was now making a line for Cuba. The old man was the only one -left, and he was detaining the great bald eagle for his last fight, the -fight of his life. - -Around and around they soared. The eagle was wary and did not wish -to rush matters with the determined old man, who, with beak drawn -back, sailed about ready for a stroke. Then, disdaining the clumsy -old fellow, the bald eagle made a sudden rush as though he would end -the matter right there. The old man met him, and there was a short -scrimmage in the air which resulted in both dropping to the sea. -Here the old man had the advantage. The eagle could not swim, his -powerful talons not being made for propelling him over the water. The -old man managed to hold his own, although he received a savage cut -from the other’s strong beak. This round was a draw. During this time -the second eagle had seen that his companion was not following the -startled game, and he returned just in time to see him disengage from -a whirlwind of wings and beaks and wait a moment to decide just how he -would finish off the old fellow who had the hardihood to dispute his -way. Then he joined the fight, and together they swooped down upon the -old man for the finish. - -He met them with his head well up and wings outstretched, and gave them -so much to do that they were entirely taken up with the affair and -failed to notice Sandy Shackford, who was creeping up, paddling with -all his strength with an oar-blade. - -The encounter could not last long. The old fellow was rapidly -succumbing to the attacks of his powerful antagonists, and although he -still kept the mix-up in a whirl of foam with his desperate struggles, -he could not hope to last against two such pirates as were now pitted -against him. One of them struck him fiercely and tore his throat open, -ripping his pouch from end to end. He was weakening fast and knew the -struggle must end in another rush. Both eagles came at him at once, -uttering hoarse cries, and drawing back his head he made one last, -desperate stroke with his hooked beak. Then something seemed to crash -down upon his foes from above. An oar-blade whirled in the sunshine and -struck the leading eagle upon the head, knocking him lifeless upon the -sea. Then the other rose quickly and started off to the northward as -the form of the keeper towered above in the bow of the approaching boat. - -Sandy Shackford picked the great white-headed bird from the water and -dropped him into the boat and the old man looked on wondering. He had -known the keeper for a long time, but had never been at close quarters. - -“Poor old man,” said Sandy. “Ye look mighty badly used up.” And then he -made a motion toward him. - -But the old pelican wanted no sympathy. His was the soul of the leader, -and he scorned help. Stretching forth his wings with a mighty effort, -he arose from the sea. The reef lay but a short distance away, and he -would get ashore to rest. The pain in his throat was choking him, but -he would sit quiet a while and get well. He would not go far, but he -would be alone. The whole sea shimmered dizzily in the sunshine, but a -little rest and the old bones would be right again. He would be quiet -and alone. - -“Poor old man,” said Sandy, as he watched him sail away. “He’s a dead -pelican, but he made a game fight.” - -Then he hauled in his lines, and, squaring away before the wind, ran -down to the light with the eagle and a dozen fine fish in the bottom of -his dory. - -The next day the old man was not fishing on the reef. The other birds -came back--all except one. But the old man failed to show up during the -whole day. - -The next day and the next came and went, and Sandy, who looked -carefully every morning for the old fellow, began to give up all hope -of seeing him again. Then, in the late afternoon when the other birds -were away, the old man came sailing slowly over the water and landed -stiffly upon the coral of a point just awash at the end of the key. - -As the sun was setting, the old man swung himself slowly around to -face it. He drew his head well back and held himself dignified and -stately as he walked to the edge of the surf. There he stopped, and as -the flaming orb sank beneath the western sea, the old man still stood -watching it as it disappeared. - -Sandy Shackford lit the lantern, and the sudden tropic night fell upon -the quiet ocean. - -In the morning the keeper looked out, and the old man was sitting -silent and stationary as before. When the day wore on and he did not -start out fishing Sandy took the dory and rowed to the jutting reef. He -walked slowly toward the old man, not wishing to disturb him, but to -help him if he could. He drew near, and the old bird made no motion. -He reached slowly down, and the head he touched was cold. - -Sitting there, with the setting sun shining over the southern sea, the -old man had died. He was now cold and stiff, but even in death he sat -straight and dignified. He had died as a leader should. - -“Poor old man,” said Sandy. “His pouch was cut open an’ he jest -naterally starved to death--couldn’t hold no fish, an’ as fast as he’d -catch ’em they’d get away. It was a mean way to kill a fine old bird. -Ye have my sympathy, old man. I came nigh goin’ the same way once -myself.” - -And then, as if not to disturb him, the keeper walked on his toes to -his boat and shoved off. - - - - -[Illustration: The Outcast] - - -The day was bright and the sunshine glistened upon the smooth water -of Cumberland Sound. The sand beach glared in the fierce rays and the -heat was stifling. What little breeze there was merely ruffled the -surface of the water, streaking it out into fantastic shapes upon the -oily swell which heaved slowly in from the sea. Far away the lighthouse -stood out white and glinting, the trees about the tall tower looking -inviting with their shade. The swell snored low and sullenly upon the -bar, where it broke into a line of whiteness, and the buoys rode the -tide silently, making hardly a ripple as it rushed past. - -Riley, the keeper of the light, was fishing. His canoe was anchored -close to the shore in three fathoms of water, and he was pulling up -whiting in spite of the ebb, which now went so fast that it was -with difficulty he kept his line upon the bottom. When he landed his -fiftieth fish they suddenly stopped biting. He changed his bait, but to -no purpose. Then he pulled up his line and spat upon his hook for luck. - -Even this remedy for wooing the goddess of fortune failed him, and he -mopped his face and wondered. Then he looked over the side. - -For some minutes he could see nothing but the glint of the current -hurrying past. The sunshine dazzled him. Then he shaded his eyes and -tried to pierce the depths beneath the boat. - -The water was as crystal, and gradually the outlines of the soft bottom -began to take form. He could follow the anchor rope clear down until a -cross showed where the hook took the ground. - -Suddenly he gave a start. In spite of the heat he had a chill run up -his spine. Then he gazed fixedly down, straight down beneath the small -boat’s bottom. - -A huge pair of eyes were looking up at him with a fixed stare. At first -they seemed to be in the mud of the bottom, two unwinking glassy eyes -about a foot apart, with slightly raised sockets. They were almost -perfectly round, and although he knew they must belong to a creature -lying either to or against the current, he could not tell which side -the body must lie. Gradually a movement forward of the orbs attracted -his attention, and he made out an irregular outline surrounding a -section of undulating mud. This showed the expanse of the creature’s -body, lying flat as it was, and covering an area of several yards. It -showed the proportions of the sea-devil, the huge ray whose shark-like -propensities made it the most dreaded of the inhabitants of the Sound. -There he lay looking serenely up at the bottom of the boat with his -glassy eyes fixed in that grisly stare, and it was little wonder he was -called the devil-fish. - -Riley spat overboard in disgust, and drew in his line. There was no use -trying to fish with that horrible thing lying beneath. He got out the -oars and then took hold of the anchor line and began to haul it in, -determined to seek a fishing drop elsewhere or go home. As he hauled -the line, the great creature below noticed the boat move ahead. He -watched it for some seconds, and then slid along the bottom, where the -hook was buried in the mud. - -It was easy to move his huge bulk. The side flukes had but to be -ruffled a little, and the great form would move along like a shadow. -He could see the man in the boat when he bent over the side, and he -wondered several times whether he should take the risk of a jump -aboard. He was a scavenger, and not hard to please in the matter of -diet. Anything that was alive was game to his maw. He had watched for -more than an hour before the light-keeper had noticed it, and now the -boat was drawing away. His brain was very small, and he could not -overcome a peculiar feeling that danger was always near the little -creature above. He kept his eyes fixed on the boat’s bottom, and slid -along under her until his head brought up against the anchor line, now -taut as Riley hove it short to break out the hook. This was provoking, -and he opened a wicked mouth armed with rows of shark-like teeth. Then -the anchor broke clear and was started upward, and the boat began to -drift away in the current. - -The spirit of badness took possession of him. He was annoyed. The boat -would soon go away if the anchor was withdrawn, so he made a grab for -it and seized the hook, or fluke, in his mouth, and started out to sea. -Riley felt the sudden tug from below. He almost guessed what it was, -and quick as lightning took a turn with the line about the forward -seat. Then, as the boat’s headway increased rapidly, he took the bight -of the line aft and seated himself so as to keep her head up and not -bury in the rush. His knife was at hand ready for a sudden slash at the -line in case of emergency. - -“If he’ll let go abreast o’ the p’int, all right,” said Riley. “I seen -lots harder ways o’ getting about than this.” - -The tide was rushing out with great rapidity, and going along with it -the boat fairly flew. Riley watched the shore slip past, and looked -anxiously toward the lighthouse for the head keeper to see him. It -would give the old man a turn, he thought, to see a boat flying through -the water with the occupant sitting calmly aft taking it easy. It made -him laugh outright to imagine the head keeper’s look of astonishment. -Then he saw the figure of the old man standing upon the platform of the -tower gazing out to sea. He roared out at the top of his voice, hoping -to attract attention, but the distance was too great. - -Meanwhile the sea-devil was sliding along the bottom, heading for the -line of white where the surf fell over the bank of the outer bar. -The hook, or fluke, of the anchor was held securely in his powerful -jaws, and the force necessary to tow the following craft was felt very -little. The great side fins, or flukes, merely moved with a motion -which caused no exertion to such a frame, and the long tail, armed with -its deadly spear of poisoned barbs, slewed slightly from right to left, -steering the creature with accuracy. And while he went his mind was -working, trying to think how he could get the man from the boat after -he had taken him out to sea beyond any help from the shore. A sea-devil -he was, and rightly named. This he very well knew, and the thought made -him fearless. He had rushed many schools of mullet and other small -fish, who fled in frantic terror at his approach. He had slid into -a school of large porpoises, the fishermen who seldom gave way for -anything, and he sent them plunging in fear for the deep water. Once he -had, in sheer devilry, leaped upon a huge logger-head turtle weighing -half a ton, just to see if he could take a nip of his neck before the -frightened fellow could draw in his head behind the safe shelter of his -shell. He could stand to the heaviest shark that had ever entered the -Sound, and had once driven his spear through the jaws of a monster who -had sneaked up behind him unawares and tried to get a grip upon his -flukes. All had shown a wholesale respect for his powers, and he had -grown more and more malignant as he grew in size and strength. Even his -own family had at last sought other waters on account of his peculiarly -ferocious temper. - -Now he would try the new game in the craft above, and he felt little -doubt as to the outcome. A sudden dash and twist might demoralize the -floating tow, and as he neared the black can buoy which marked the -channel, he gave a tremendous rush ahead, then a sudden sheer to the -right, and with a quick slew he was heading back again in the opposite -direction. - -[Illustration: THE GREAT SHAPE SAILED FOR THE TOP OF THE BUOY.] - -Riley felt the sudden jerk ahead. He was as far as he wished to go -down the shore, but had hesitated to cut the line in the hope that the -devil would let go. Lines were not plentiful, and to lose this one -meant an end to fishing for several days. The canoe shot ahead with -prodigious speed. Riley seized the knife and was about to cut loose, -when there was a sudden sheer to starboard, and before he could do -anything the canoe was jerked quickly over upon its side. He leaped to -the rail and tried to right it, but almost instantly it was whirled -about and capsized. The sea-devil now dropped the anchor and turned his -attention to the boat. The fluke, taking the ground in the channel, -anchored the craft a few feet distant from the can buoy, and Riley was -climbing upon the upturned boat’s bottom as the creature came up. Lying -flat upon the keel, Riley balanced himself so as to keep clear of the -sea, watching the big black can swinging to and fro in the current. If -he could but seize the ring in the top he might pull himself to a place -of safety. - -The devil came back slowly, looking about for the occupant of the small -boat. He was not in sight, and the craft was perfectly empty. This -puzzled him, and he began circling around to see if he had overlooked -him in the tideway. Then he saw a movement upon the boat, and made out -the keeper lying upon the keel. He came slowly up to the side of the -craft, and Riley saw a huge shadow rising alongside of him, spreading -out a full two fathoms across the wings, or flukes. The ugly eyes -were fixed upon him, and he yelled in terror. It was like some horrid -nightmare, only he knew the deadly nature of the creature, and realized -what a fate was in store for him once the devil had him fast. - -The devil was in no hurry to rush matters, however, for now that the -boat was again stationary he would investigate the subject before -making an attack. He was not hungry. - -Riley edged away from the huge shadow as far as he could, and called -frantically for help. The can buoy swung close to him, and he looked up -to see if it were possible to make the spring for the top. To miss it -meant certain death. Then it swung away again, and he closed his eyes -to shut out the horrid shape rising beside the boat. - -The mouth of the devil was under a breadth of shovel-shaped nose, and -it could not be brought to bear at once. It would necessitate a leap to -grab Riley, and as the devil was in no hurry he swam slowly along the -sunken gunwale waiting for a better opportunity to seize the victim. He -was apparently certain of his game, and he would take his time. - -Riley shrieked again and again in terror, clinging with a frantic -clutch to the capsized boat. - -About this time, Samuels, the keeper, who was in the tower, happened to -turn around far enough to notice the black speck of the upturned boat. -He was expecting Riley to show up about this time of day, and the speck -upon the surface of the Sound attracted his attention. In a few moments -he made it out to be the boat bottom up. - -Instantly he sprang for his glasses. He saw Riley lying upon the -bottom. He rushed to the beach as fast as he could and pushed out in -a dory. His companion was in danger from drowning, and he would rescue -him if possible. He knew nothing of the danger that lurked below the -surface of the sea. The sea-devil was out of sight, and his small -dorsal fin would not show any great distance. - -Riley howled and clung to the bottom of the boat, while Samuels strove -to reach him, and all the time the devil swam slowly fore and aft along -the side trying to decide whether to make the leap or push the boat -bodily over again. The last method appeared to be the least irksome, -and he gave the boat a good shove with his nose. - -Riley felt the heeling of the craft, and clutched frantically at the -now slanting keel. She was turning over again, and in an instant he -would be in the water. The thought of the ending gave him a madman’s -energy. He saw the buoy swinging closer and closer to him as the craft -was pushed along sideways. Then a sudden eddy of the tide swung it -within a few feet of the boat. - -The devil, seeing the boat turning slowly over, pushed harder. In an -instant the man upon the bottom would be in the water and easy to -seize. He gave a sudden shove, throwing the capsized craft almost upon -its side. As he did so Riley made a last desperate effort. He arose -quick as lightning and balanced for an instant on the settling canoe. -Then he sprang with all his strength for the ring-bolt in the top of -the buoy. - -Whether it was luck or the desperate strength of despair, he just -managed to get the fingers of his right hand into the ring. The can -toppled over as though it would capsize and land him in the sea, but -with his legs in the water almost up to his waist, it brought up on its -bearings, balanced by the heavy weight below. Then he hauled himself up -and tried to get his legs around the iron. - -At each effort the can would twist slowly in the sea, and down he would -come again into the water, holding on by the ring above his head. - -The sea-devil gave the craft a tremendous push which sent it clear -over, and then he slipped under it to find the game on the side beyond. -The man was gone, but he saw him hanging to the buoy close by, and he -gave a sudden dash to seize him. At that instant Riley clambered like a -cat upon the swinging iron, and by almost superhuman balancing he sat -up on the top, some four feet clear of the water, his legs swinging on -either side, making frantic efforts to keep his unstable craft from -turning around in the current and spilling him into the death-trap -which now lurked below in plain view. He prayed for a whale iron, and -screamed for help. Then he swore furiously and madly at the shape with -the stony eyes which, as implacable as death itself, lay watching him -as though certain of the ultimate outcome of the affair. Without even -his knife he would not be able to make the least resistance. A harpoon -iron would have fixed things differently. Oh, for one to throw at the -hideous thing waiting for him! How he would like to see the barbs sink -into that hard hide and pierce its vitals. He raved at it, and cursed -it frantically, but the sea-devil lay there silently watching, knowing -well that it was but a question of a few minutes before he would be at -his mercy. - -The hot afternoon sun beat pitilessly upon the clinging wretch upon the -can buoy, and the heat upon his bare head made the water dance about -him. But to lose his balance was fatal, and he clung and cried, prayed -and screamed, cursed and raved, alternately, adjusting his trembling -body to each movement of his float. - -As the minutes flew by, Samuels, who was rowing to him with rapid -strokes, heard his outcries, and turned to look. He could not -understand the man’s wild terror. It was evident that there was no time -to lose, and he bent to the oars again. Suddenly he heard a piercing -scream. He turned, and in time to see a great shape rise from the water -like a gigantic bat, and sail right for the top of the can buoy. It -struck it fair, and the thud of the huge body resounded over the sea. -Then it fell slanting off into the water with a great splash, and when -he looked at the top of the can there was nothing but a piece of blue -cloth hanging to the ring-bolt. Riley was gone. - -In an instant Samuels sprang to his feet and stood looking at the -eddying current, paralyzed with horror at the sight. The hot sunshine -and smooth sea were still all around him, but the monstrous shape had -disappeared and his companion along with it. Now he knew why Riley had -screamed and cursed so frantically. It was not the fear of drowning -that had called forth such madness. But even while he stood there -in the sunlight a horrible nightmare seemed to be taking possession -of him, and he was trembling and helpless. He gave a hoarse cry and -set his teeth to control his shaking nerves. Then his brain began -its normal working again, and he seized his oars and gave several -tremendous strokes in the direction of the buoy, looking over his -shoulder and feeling his scalp tightening upon his head. There was a -cold chill in his blood, as though the weather were winter instead of -torrid July. - -Suddenly something showed on the surface just under the boat’s bow. He -shivered in spite of himself, but the thought of his comrade nerved -him for the ordeal. He sprang forward, knife in hand, to seize it if -it were Riley’s form, or face the monster if he appeared. A white hand -came slowly upward. With a desperate effort Samuels reached over and -jerked the form of his assistant into the boat, and as he did so a huge -shadow darkened the water beneath him. - -The sea-devil, carried along by the momentum of his rush, had knocked -his victim into the water from the buoy top, but had swept past him -before he could swing about far enough to seize him in his jaws. This -was all that saved Riley. - -Instantly Samuels, who had a stout craft, seized his oars and pulled -for the lighthouse, gazing fixedly upon the smooth water astern of -him, and shivering with a nervous shake at each ripple in the wake -of his boat, lest it were made by the denizen below the surface. But -nothing followed. The Sound was as smooth as glass, and the sunshine -and silence were undisturbed. The great ray had missed his victim, and -was swimming slowly around the can buoy looking for him. He had failed -to notice Samuels pick him up, although he had seen his boat pass. - -While Samuels watched astern he saw the capsized craft near the buoy -move suddenly, as though some power were exerted upon it from below. -The sight caused him to bend with renewed vigor to his oars, and, with -his heart sending his blood jerking through his temples with a pulse -he seemed almost to hear, he drove his boat for the beach and landed -safely. As he did so Riley sat up and looked about him with eyes that -were like those of a man in a dream. His lips were swollen to a livid -blue and he puffed through them, making a ghastly sound as they -quivered with his breath. Samuels spoke to him, but he would only gaze -about him and make the blowing noise with his mouth. Then the elder -keeper took him gently by the arm and led him painfully up the sand -to the lighthouse dwelling. The next day the victim was raving. It -would take a long time for the poor fellow to regain his equilibrium, -and absolute rest and quiet were the only thing that would steady the -terribly shaken nerves. Samuels took the man to the nearest town, and -then went back to tend the light alone. - -The following week Samuels spent brooding over the horrible affair. The -log of the keeper refers to it several times, and it was like a wild -nightmare to him during his watch on the tower during darkness. During -the daytime he thought of it continually, and began to devise different -methods for the capture of the sea-devil, which he believed to be still -in the entrance of the Sound. He had sent word of the unfortunate -Riley’s condition to the inspector, and was tending the light alone -when the new assistant came to relieve him. When he arrived he found -Samuels hard at work upon a set of harpoons and lines which he had -been preparing for his hunt, while a couple of large shark-hooks lay -in the small boat ready baited. Two small boats were made ready, and -the shark-hooks and lines were placed in one. The other contained five -lilly-irons of the grummet-and-toggle pattern and two hundred fathoms -of small line capable of holding the small boat while being towed at -any speed. With this outfit they began to spend the days upon the -waters of the Sound, rowing in company to the various fishing drops, -and trying for a bite upon the great hooks. - -Not a sign of the sea-devil had there been since the day the keeper -had met him. The weather was clear and fine, and the sea smooth. -Nothing rose to break the even surface. But Samuels hunted quietly on, -never losing faith that some day the monster would break water again -and give him a chance for either a harpoon or hook. In his boat he -carried a long whale lance with its heart-shaped head as sharp as a -razor, covered in a wooden scabbard to keep off the dampness. It would -penetrate any living body a full fathom, and nothing of flesh and blood -could withstand its stroke. - -The sixth day out the new keeper began to give up hope of seeing -anything like the game they sought. He carried ordinary hand lines, -and busied himself fishing during their stays at the different drops. -Sea bass, drum, and sheeps-head were biting lively, and he managed to -make good use of the time they were away from the light. Toward the -late afternoon the fish suddenly stopped biting. It was the beginning -of the flood tide, and therefore not in keeping with the usual state of -affairs. Something was the matter, and Samuels began to pay attention -to his shark lines. - -In a short time one of them began to go in little jerks. It was loose, -with a turn around a cleat so that it might run with any sudden pull. -Then it began to go steadily, going faster and faster, as fathom after -fathom of it flaked overboard. As a shark is never jerked for some -moments after he has taken bait, on account of his habit of holding a -morsel in his mouth sometimes for minutes before swallowing it, the -line was let run. After a shark gets it well in hand he suddenly bolts -the food and makes off. Then is the time to set back with a full force -upon the line in order to drive the barb of the hook into his tough -throat. The chain leader of the hook will then be the only thing he can -set his teeth upon, and he will be fast if the barb once gets under the -tough hide. - -Samuels let the line go for nearly a minute before a quickening in the -movement told him that the fellow at the other end had swallowed the -bait and was making away. Then rising slowly to his feet he let the -line run through his fingers until he took a good brace upon the seat -of his boat with his foot. Then he grasped the line suddenly with both -hands, and setting back upon it with all his strength he stopped it -for an instant. The next moment there was a whir of whistling line. -He had dropped it and it was flying overboard. Before ten fathoms of -line had gone, Samuels had it on the cleat again and was snubbing it in -jerks which sent his boat as deep as her after gunwale. Soon, however, -the line began to give a little. Foot by foot he hauled it in, until a -long dark form showed beneath the surface of the water. It was only a -shark after all, and he was given a taste of the whale lance to quiet -him. - -While he was engaged in this he heard a sudden roar behind him, and he -turned in time to see a gigantic form disappear in a tremendous smother -of foam. It sounded like a small cannon, and he well knew there was -only one creature in the Sound that could break water with such a rush -and smash. - -The shark was forgotten, and as soon as possible the hook was rebaited -and cast. The other line was now watched, and the painter of the other -boat was passed over to make them tow together if the line should be -taken. - -Suddenly the new keeper, who had been looking steadily over the side -into the clear water, gave a shout and pointed below. - -Just a fathom beneath the boat’s keel a gigantic shadow drew slowly up. -It was a giant ray, the dreaded sea-devil they had been waiting for. - -Samuels gazed down at it and could see the stony eyes fixed upon him. -Grasping a harpoon he sent it with all his force down into the depths. -It was a wild throw. But he had waited so long that he could not miss -any chance. - -The long shank of the iron disappeared in the foam of the splash. Then -there was a moment’s pause. Almost instantly afterwards the line was -flying furiously over the side. The toggle had penetrated, and they -were fast. - -The assistant keeper tossed over the anchor buoys to mark the slipped -moorings, and then Samuels snubbed the line. - -Instantly the boats were jerked half under water. Settling back as far -as they could, they both tried to keep the bows of the towing craft -from being towed under, and the line had to be slacked again and again -to save them. Away they went, one behind the other, the ray leading, -Samuels’ boat next, with him in the stern-sheets, holding a turn of -the line which led over the runner in the stem, and the new keeper, -standing with steering oar in hand, slewing his flying craft first one -side and then the other to keep dead in the wake. - -The breeze making from the sea sent the spray over the boats in sheets, -but they held on. The devil was heading for the bar under full speed, -for the iron had pricked him sorely in the side, and he was a little -taken aback at this sudden reception. He could not yet grasp the -situation, and would circle about before coming close to the small -craft again. But there was something dragging upon him that began to -cause alarm. There was a line to the thing that pricked so sore. The -feeling at first caused a desire to escape from the unknown enemy, -but gradually as the pain increased anger began to take the place of -fright, and he tried to find out just who his enemies were. He swerved -near the can buoy and broached clear of the sea to get a better view. -The crash he made as he struck the sea again sent the spray high in the -air, and the line was whirled out with renewed force. - -But the men behind him had no thought of letting go. With lance in hand -Samuels waited patiently for a chance to haul line. As long as the -toggle would hold there was little chance for the iron drawing, for the -skin of the ray was as tough as leather, and the flesh beneath it was -firm. - -On and on they went, the flood tide setting strong against them. The -swell from beyond the bar was now felt, and the ocean sparkled in the -sunshine where it was ruffled by the outside breeze. Two, three miles -were traversed, but there was no slacking of the tremendous pace. The -ray evidently intended to get to sea before attempting to make any -change in his actions. He was going at a ten-knot gait, keeping now -close to the bottom, and heading right through the north breaker, -which rolled in curved lines of white foam upon the bar. The channel -he cared not the least for, and Samuels watched the roaring line of -white with concern. The small boats would make bad weather of the -surf, even though the sea was smooth, for the swell rose high and fell -heavily, making a deep rumbling snore which grew louder and louder as -they approached. Far away the lighthouse shone in the sunshine, and the -buoys stood out like black specks to mark the way through the channel. - -Samuels got out his hatchet ready for a sudden cut at the line if -the surf proved too dangerous. They were nearing the inner line of -breakers, and it would be only a matter of minutes before they were -either through or swamped. There must be some hasty judgment, but it -must be as accurate as it would be hasty, for there would be no chance -to change his mind when the water rose ahead. It was breaking in a -good fathom and more. - -The sea-devil seemed to know what was in store for the boats towing -behind. He broached again and took a good look astern where they flew -along behind him. Then with redoubled speed he tore through the inner -line of breaking water, and before Samuels could grab the hatchet to -cut loose, his boat rose upon a crested breaker and plunged headlong -over into the trough beyond, pulling the assistant through, and almost -swamping him. It was now too late to let go. Ahead was another wall of -rising water which would break in an instant, and the only thing to do -was to go on and trust to the boat’s riding over it all right. To turn -the slightest, one side or the other, meant to be rolled over in the -rush of foam. - -Samuels held on grimly. Once outside he hoped to haul line and come to -close quarters with the devil. Then he would deal with him in a more -satisfactory manner. That long lance would be brought into play, and -the fight would be with the odds upon his side. But he had reckoned -somewhat hastily with this outcast of the ocean. All the fearless -cunning of the sea-scavenger was being brought into play. The pain -in his side where the iron held was making him more and more savage. -He saw it was useless to run away, for the iron held his pursuers to -him. He had only intended to make a short run at the beginning, and -then turn to meet whatever there was in the shape of a foe. There was -little fear in his make-up. The sudden alarm at the stroke of the iron -was merely the natural instinct of the wild creature to keep out of -harm’s way. He had intended to come back and try his hand with the -small craft, only he would not run into unknown trouble. It would be -wiser to take things easy and approach the matter slowly, watching a -good chance to make a rush in when a fitting opportunity occurred. But -because he would go slow he would be none the less implacable. He had -never withdrawn from a fight yet, and his peculiar tenacity had more -than once brought him off victor when the odds were against him. He -was wary--an old wary fighter who began the struggle slowly only to -learn the forces opposed to him. When the issue was well begun he would -break forth in a fury unequaled in any other denizen of the ocean. The -continual pain of the pulling-iron was now goading him into a condition -of frenzied fury. In a moment he would turn, just as soon as he had -the small craft well into the foaming water, where he knew it would be -difficult to navigate. - -Samuels had thought of the ray’s probable run for shoal water, and -dreaded coming up with him in the surf. He could not turn his small -boat broadside to the breakers without getting rolled over and swamped, -and his oars would be useless to pull clear with the iron fast. He -hoped the ray would make for the bottom in the deep water beyond -and pull him through. Just as the outer breaker rose ahead the line -suddenly slacked. - -This was what Samuels dreaded most, and he began to haul in hand over -hand. Instead, however, of the line leading ahead, it suddenly let -off to starboard, and he was forced to let it go and take to his oars -to keep the boat’s head to the sea that was now upon her. He called -to the new keeper, who let go the line between the boats, to take out -his oars also. Both now headed straight for the crest, which instantly -broke over them, half filling Samuels’ craft and settling her almost -to the gunwales. At that moment the line came taut with a jerk. It -swung the boat’s head off broadside to the sea, and the next minute the -breaker rolled her over and over. As it did so a giant form rose like a -huge bat from the foam with mouth agape and flukes extended, its tail -stretching out behind, and the line from the harpoon trailing. Down it -came with a crash which resounded above the roar of the surf, and the -boat disappeared from view. - -Samuels had by good luck been thrown clear of the craft when the sea -struck, and his head appeared a fathom distant just as the devil -crashed down. It was a close call. Then, as the half-sinking boat -returned slowly, bottom up, to the surface, he made for it with all -speed. - -Beside it floated the long wooden handle of the lance, the blade -resting upon the bottom a fathom below. He seized it as he grasped the -keel, and calling for the keeper in the other boat to look out, he -made ready for the devil’s return, for the line was not pulling the -boat away, showing that the slack had not been taken up, and that the -creature was still close by. - -He was not wrong in this. The huge devil swerved almost as soon as he -disappeared below the surface and headed back again slowly to where the -boat lay in the foam of the breaker. He kept close to the bottom and -came like a shadow over the sand. - -The sun was shining brightly and objects could be seen easily. Samuels -soon made out a dark object creeping up from the side where the ray -had gone down. The water was hardly over his head when the seas broke, -and between them it was not more than four and a half feet deep. He -could keep his head out and his feet upon the sand until the rising -crest would lift him clear, when, by holding to the upturned boat’s -keel, he could keep his head out until the breaker had passed, the tide -setting him rapidly towards the deeper water inside the bar. - -The keeper in the other boat saw the shadow and called out, at the same -time getting a harpoon ready and resting upon his oars. The smooth -between breakers gave both a good chance to note the position of the -approaching monster. - -The sea-devil came slowly up, his eyes showing through the clear water -and the line from the iron trailing behind him. When within a couple of -fathoms he made a sudden rush at the capsized boat. - -The new keeper threw his iron well. It landed fairly in the top of the -broad back and sank deep, but it did not in the least stop the savage -rush. The huge bulk rose to the surface at the instant the iron struck -and came straight for Samuels, who held the lance ready in one hand and -clung to the keel of his boat with the other. He drove the long, sharp -weapon a full two feet into the monster’s vitals and then ducked behind -the sunken gunwale to avoid the teeth. - -There was a terrific commotion in the sea. The devil bit savagely at -Samuels’ arm, but missed it, his teeth coming upon the gunwale of the -boat and shearing out a piece. Then he gave a tremendous rush upon the -craft and drove it before him until it disappeared under the surface. -The great ray smote the sea with his flukes and strove after his prey, -but the lance was firmly planted in him, and, try as he might, he could -get no nearer than the length of the handle to the keeper, for with -this grasped firmly in both hands Samuels went below the surface only -to get his foothold again and reappear to be driven along before the -furious creature. - -Meanwhile the new keeper came hauling line from the rear. There -was a smooth between the seas, and he pulled the boat close to the -floundering devil before he knew what was taking place. Then, with -three irons ready, he drove one after the other in quick succession -into the monster. Taken from the rear in this manner the devil whirled -about. His barbed spear in his tail he drove with accuracy at the form -in the boat, striking the keeper in the thick of the thigh and piercing -it through and through. He fell with a yell, clutching the boat to -keep from being drawn overboard, and the spear broke off short, the -poisonous barbs remaining in the flesh. - -The sudden diversion saved Samuels. He managed to withdraw his lance, -and by an almost superhuman effort he drove it again into the devil -just as a sea broke over him. When he came to the surface again he was -exhausted and expected to fall a victim, but the great creature made -no attack and only swam around in a circle, apparently dazed. - -Samuels lost no time in getting aboard the still floating craft, taking -the towline with him. She was full of water from the breaker which had -rolled in, but it had struck her fairly in the bow and she would float -a little longer. He reached for the oars and held her head to the sea, -while the other raised himself in spite of the agony of his poisoned -wound and bailed for his life. - -The sea-devil was mortally hurt and was failing fast. He came to the -surface and made one blind rush at the boat, but he missed and received -the last iron fairly between the eyes. Then he began to go slowly -away, following the flood tide, and towing both boats in through the -breakers to the smooth water beyond. In a short time the motion ceased, -and Samuels hauled in the lines until he was just over the body in two -fathoms of water and clear of the surf on the bar. Then he turned his -attention to his wounded comrade, and by great force pulled the long, -barbed spine through the flesh of his thigh and sucked the wound. As -the tide was flooding, they left the capsized boat fast to the devil on -the bottom below, knowing it would not get far adrift, and made their -way to the light, where the keeper’s wound was carefully cauterized and -bound up. - -The great ray lay quiet for some time, his flukes acting as suckers -to hold him down. Then, the feeling that his end was at hand coming -gradually upon him, he fought against the deadly weakness of his -wounds. Summing up all the remaining energy within his giant frame, he -rose to the surface to make one last, desperate rally and annihilate -the towing craft. He breached clear of the sea and fell with a -resounding crash upon the fabric, smashing it completely. Then he tore -it with his teeth and flung the splinters broadcast, reaching wildly -for anything which looked like a human form. Then he suddenly stopped -and a quiver passed through him. He gave a mighty smash with his flukes -upon the remains of the boat, and then his life went out. He sank -slowly down upon the clean sand below, and the ground-sharks of the -reef came silently in to their feast. - - - - -[Illustration: THE SEADOG] - - -He was a yellow brute, mangy, lean, and treacherous-looking. He had -been in two ships where dogs were not particularly liked by the -officers, and the last one had gone ashore in the darkness during a -northeast gale off the Frying Pan. How he had come ashore from the -wreck was a detail beyond his reasoning. Here he was on the beach of -North Carolina, and not one of his shipmates was left to take care of -him. - -He had at first foraged among the bushes of beach myrtle and through -the pine woods, stealing into the light-keeper’s yard at Bald Head -during the hours of darkness, and rummaging through his garbage for a -bit of food to keep the life within his mangy hide. He had now been -ashore for nearly five months, and during all that time he had shown -an aversion to the light-keeper’s society. There was no other human -habitation on the island, and the light-keeper had fired a charge of -bird-shot at him on two occasions. This had not given him greater -confidence in strangers, and that which he had had was of a suspicious -kind, born and nurtured aboard ship, where a kick was the usual -salutation. He was as sly as a wolf and as wild as a razor-back hog, -for he had gradually fallen upon the resources of the wild animal, and -his one thought was for himself. - -He had broken away into the night howling after the last reception -by the light-keeper at the Bald Head tower, and sore and stiff he -had crawled into the bushes to pick at the tiny pellets that stung -so fiercely. In the future he would be more careful. He must watch. -Eternal vigilance was the price for his worthless life. All the evil -desires and instincts begotten through a line of rascally curs now -began to grow within him. He would not repress them, for was it not -manifest that he must exercise every selfish desire to its utmost if -he would live? His eyes took on that wild, hunted look of the beast -with whom all are at war, and his teeth showed fiercely at each and -every sound. A sullen savageness of mind came upon him more and more -every day, until after these months of wildness he had dropped back -again into the natural state of his forefathers. He was a wild dog in -every sense. As wild as the hogs who rooted through the pine woods or -tore through the swamp, lean as deer and alert to every danger, the -degenerates of the well-bred pigs of the early settlers. - -Sometimes he would run along the edge of the beach in the sunlight and -watch the surf, but even this was dangerous, for once the light-keeper -happened to be out hunting and sent a rifle bullet singing past his -ears. He broke for cover again, and seldom ventured forth except -after the sun went down. In the daytime he would go slinking through -the gloom of the dense thickets with ears cocked and senses alert, -watching like a wolf for the slightest sign of danger. A wolf is seldom -seen unless he means to be, and the yellow dog soon became as retiring. - -Small game furnished food during this season, for the creeks swarmed -with fish and crabs, which were often caught in shallows at low water, -and gophers were plentiful, but sometimes when the wind was howling -and soughing through the forest, and the rain rattling and whistling -through the clearings, he would try the light-keeper’s back yard again, -and grab a defenseless duck or goose that happened to be within reach. -Their squawking was music to his ears, for he remembered the flash and -stinging pain following his earlier attempts to procure food, and he -would dash furiously through the timber with his prize, nor stop until -many miles were between him and the bright eye that flamed high in the -air above and could be seen fifteen miles or more up the beach. The -lighthouse was an excellent guide for him in all kinds of weather, -but it was especially useful on very dark and stormy nights. To him it -meant a guide out of danger, even as it did to his earlier masters, and -he soon learned to navigate by it. - -He grew more and more savage as his life in the wilderness went on, and -as his savageness increased so likewise did his cunning. - -William Ripley, the light-keeper, and his assistant, were both -good hunters. They had plenty of time during daylight to make long -excursions along the beach, and through the pine woods, and they often -brought home a hog or two. They were worried at the visits from the -strange animal who left footprints like those of a dog, and who kept -always well out of sight after his first visits, when a glimpse of -yellow had flashed through the darkness, giving something tangible to -fire at. They had seen the vessel come ashore on the outer shoals, some -twelve miles away, and had seen her gradually break up without being -able to lend a hand at saving her crew. Nothing had washed on the -beach that had signs of life, and it had never occurred to them that -a yellow dog had been a survivor of that tragedy. The wreck had been -visited afterwards, and the vessel’s name discovered, but nothing was -ever heard of the men who had manned her, and who had evidently gone -to the port of missing ships. Their interest in the matter ended after -getting a few fathoms of line and a bit of iron-work, and the shifting -sands of the treacherous Frying Pan soon swallowed up all trace of the -disaster. - -But ducks and geese were scarce and valuable. There was a thief abroad, -and something must be done. The cold weather was approaching, and -already frost had turned the leaves of some of the trees. Soon a slight -fall of snow announced that winter was upon the coast in earnest. - -The cold was hard upon the outcast. His thin hair was but poor -protection against the wind, and the food of the creeks was -disappearing. He was getting more and more savage and desperate, -and the great eye that shone above him through the blackness was -attractive, for it showed where there lay plenty. Often, when the gale -blew from the northward, and the weather was thick, the wild ducks and -geese came rushing down the wind and headed for the eye that shone -so brightly in the night. It had a peculiar dazzling fascination for -them, and they would go driving at it with a rush of a hundred miles an -hour, only to find too late that it was surrounded by a heavy wire net. -Then, before they could swerve off, they were upon it with a terrific -smash. Headlong into the iron meshes they would drive until, flattened -and distorted lumps of flesh and feathers, they would go tumbling down -to the ground beneath. In the morning the keeper would see traces of -their feathers and sometimes a duck or two, but more often he saw the -footprints of the strange animal that so resembled either a dog or wolf. - -“I reckon it’s about time we caught up with that un,” said Ripley, one -morning; “there aint been no wolves around this here island sence I kin -remember, an’ I’m bound to find out jest what kind o’ critter this one -is. Why, what d’ye s’pose he done last night, hey?” - -“Don’t ask me no riddles when I’m sleepy,” said the assistant. - -“Oh, well, it’s no matter, then,” said Ripley, and he turned into the -house. - -“Well, what?” asked the assistant. - -“The first thing he done was to eat the seat out’n your pants you left -hangin’ on the line, but that’s no matter----” - -“What next?” asked the assistant, awakening a little. - -“Well, he chewed the uppers off’n your rubber boots, them ones you said -cost five dollars----” - -“Name o’ sin, no! Did he? Where’s the gun, quick----” - -“Hold on a bit. Wait a minute,” interrupted Ripley. “There aint no -hurry about the case. I was jest a-sayin’----” - -“Go on,” said the assistant earnestly. - -“Well, then, don’t interrupt me no more. That blamed critter got old -red-head by th’ neck an’ walked off with him, an’ there aint no better -rooster ever been hatched. That’s erbout all.” - -“You kin hand me down the rifle,” said the assistant; “that critter or -me leaves this here island, an’ that’s a fact.” - -The track led down the beach, and there was no trouble following it. -The assistant started off at a swinging pace, determined to cover the -distance between himself and the thief before midday. - -But the track soon led into the scrub and was lost. When it was taken -up again it was a good half-mile farther down the shore. Here it swung -along easily for a short distance until a heavy belt of timber was -reached, and where the ground was hard and covered with pine-needles. -There all trace of it was swallowed up as soon as it struck the pines. -The assistant came home that evening a tired but no wiser man. That -night the outcast saw the man-tracks, and knew he had been followed, -and the spirit of deviltry entered deeper into his pariah soul. He -would make them sorry for his nightly visits. All were enemies to him, -and the more harm he could do to everything alive the better it would -be. Savagely he snarled at the footprints. As the moon rose he saw the -beautiful light silvering the cold ocean, and it stirred something in -his hard heart. He raised his nose high in the air and let forth a long -howl of fierce defiance and wrath. - -Slinking through the darkening shadows of the forest, the outcast made -his way to the clearing wherein the great eye rose above the ground to -the height of a hundred feet or more. Here he halted upon the outer -edge, where the thicket hid him in its black shadow. Then he raised -his voice in such a prolonged howl that the fowls secured within the -coops of the yard set up a vast cackling. He changed his position in -time to avoid a charge of buckshot which tore through the thicket and -rattled about the leaves beneath the trees. Then he slunk away for a -little while, only to return again and give vent to his feelings in a -succession of yelping barks, such as had never disturbed the quiet of -the island before. Another charge of shot rattled about him, but he -was now far too wary to get hit, and his hatred was greater than his -fear. It gave him a savage joy to listen to the crack of the gun or the -sharper snap of the rifle, for he knew it worried the keeper to hear -him and know he was near. Night after night he now came, and many were -the shots fired at him, but all to no avail. He would do any mischief -he could, and woe to any duck or chicken that came within his reach. -His high, yelping howl resounded through the clearing and sounded above -the dull roar of the surf, making night hideous to the keeper on watch -in the light above. - -Once he caught a loose fowl, and its feathers were strewn about the -yard. Again he found a string of fine fish the keeper had hung up for -the night. They went the way of the ill-fated. His keen sense of smell -told him many things the keepers did not wish him to know, and he -managed to keep out of harm’s way. - -But this could not last. Ripley was an old hunter, and was not to be -disturbed beyond reason. He brought out an old mink-trap, with steel -jaws of great power, and he buried it in the sand on the edge of the -clearing, smoothing the rumpled surface of the ground so that nothing -showed, and strewing the place with dead leaves. Then he killed a -sea-gull and dropped it almost directly over the steel jaws. The -outcast would doubtless smell it and stop a moment to investigate. He -had only to step upon the ground in the near vicinity and his leg would -be instantly clasped in a steel embrace. - -The first night the keeper watched for him. It was very dark, and the -cold north wind soughed through the pines, and the surf thundered. The -cold made the keeper’s teeth chatter a little as he watched in silence -from his place upon the outer rail of the tower. He had his rifle with -him for a finish, should the trap take hold. - -The outcast came slinking along late that night. He was hungry and -wet, and the light attracted him as it did always on particularly bad -nights, for it stood for the mark of plenty, the only thing on the -barren island that kept a glimmering of the past in his sullen mind. -He noticed a peculiar smell as he skirted the fringe of the cover, and -soon spied the dead gull. How came it there, was the question. Gulls -did not die ashore. At least, he had never seen one. But he knew them -in the air. There was something suspicious in the matter. Why should a -gull be dead so close to the lighthouse? He began to investigate, and -drew near the danger zone. - -But months of wildness had made him cunning. All the sly instincts of -the races of animals from which he had sprung had been developing. He -approached the bait slowly, barely moving, and touching the ground ever -so lightly with his paws. Then he halted. No, it would not do. There -was something wrong with that bird, showing like a bit of white in the -darkness. He could smell it plainly. It was the scent of a man. He drew -slowly off, and began nosing about for the trail, and soon found it. He -followed along, and it led straight to the dwelling where the keeper -lived. Then he went back a little way into the scrub and sat upon his -haunches, and, in spite of his cold and hunger, he lifted up his voice -in a long, dismal howl, that to the keeper’s ears had an unmistakable -ring of derision. - -Night after night the trap was set, but the pariah kept clear. Then, -one day, it grew thick, and a cold wind began setting in from the sea. -Before night it was howling and snoring away with hurricane force, -driving the seas roaring up the sands, and tearing their tops into -smothers of snowy spume drift. - -The pariah came to the beach and tried to look seaward to see what was -coming with that fearful rushing blast, but the wind was so strong and -the snow so blinding that he soon took to the cover, and headed for the -light, in the hope he might pick up something to eat in the vicinity -of the keeper’s dwelling. Before going to the yard he looked again -seaward and saw a light flash out. He did not know what it meant, but -he knew it was off on the Frying Pan, far out on the treacherous shoals -where a thundering smother of rolling whiteness flashed and gleamed now -and again. Then he skirted the clearing, and brought up back of the -fowl-house, where now all the ducks and chickens were secured at night. - -He went forward, trying to smell his way, but the snow was too much for -him. Then he stopped a moment. He located the house and started again, -when suddenly, “Snap!” - -Something had leaped from the ground and seized his foreleg in a -viselike grip. He sprang forward and fought to get away, but it was -of no use. The thing had him fast with an awful grasp that cut into -his flesh and squeezed his leg so tight that it soon became numb. -With snarling growls, he fought desperately on, twisting and turning, -struggling and biting, but all to no purpose. He was fast. Then the -state of affairs began to dawn upon him, and he desisted, for the agony -was supreme. Sitting there in the flying snow of the winter’s night, -with the roar of the storm sounding over him, he raised his voice in a -long, yelping bark of challenge and disdain. - -But in spite of his howling no one came near him. The snow grew deeper -and the wind roared with terrific force, blinding him so that the great -eye above was scarcely visible. He remained quiet now, and waited -patiently for the daylight, which would mean his end. His sufferings -were terrible, but he could not help it, and soon a sullen stupor came -upon him. - -In the dim gray of the early morning forms were seen walking about the -lighthouse. They were men, and among them was the keeper. The others -wore clothes that reminded the pariah of former days, and one stranger -seemed to be familiar to him. This was a man, short, broad, and -bearded, with bow legs set wide apart, and long arms with huge hands -and crooked fingers. He was ugly, and reminded him of the crabs he had -seen and captured in the streams during the summer. There was something -of the crab about the queer little fellow, and his very ugliness -attracted the dog’s attention. It brought back some memory of past -days, a memory that was not all unpleasant, yet indistinct and unreal. - -As the day dawned and the snow grew deeper the outcast waited no -longer. He held up his nose and let forth a howl that was heard above -the snore of the gale, and which brought the light-keeper to attention. -He came running with a club, and behind him followed the stranger with -the crablike body. - -“Sink me if I aint got ye at last, ye varmint!” yelled the keeper as he -drew near. Then he halted. “A dog--what--jest a common everyday dog? -But I’ll make a good dog out o’ ye in a minute. All dead dogs is good -dogs, an’ you’ll do.” - -He advanced with raised club, and the pariah crouched for a spring. He -would try for one last good bite. All the savageness of his mixed blood -surged through his fierce mind. He gave a low growl and showed his -teeth, and his eyes were like bits of yellow flame. - -“Hold on thar, stranger; don’t kill that ’ar dog. Wait a bit,” said the -ugly man, waddling up behind. “What, caught ’im in a trap?” - -“Sure I got him in a trap. D’ye want me to loose him?” asked the keeper -testily. - -“That’s erbout the size o’ my games,” said the ugly man. “Yew may think -it a go, but that ’ar dog looks uncommon like the one I lost aboard the -_Seagull_ when she went ashore hereabouts last year. He ware a good -dog, part wolf, part hound, and the rest a mixture I don’t exactly -remember. Lemme try ’im?” - -“Gwan, man; that critter is been stealin’ chickens since last summer,” -said the keeper, but at the same time he allowed the ugly fellow to -have his way. - -“Hey, Sammy, Sammy, Sammy!” said the ugly sailor. “Don’t yew know me, -Sammy?” And he bent forward toward him. - -The pariah gazed at him. What did he mean? What was that voice? It -sounded like that of the man who had brought him aboard the vessel he -had gone ashore in. The only human who had never struck him or offered -him harm. He hardly remembered the ugly fellow, for he had only been in -the ship a short time before she was lost. - -“Strange, that looks like the critter sure enough. I went ashore here -in the _Seagull_ a year ago, an’ here I goes ashore agin in this -howlin’ wind an’ sees the dog I lost. Strange, keeper, it’s strange, -hey?” - -“He do appear to know ye, an’ that’s a fact,” said the keeper. “Would -ye like me to loose him off? Better do it afore the assistant comes -down, fer he’s got it in fer this dog.” - -“Wait a bit,” said the ugly fellow, and he advanced closer to the -outcast. He put out his hand, and the dog wavered. Should he seize -it? He could crush it and tear it badly in his teeth before he -could withdraw it, and they would probably kill him anyway in the -end. But there was something in the ugly man’s eye that restrained -him--something that spoke of former times when all was not strife. No, -he would not bite him. - -“Turn the critter loose; he’s my dog fer sure,” said the ugly man. “All -he wants is some grub. I reckon yew’d be savage, too, if yew had been -out in the snow all night. I knows I ware when I come in half drowned -this mornin’.” - -The keeper pried the trap open and the cur went free. - -“Come, Sammy, Sammy, Sammy!” said the ugly fellow, and he led the way -to the house. - -The pariah hesitated. His foot was useless, but he could go on three -legs. There was the timber a short distance away. He looked at it for -an instant. Then he saw the ugly man beckoning with his great crooked -finger. He lowered his head and gave a short whine. Then he limped -slowly after him to the house. - -A little later the ugly man fed him and bound up the wounded paw, while -the assistant mumbled something about rubber boots and breeches worth -about seven dollars a pair. - -“Messmates,” said the ugly sailor, shifting his crablike body and -sticking out his great bushy face with its red beard, “that ’ar dog -ware a good dog, part wolf, part hound, an’ the rest I don’t exactly -recollect, but he ware a good dog. Treat a dog good an’ he’ll be a good -dog. Treat ’im bad an’ he’ll be a bad dog. When ye go erbout more among -men, as I does, yew’ll see that what I says is so. An’ men is mostly -like dogs.” - -The assistant kept quiet, for there was something peculiarly aggressive -in that misshapen man. The animal was led away with a string, and went -in the boat to Wilmington with the wrecked crew. - -Two years later another ship was added to the list of those whose -bones rest in the sands of the Frying Pan Shoals. She ran on the outer -breaker during the night, and in the morning the keeper saw a floating -object on the shore. He went to it and found the body of a man whose -peculiar figure he recognized. A life-buoy was strapped about his -waist, and in his great crooked fingers was a line. The keeper hauled -it in, and on the end of it he found the dead body of the yellow beast -that had stolen his fowls. They had gone to their end together. - - - - -[Illustration: The Cape Horners] - - -To the southward of where the backbone of the western hemisphere -dips beneath the sea rises a group of ragged, storm-swept crags and -peaks,--the wild rocks of the Diego Ramirez. Past them flows the -current of the great Antarctic Drift, sweeping from the father of all -oceans--the vast South Pacific,--away to the eastward, past the bleak -pinnacles of Cape Horn, to disperse itself through the Lemaire Strait -and Falkland Channel northward into the Atlantic Ocean. - -With the wild snore of the great west wind sounding over them, and the -chaotic thunder of the Pacific Ocean falling upon their sides, they -are lonely and inhospitable, and are seldom, if ever, visited by man. -Only now and then he sees them, when the wind-jammer fighting to go -past the last corner gets driven close in to the land of fire. Then, -on some bleak and dreary morning, when the west wind is roaring through -downhaul and clewline and under the storm topsails, the heavy drift -may break away for a few minutes and show the wary navigator a glimpse -of the death-trap under his lee that will add a few gray hairs to his -head, and bring the watch below tumbling on deck to man the braces. - -Bare of vegetation and desolate as they are, the rocks are inhabited. -To the leeward of the great Cape Horn sea that crashes upon them, the -ledges and shelves are full of life. In the shelter, the strange forms -sit and gaze seaward, peering this way and that, squawking and scolding -in hoarse voices that might be heard above the surf-thunder. They -appear like great geese sitting on their tails, for they sit upright, -their feet being placed well down on their long bodies, giving them a -grotesque look that is sometimes absurdly human. - -They have no wings,--only little rudiments covered with fine hairlike -feathers that serve as side fins when swimming. They never flap them, -as do their cousins, the Cape pigeons and albatrosses. In fact, their -bodies are covered with short, close, hairlike feathers, very minute, -seldom wider than a pencil’s point, and lying tight to the skin, like -scales on a fish. These figures have birdlike heads, not unlike those -of diver-ducks, and they have beautiful black eyes, with red rings -around them. They are the creatures that hold sway over the barren -crags, waddling and walking about in their absurd way until a great -man-seal shows his bristling whiskers close to the ledge. Then they -gave forth the loud, long-drawn, wild cry that is so well known to the -Cape Horner, waddle to the brink, plunge headlong into the sea, and -disappear. - -They are the penguins of the southern zone, half bird, half fish, and, -one might say, half human, to judge by their upright waddle on their -webbed feet. - -The one whose story is now to be told was hatched on the Ramirez, high -above the lift of the Cape sea, and beyond the reach of straying seals. - -He belonged to a brood of three, and first saw the light a little after -New Year’s Day, or midsummer there. There was no sheltering nest to -guard him against the bleak wind, which is nearly as cold in summer -as in winter. He came into the world on a bare rock and announced -himself by a strange, chirping sound that caused his mother to waddle -off a few feet and gaze at him in astonishment. He was followed by his -two brothers, and, within a very short time, showed an inclination to -follow his parent down the ledge and into the dark water where the kelp -weed floated in sheltered spots between the rocks. He was but a fluffy -ball, of the size of a baby’s fist, but he stood with dignity upon his -short legs and labored over the rough places, sometimes falling and -rolling over a step in the rock until, with a splash, he landed in the -sea. - -At last! That was the place he was meant for. How fine it was to scull -one’s self furiously along the surface and then suddenly dive and go -shooting through the depths, coming up again to see if his parent were -at hand; for, in spite of the delightful novelty of life, there was -within him a strange feeling of fear, something that made him seek his -mother’s side continually. The heavy snore of the great Cape Horn sea, -breaking to windward of the rocks, sounded a deep note of menace, a -warning of the fierce, wild world in which only the hardiest could hope -to survive, and yet it seemed to tell of a power that ruled his destiny. - -His brothers swam near, and he was joined by countless myriads of other -birds. With penguins, strength ashore exists solely in numbers, and the -bare cliffs must be covered with sturdy birds ready to snap and strike -fiercely with their strong, sharp beaks at each and every intruder, -if they would have security. Woe to the albatross or mollemoke that -attempts a landing on the sacred shore! He will be met by an army of -powerful birds walking erect as soldiers and stabbing and biting with -incredible power. - -Soon this young one’s downy feathers hardened. They did not grow -like those of an ordinary bird. They were hardened almost to bone, -and pressed so stiff against his skin that it would be difficult to -distinguish them from the scales of a rockfish or a cod. His wings were -no more than flippers, exactly like those of a turtle, and were without -a bending joint at the pinion. They were devoid of feathers also, but, -as he would never use them in the air, this made it all the better. -They could scull him along faster under the sea. Already he could go -fast enough to catch any fish in the vicinity, and, as for the great -seals, they simply amused him with their clumsy attempts to catch him. -On land he could hop about on his short legs, but he preferred the -water for safety, and seldom took to the rocks. - -During this period of his life he kept well with the crowd of -companions about him. Even the albatrosses, the huge destroyers, kept -their distance, for, as they would swoop down in great circles near -the young birds, they would meet an almost solid phalanx of screaming -and snapping beaks, and would sweep about in giant curves until, seeing -no chance to rush in, they would stand out to sea again and disappear. - -Gradually, as the months passed, the older penguins began to scatter. -Some went farther and farther off shore, until, at length, when the -cold July sun swept but a small arc of a circle above the horizon, they -left the rocks and faced the wild ocean that sweeps past the Horn. Our -young one now felt a desire to roam with the rest, and, one day, when -the snore of the gale droned over the barren lumps, bringing thick -squalls of sleet and snow, he put out into the open sea and headed away -for the Strait of Magellan. - -Away through the dark water he went, his feeling of loneliness -increasing as the land disappeared. The very majesty of that great -waste of rolling sea impressed him, and an instinctive longing to -realize what it meant came over him. He raised his head into the air -and gave forth a long, deep, sonorous cry; but the dark ocean made no -answer, the only sound being the distant noise of some combing crest -that broke and rolled away to the southward. There was not a living -thing in sight. - -Through the gloom he made his way with the feeling of adventure -growing. He kept a lookout for small fish, and repeatedly dived to a -great depth, but, even down there, where the light failed entirely, -there was nothing. Only once during the day did he see anything alive, -and this was after hours of swimming. A dark object showed upon the -slope of a swell. It looked like a triangular knife-blade, and cut the -water easily, while the dark shadow beneath the surface appeared almost -as inert as a log or a piece of wreckage. The penguin drew nearer to -it to investigate, for one of his strongest feelings was a desire to -find out about things. Then the object drew toward him and appeared to -be drifting to meet him. Suddenly there was a rush through the water. -The protruding fin ripped the surface of the rolling swell, and, as -it came on the forward slope, the penguin saw a pair of enormous jaws -opening in front of him, while a row of teeth showed white in the dark -water. He made a sudden swerve aside and missed the opening by a hair’s -breadth. Before the shark could turn to pursue him, he dived and set -off at a great rate of speed below the surface, and was soon out of the -way. He had learned to look for danger wherever he might meet another -such peculiar-shaped object, and the lesson would be of use, for there -is no sea where sharks are not found. - -Between Terra del Fuego and Staten Land lies the narrow water of -Lemaire Strait. Through this channel the current rushes with incredible -speed, swirling around the reefs and foaming over the sunken ledges -that line the shore. The tussock-covered hills of barren shingle form -a background so bleak and uninhabited that many of the large sea fowl -find it safe to trust themselves upon the cliffs where nothing may -approach from shoreward to take them unawares. The rocks are covered -with weed, and plenty of whale-food drifts upon them, so that there -is always a supply for winter. There the penguin landed after days of -cruising, and waddled on shore for the first time since leaving the -place of his birth. - -To the westward, across the strait, the fires from the hills where the -savages dwelt shone in the gloom of the twilight. They were attractive, -and often he would sit and watch them in the growing gloom of the -long winter evenings after he had come ashore from a day’s fishing, -wondering at the creatures who made them. The light was part of his -mental enjoyment, and sometimes, after looking for an hour or more, he -would raise his head, which had a long, sharp beak, and, with lungs -full of air, let forth a wild, lonely cry. For days and days he would -come and go, seeing no companions save the raucous whale-birds who -would come in on the rock and who had no sympathy with his fishing. -They were mere parasites, and depended upon the great animals to show -them their food. - -As the months passed and the sun began to stay longer above the -horizon, he became more and more lonesome. A longing for companionship -came upon him, and he would sit and gaze at the fires across the strait -until he gave vent to his feelings with his voice. - -One day, when the sun shone brightly, he came upon the ledge and -rested. He was not very tired, but the sun was warm and the bright rays -were trying to his eyes after the long gloom of the winter. The ragged -mountains stood up clearly from across the strait, but the fires would -not shine in the sunlight. He stood looking for a time, and then broke -forth into a long-drawn call. To his astonishment an answering note -came sounding over the water. He repeated his cry and listened. From -far away in the sunshine a weird cry was wafted across the sea. It -thrilled him. He was not afraid, for the cry was one of yearning, and -he wanted companionship. He sat and waited until he saw a small object -on the rise of a swell. It came nearer, and then he saw it was one of -his own race, and dived into the sea and went to meet the stranger. - -How smooth was the newcomer’s coat and how white the breast! He looked -the female over critically, and a strange feeling of companionship -pervaded his being. Then he went toward her and greeted her, sidling up -and rubbing his head against her soft neck and swimming around her in -circles. The sun shone brightly and the air was warm. The very joy of -life was in him, and he stretched forth his head and called and called -to the ledges and reefs, sea and sky, to bear witness that he would no -longer live alone, but would thenceforth take the beautiful stranger -with him and protect her. He climbed upon the ledge, she following, -and, proud as a peacock, strutted back and forth in his enjoyment of -her good will and comradeship. - -They strayed about the rocks and swam in the sheltered places among -the reefs for a few days, but a desire to go into the great world to -the southward and make a snug home for the coming summer began to make -him restless. The warm sunshine made life a joy in spite of the thick -coating of fat and feathers, and the high cliffs of Tierra del Fuego -seemed to offer a tempting abode for the warmer months. His pretty -companion shared his joy, and also his desire to go out into the great -sea to the southward and find a suitable place on some rock or ledge -where they could make a home. - -They started off shore one morning and swam side by side for many -leagues, skirting the sheer and dangerous Horn and meeting many more -couples who, like themselves, were looking for a suitable place -for a summer sojourn while the bright sun should last. They met a -vast crowd of their kind making an inner ledge of the Ramirez their -stopping-place, and there they halted. It was pleasant to be sociable -when united to a proud companion, and they went among the throng until -they found a place on the rocks where they could climb ashore easily. -Our friend led the way up the slope and found a level spot among the -stones where his mate could sit and be near the tide. She would lay her -eggs there, and he would take care that she fared well. - -Weeks passed and two white shells shone in marked contrast to the -surrounding stones and gravel. His mate had laid two beautiful eggs, -and her care for them kept him busy fishing for two. Yet he was very -happy. He would make short trips to the outlying reef and seize a fish. -Then he would hurry home with it, and together they would eat it while -his mate sat calmly upon the eggs, keeping them warm and waiting for -the first “peep” to show the entrance into this world of her firstborn. -All about, the other couples had their nests, consisting only of the -bare stones, for there was no drift or weed out there to use, and they -sat in great numbers close enough to call to each other in case a -marauding albatross or mollemoke should come in from the sea and try -to steal eggs. - -Day after day he fished and brought his mate the spoils, often sitting -on the eggs himself while she took a plunge into the cold water for -exercise and change. He was satisfied and the world was bright with the -joy of life. - -One day his mate waddled quickly from the nest. Where before there had -been two shining white eggs, two little yellow puff-balls lay on the -stones, and they made a noise that showed him his offspring were strong -and healthy young ones. He strutted up and down the ledge, proud and -straight, while his mate gave forth cries of satisfaction and nestled -down again to give the delicate little ones shelter. He almost forgot -to go fishing, and only a call from his patient mate recalled him to -the fact that she must be fed. He stepped down the rocks, and, as he -dived into the sea, cried aloud for joy. - -Out near the Ramirez the fish were playing in the sunshine. He made -his way thither, his breast high with the happiness of his existence. -Other fowl were there fishing. He joined them, but gave no heed to a -long object that came slowly over the water from the land of fire. It -headed toward the cliffs where the sea fowl dwelt, and two half-naked -savages propelled it with paddles. They were hunting for eggs, and the -rocks offered a tempting place to land, for the great crowd of birds -told plainly of the summer breeding-place. They ran the canoe into a -sheltered spot among the rocks where the heave of the sea was slight, -and then sprang ashore. Up they climbed and stood upon the level where -the penguin females sat and called wildly for their mates. - -A savage stooped and began gathering eggs, pushing away the birds or -knocking them on the head with a stick, when, with their sharp beaks, -they protested against the robbery. He was a horribly filthy fellow, -and his ugly body was partly covered with skins of birds and sealskin. -He noticed a female sitting close, calling to our penguin for help, -and the bird seemed to be very fine and large, with a good skin. He -made a pass with his club and smote her on the head. She struggled -desperately to get away, but could not. The blow partly stunned her. -The little ones scurried off as she rose, and the savage saw there were -no eggs to be had from her. But he would have her skin anyway, so, with -a furious stroke of his weapon, he knocked her lifeless at his feet. -Then he picked her up and went on. - -Later in the afternoon the male came back from fishing. He climbed the -cliffs and looked about him. His mate and young were missing, and he -sent forth his deep, sonorous cry. But it was not answered. Other birds -took it up, but there was no answering call from the mate, and the -little dark speck that rose and fell upon the heave of the swell away -in toward the shore of Tierra del Fuego gave no token of her fate. - -All night he wandered over the rocks, his wild note of calling sounding -far out to sea. In the morning he stood once more upon the spot where, -a few days before, the mate of his bosom sat proudly upon the white -eggs. The empty shells were all that were left. He stood gazing out to -sea, and then his instinct told him he would see his family no more. He -gave one long-drawn cry, plunged into the sea, and was gone. The great -west wind came roaring over the sea before the sun set, and before it -he held his way. He would go far away from the scene of his summer’s -life. The vast ocean would be his home, and the memories of the ledge -be a thing of the past. - -For many days the penguin roamed over the huge rolling hills of water. -The vastness of the ocean and its grandeur soothed him, though he -still called out at intervals when the sadness of his life was strong -upon him. Then came a day when sea and sky seemed to blend in one wild -whirl, and a hurricane from the high, ragged hills of Patagonia swept -the Antarctic Drift. Away he went before it, and the wildness of it was -joy, the deepening roar of the wind and crash of Cape combers making -music for his spirit. He headed for the middle of the current between -the land where the Pacific flows through and meets the western ocean, -the stretch of sea that reaches away past the South Shetlands to the -south pole. - -How wild and lonely was the storm-swept sea! Great hills of rolling -water, fifty feet in height, with stately and majestic rush, passed -to the eastward, their tops crowned with huge white combing crests -and their sides streaked and flecked with long stripes of white -foam. Above, the dull banks of hurtling vapor flew wildly away to -somewhere in the distance, far beyond the reach of vision. It was more -comfortable beneath the surface than above it, and our penguin drove -headlong before the sea two fathoms below the foam, only coming up -once in a while to breathe. On and on he drove for hours, until hunger -warned him to keep a lookout for fish, as he occasionally came up -for air, and to see if there were signs of the oily surface denizens -showing in the sweep of that great, lonely sea. Suddenly an object -attracted his attention. It was a mere speck on the storm-torn horizon, -but he knew it must be of considerable size. It was different from -anything he had ever before seen, for above it three long, tapering -sticks stood upward, and upon the middle one a strip of white, like -the wing of an albatross, caught the weight of the wild west wind. -He was interested, and drove along toward it until the object loomed -high above him, and the deep snore of the gale sounded like a heavy -roaring comber tearing through the many lines of the rigging and under -the strip of white canvas. The great thing would rise upon the crest -of a giant wave and fling its long, pointed end high into the gale, -the rushing sea striking it and smashing over in a white smother like -the surge on the rocks. Then down it would swing slowly until it would -reach the hollow between the moving hills, and the penguin could see -upon its body, its tall sticks rolling to windward and the roar of the -gale deepening into a thunderous, rushing sound, until the advancing -sea would lift it again and roll it toward the lee. The sight of the -huge monster wallowing about, hardly making the slightest way through -the water, interested the penguin. It seemed like a floating rock -without life, and he felt a curiosity to know if it were alive. He rose -partly from the sea and uttered a long-drawn, hoarse call that floated -down the gale and swept over the great hulk. Nothing happened, and he -repeated the call,--a far-reaching, wild, deep, resonant cry. - -But the great ship swung along slowly, as before, and he dived under -her to see what was below. - -In the forecastle the dim light of the summer day made a dismal and -cheerless scene. The watch below had turned in, all standing, their wet -clothes wrapped about them in their “pews,” or bunks, making a vapor in -the cold air through which the light of the swinging lamp shone dimly. -The gray light from outside filtered in at the side ports and spoke -of the cold, hard day on deck. Once in a while some shivering wretch -would turn in his poultice of soaking flannel and get a fresh piece -of icy-cold cloth against his skin that would call forth maledictions -on the Horn, the weather, and the hove-to ship. In a corner of the -forecastle a pile of soaking clothes moved, and a moan sounded above -the noise without. - -“Stow it, Sammy; you’ll be all right soon, my boy,” said a voice in a -bunk above him. - -“Oh, but it’s so cold, Tom,” whispered the pile of clothes. “I can’t -last much longer, and they might let me die warm, at least.” - -“What’s the little man sayin’?” asked a deep voice opposite. “Wants to -die warm, does he? Say, Sammy, me son, you’ll be warm mighty soon after -you’re dead; why in thunder don’t you put up with a bit o’ cold till -then, boy?” - -“You’re a blamed brute, bos’n,” said the first speaker, “an’ if I -wa’n’t mighty well used up I’d soak you a good whanging for that. Yer -know the poor boy’s sick wid scurvy, an’ aint likely to pull through.” - -“I’ll ware ye out when th’ watch is called, yer preacher,” said the -bos’n confidently. “Talk away, for you’ll only get it all the worse -when I shucks my dunnage.” Then, as if the matter were settled, he -snugged up in his soaking bunk and hove down to warm a piece of his -steaming covering until it should cease to send a chill through his big -frame and he could wander into dreamland. - -The shivering form of the boy in the corner moved again, and he groaned -in agony. It was useless for him to try to sleep with his limbs swollen -and his flesh almost bursting with the loathsome disease. The pile of -wet clothes upon him could not keep him warm, and each shiver sent -agony through him. He would die unless he could get relief soon, and -there the ship was off the Horn in June, the beginning of winter, -without one chance in fifty of making port in less than two months. - -In his half-delirious state he lived many of his early schooldays -again, and then followed thoughts of those who were nearest to him. -He must die. His grave must be in that great, dark void beneath. Oh, -the loneliness of that great ocean! What would it be like far below in -the blackness of the vast deep, beyond the heave of the great sea, in -the very bosom of the great world of silence? The horror of it caused -him to groan. Would anyone punish the cruel ship-owners and captain -who had so foully murdered him with the cheap and filthy food? What -would anyone care after he had gone? What would he care, away down in -that everlasting blackness, where no one would ever see him again? He -lay upon his back and stared with red and swollen eyes at the bunk -above him where Tom, the quartermaster, snored loud enough to be heard -above the dull, thunderous roar overhead. In another hour the watch -must turn out, but they would let him lie by; him, a dying ship’s-boy. -But would he die outright? Would his soul live down there in that -awful blackness, where they must soon heave his body? He had heard of -sailors’ spirits haunting ships. Could his do so? Was there a hideous -devil below waiting for him? He had heard there was. Far down in the -bottomless abyss some monster might await him. He gazed with staring -eyes at the dim lamp, and longed for a little light and sunshine to -relieve the terrible gloom of the Antarctic winter day. - -Then there broke upon his ears a wild, sonorous, deep-drawn cry -sounding over the storm-swept sea. It was not human. What was it? Was -it for him? The thought made him sick with terror. He groaned aloud, -and Tom turned over in his wet clothes until the sudden chill of moving -from the one steaming place made him grumble audibly. - -“What was it, Tom?” he whispered. - -“What?” growled the sailor surlily. - -“There----” and the cry was repeated. - -Tom growled a little and then rolled snug again. Suddenly he started -up. “A man might as well freeze to death on deck as in this unholy -frozen hole,” he said. Then he climbed stiffly down from his bunk, -clapped his sou’wester on his head, and, tying the flaps snug under his -chin, he slid back the forecastle door with a bang, and landed on the -main deck. - -There he stood a minute watching the great fabric straining under her -lower maintopsail, hove to in that sea that the Cape Horner knows so -well and dreads so much. In the waist, the foam on deck told of a flood -of icy water that poured again and again over the topgallant rail and -crashed like a Niagara upon the deck planks, rushing to leeward through -the ports in the bulwarks and carrying everything movable along with it. - -He watched his chance, and dodged around the corner of the deck house, -where the port watch huddled to keep clear of the wind and the sea. - -“Merry Fourth o’ July to ye,” bawled a man of the watch, as he came -among them. - -“What’s the matter? Can’t ye find enough work to do whin yer turn -comes?” asked another. - -“Where’s the whale-iron?” asked Tom, of Chips, who had come out of his -room to get a look around. - -The carpenter looked at him queerly. “What d’ye want wid it?” he asked. - -“Listen!” said Tom. - -Then the cry of the sea fowl sounded again. - -“Penguin?” said Chips. - -“Turkey,” said Tom, with a smile. “If we can get the steward to give us -a bit o’ salt pork fat we can git him, or I’m a soger.” - -He was an old whaleman, and the carpenter hesitated no longer. He led -the way into his room in the forward house where he kept his tools, and -the iron was brought forth. A word to the mate on watch, and the sailor -was fast in the lee forerigging, standing upon the shear-pole, with the -iron ready to heave. The fat was tossed over the side, and he waited. - -In the dark, cold hole of the forecastle the drawn lips of the sick -boy were parted, showing his blue and swollen gums. He was grinning -horribly. “Take him away. Oh, take him away!” he was moaning. “Hear him -a-callin’ me? Don’t let him get me, Tom; take him away, take him away! -It’s the devil callin’ me!” - -All the fear and anguish that can burn through a disordered brain -was upon the little fellow, and the dismal cry lent a reality to his -delirious thoughts. Suddenly he half rose in his bunk, and then the -latent spark of manhood, which was developing even in spite of his -sufferings, came to his aid. He thought of the Great Power which ruled -his fate, and shook himself into full consciousness, glancing up at the -aperture through which the dim light filtered as if he half expected to -see a vision that would give him strength. Then he felt that he would -face the end calmly, and meet whatever was in store as a man should. -Perhaps the captain and owners could not help matters, after all. He -could hear the song of the gale more distinctly, and once the tramp of -the men as they tailed onto the maintopsail brace. They were jamming -the yard hard on the backstay, and there was no show of a slant yet. He -must lie quiet and wait, listening to the weird cry that caused him to -shiver and see fantastic figures upon the carlines above his head. - -Out on the great, high-rolling sea, the penguin had scented a peculiar -substance. He drew nearer the great fabric that rolled and swung so -loggily on the sea. He sent forth a wild cry, and drove headlong after -a piece of white matter that floated in the foam of the side wash. He -seized it and swallowed it. Then he came closer. - -A form stood in the rigging above him, motionless, as if made of wood, -and a long, pointed thing was balanced in the air. A piece of fat -showed right beneath, and he went for it, in spite of the feeling of -dread that came upon him. He was hungry, and would snatch it and then -get away. He reached it, and at that instant something struck him in -the back, carrying him beneath the surface. Then his life went out. - -“A fine turkey, an’ that’s a fact,” said Chips, a moment later. “Get -something to put him in, quick; the lad will have a stew, fer sure. -’Twill well-nigh cure him, and, anyways, it’ll keep him a-goin’ until -we speak a wessel fer fresh grub.” - -The second mate came forward. - -“Eight bells, ye starbowlines,” he bawled into the forecastle; “turn -out, or I’ll be right in there wid ye! One o’ ye bring Sammy’s mess -things. He’s got turkey fer dinner. Come, wake up, sonny! There aint -no devil or nothin’ a-chasin’ ye. Ye’ll be all right in a week o’ -Sundays. Bring that beef juice right in here, Chips. Hold his head, -Tom,--there,--make him drink it while it’s hot.” - -In a little while the hot broth made from the bird’s flesh warmed the -boy’s body, and his mind was clear again. The forecastle was empty, -and the wild cry he had heard no longer sounded above the gale. He -felt stronger, and his terror had vanished. A feeling of ease grew -within his poisoned body. A gleam of faint sunlight came through the -open door, and as he looked he knew that the God he felt had given him -strength had been kind. He knew no prayer, or word of thanks, but his -spirit was warm with gratitude. He smiled his thanks at his shipmates, -and closed his eyes. Then he slept. - -A crowd of swearing and jostling men awakened him as they came tumbling -below some hours afterwards. - -“Grub ahoy!” bawled one. Then the mess-kid came in steaming from the -galley, and upon it was a large fowl. - -“Hi, yi, turkey, ahoy! Turkey, ’e was a good old man!” cried a Swede. - -“An’ divil a bit will anyone but th’ bye git,” said the big bos’n. -“It’s sorry I am, Thomas, me dear, that I have tew whang ye afther yer -noble raid on ther poulthry.” - - - - -[Illustration: The LOGGER-HEAD] - - -He was probably named by sailors because of his fancied resemblance -to a certain piece of ship’s gear, but the Conchs of the Bahama Bank -believed he deserved his name in its true meaning, for he was certainly -the most stupid fellow on the reef. Those who knew him and watched him -crawl up the glistening white coral sand that glared in the heat of -the torrid sunshine never took the trouble to harm him, although the -law of the reef is very much like it is elsewhere. The strongest or -quickest-witted only might endure. - -But the conch who first turned him, or rather attempted to turn -him, found that his dead weight of six hundred pounds of shell and -leather-like beef was not worth the trouble. Turtles of more manageable -size were plentiful, and there was no use of straining one’s self -trying to upset such a monster. He drew his knife to kill, but the -stupid one had sense enough to withdraw his head within the wall of -bony shell, and the black man called maledictions upon him for turning -the edge of his weapon. Then he smote him over the back with his -turning stave and called him a worthless one because he refused to -contribute himself to the Conch’s larder, and passed on. - -The loggerhead paid small heed to the man’s behavior. The bright -sunshine was warming the white sands, and the blue water of the Gulf -Stream was rippling past the cay, while above him the beautiful little -lumpy clouds, bunches of pure white vapor, were floating away to the -southward. It was enough to live without bothering with those who -fished upon the waters of the reef or the great swarm of creatures who -inhabited the clear depths. Everywhere the sea denizens seemed to be -in continual tumult, some trying to build homes among the sponges and -growths of the coral banks, and others hurrying to and fro through the -clear blue liquid with no especial purpose he could fathom. Then there -were the destroyers who came and went with a rush, chasing the smaller -to shelter and splashing a great deal of water in their efforts to -capture those weaker than themselves. - -The loggerhead poked forth his nose and gazed about him, wondering at -the beauty of the world, and gave the struggling swarms but a passing -glance. Then he laboriously hauled himself up the warming sands until -he reached high-water mark. - -The Conch had walked far away down the cay where his boat was hauled -up. His companion sat in the stern-sheets and lazily bailed the water -from her. When he had finished, the two men shoved her off and hoisted -a small sail. Then swinging her bow around before the breeze, they -headed away toward the distant line of white which showed to the -eastward where a larger cay of the Bank rose from the sea. After they -had gone the loggerhead watched the rippling water along the shore. -Soon the head of a huge turtle appeared, and in a few minutes the great -form of another like himself hauled slowly and lazily up the beach. - -Before dark several followers had hauled up to high-water mark. On the -cay was soft fine sand of a nature not unlike that of more northern -beaches, and this had banked above the coral to a depth of three or -more feet. - -With flippers of horny hardness and gigantic power the females began to -cut their way down. They scooped and scooped until they had holes at -least two feet deep nicely rounded and firmly packed on the sides as -though they were cemented. Then they dropped slowly egg after egg into -the little pits until a hundred or more had packed themselves into the -receptacles. The shells of the eggs were soft like leather, and each -egg had a small dent which showed it was fresh. Then as the night wore -on they softly covered the pits with sand and carefully smoothed them -over until not the slightest trace of any disturbance of the surface -showed. It was nice work, for the sand was soft, and the signs of -digging were easily made, but hard to conceal, and it was nearly dawn -before the females were satisfied with their efforts. Then they slipped -slowly down the sand into the sea and disappeared to return no more. -Their task was done. - -The huge loggerhead who had led the way up the beach watched the -departing turtles as they went to sea. The sound of the murmuring ocean -was in the morning air, the song of the south sea awakening the day -as the soft wind sighed over heaving swell and rippled the beautiful -wavelets until they rolled into little combers and flashed white in the -sunshine. All about him was the light of the tropic dawn. The sweet -breath of the trade wind fanned his iron-hard head and he opened his -eyes lazily to watch the sunrise. It was well. The beauty of the world -attracted him. - -Far away on the horizon the spurts of foam showed the beginning of the -strenuous life of the destroyers. He watched them lazily and wondered -at their fierceness, their uselessness of purpose. Then he saw a form -coming down the beach and looked eastward where the boat of the Conchs -had made the shore again. - -The black man went slowly along the beach prodding the sand at -high-water mark wherever he saw the tracks of turtles. He had a long, -thin piece of iron with a sharp end which he drove into the sand and -withdrew again, looking at the end to see if there was any sign of -egg-yolk adhering to it. Once he struck a place where a turtle had -scooped out a nest, and the dripping iron caused him to give a cry to -his companion in the boat. Then he threw down a sack and dug until he -had unearthed the eggs, which he transferred quickly to the bag, and -picking up his iron staff he went along, bending down to watch the -tracks more closely. - -The loggerhead watched him out of the corner of his eye and thought of -the turtle who had lost her eggs, but the whole thing interested him -but little and he made his way slowly down the sand to avoid being hit -over the head with the iron rod because the Conch did not like him. - -The Conch saw him as he gained the surf, but he knew him, and shaking -his staff at him he went along searching for more prizes. - -The great loggerhead swam easily just below the surface where the -sunlight filtered down and made the liquid a bright blue. He had no -object, and held his course across the Gulf Stream, letting himself -drift with the current. It was well to live and the uselessness of -effort was more apparent to him since he had seen the Conch’s work on -the cay of the Bahama Bank. - -The warm stream was rushing silently northward and the gentle wind -caused but little roll to the sea. The loggerhead could lie upon the -surface and poke his head out, getting a glimpse of the eternal rim of -the circle which had no break. But he cared nothing for land, and the -sea was sparkling and blue. The sun overhead sent down hot rays which -he felt through his thick armor of shell, but when it grew too warm -he cooled himself by sinking a few feet below the surface for several -minutes. - -Several big barnacles which had attached themselves to his underbody -made navigation tiresome, for he had to drag them through the water -along with him, but it was too much trouble to scrape them off. He had -seen some of his fellows do this on the rocks of the Florida Reef, but -it was laborious work and he preferred to take things easy. - -He was not an old turtle. Some of his fellows had lived for several -centuries and were old before he was born. But he had grown very large -since the day he first saw the sun shining over the reef at Roncador. -He was but a tiny little fellow then, and his shell was so soft that -he felt the sun burn through it. His leather-like skin on his neck was -tender and even his bony beak could hardly cut the soft Gulf weed. His -flippers were dark and soft and very unlike the huge scaly paddles he -now used to scull himself along. He was quite rapid in his movements -then, but life upon the tropical sea had gradually had the effect of -making him sluggish and philosophical. The sunshine was all he cared -for. - -He had no trouble getting enough to eat without fighting for it. It -seemed a great waste of energy to be eternally chasing other and weaker -creatures, and now he had drifted instinctively back to the habits of -his forefathers. He took things very coolly. When a savage shark or -albicore made a strike at him he did not retaliate by snapping at them -with his huge beak which would now slice out a couple of pounds of wood -from a floating log and shear through anything living. He simply hauled -in his paddles and stump of a tail to the sheltering safety of his -armor and the vigorous fish might chop all day at him for all he cared. -Their teeth might scratch his shell a little, but the powerful arch of -his back made it impossible to crush him and a few scratches upon his -plates would not injure him in any way whatever. His head he might draw -in until his ugly beak and steady eyes looked out of a sort of cavern. -It was trifling with sudden death to come within the radius of a foot -of that nose, and the vigorous fish after tormenting him a few minutes -generally gave him a shove and left him in disgust. - -After they had gone away he would slowly and lazily shove out his -paddles again and proceed to scull himself leisurely on his way, his -small, dull mind undisturbed at the affront. Such creatures were a -nuisance to him, but they were in existence and it was not for him to -worry because they were. He would go along in the sunshine and soft -air in his easy way, and when these no longer attracted him he would -draw in his head, upset himself, then, thrusting it forward again, go -sculling for the cool depths where he would spend many hours among the -beautiful marine growths fathoms below the surface upon the coral -reef, and where the faint light of the sun filtering down made objects -dim and uncertain. All was quiet here, and it was the ideal place for -repose. - -It had taken many years of wandering to get the loggerhead as far -north as the Bahama Bank. He had let himself drift along, and here -he was at last in the core of the great Florida Stream, going to the -northward at a rate which would have astonished him very much had he -known its velocity. It is doubtful even if he had known it that he -would have made any effort to either stem it or get clear, for he now -had the reposeful habit strong in his nature, and he took things as -they came. Nothing had as yet caused him the slightest harm, and there -was no reason to get excited at anything. Life was pleasant. Effort was -useless. - -He would float along upon the bright blue surface of the warm stream -and poke his head up into the clear sweet air and sunshine. It was -enough. The life of albicore or dolphin was not for him. Theirs -was all effort, savage strife, and a sudden death. He might lie and -ponder at their lot with his head slightly raised and his paddles at -rest, but while he might notice them in their desperate play he had a -supreme contempt for them all. He had already lived as long as three -generations of them, and they had done nothing save fight and slay. - -As he floated away he soon found many of his old acquaintances were -disappearing. The savage amber-jack and fat sunfish would pass him now -and then, but they were always heading south. Only his companions, the -flying fish, seemed to care as little as he for their whereabouts. The -flying fish were not afraid of him, and they were his friends. He held -them in high disdain for their cowardice, for they were always timorous -and ready for flight at the first sign of an approaching fish, and it -was more contempt than pity he had for those who were caught. The more -fortunate he would watch with languid interest. - -The lives of all were so full of strife they were eminently -unsuccessful from his point of view, and it was only because the little -flyers were so pretty when they whirled upward from the blue water and -with whirring wings sailed away, that he liked them better than the -rest. They always knew where the best Gulf weed was to be had and never -disputed his claim to the largest share of any that he found. It was -manifest to him that he was a superior being, quite above the rest of -his fellows, and with the instinctive feeling common to all animals, -he felt that this superiority was a special gift from the great power -which he felt ruled his destiny. His dull brain worked slowly. There -was no quickening of his sluggish circulation to brighten his wits. - -It was quite a fortnight after leaving the Bahama Bank that he began -to notice that the water about him was not quite so blue as before and -that there was a chill in it which he did not like. It stirred him -to action and he began paddling westward after the setting sun. The -next day a low shore appeared on the horizon with a bright sand beach -shining like a white band between the dark line of hammock and the -sparkling sea. He headed for it, thinking to haul out a little while -and sun himself upon the hot beach, for the air was much cooler than -what he had been accustomed to and the Gulf weed was scarce. - -In spite of his unwieldy size the loggerhead was not slow when he once -started to use his great paddles. He kept up a steady stroke with all -four, his large front ones sculling him along like two oar-blades, -bending at each return, and his smaller hind ones shoving him ahead -with quick, jerky strokes. His head was thrust forward, and he went -along a few feet below the surface like a great oval shadowy shape. - -In a little while he drew near the beach. It was a long sand-spit -stretching out to sea, upon which the long roll of the Atlantic swell -fell with a deep, sullen roar. Beyond the spit was a quiet lagoon, and -there was an opening through the line of breakers. - -He paddled slowly in, keeping clear of the surf, poking his head up -now and then to get his bearings correctly. Upon the inner end of the -bar he saw three strange forms. They were absurd-looking creatures -with long legs and bills, their heads having light gray penciled -feathers giving them the appearance of being bald, as their wings and -breasts were dark. Their large eyes were watching the incoming tide -as it swirled through the inlet, and when they saw him they set up a -vast noise of protest, scolding loudly and threatening him. He felt -instinctively that these birds were timid creatures in spite of their -fierce threats, and a sudden movement toward them sent them shrieking -away in terror. This amused him, and he went in through the smooth -water unmolested. - -Inside the lagoon was a long stretch of shoal water. Sculling along -close to the bottom so that but a few inches were between him and the -hard sand, he went swiftly up the sound. A great sand shark lay in -front of him, his long body barely moving, the sunlight playing upon -his flanks and his dorsal fin just awash. The loggerhead gave him a -brush with his paddle as he went past and the great fish shot ahead a -full fathom with the touch. He was not used to being brushed against, -and it startled him. Then he turned and chopped at the turtle, but his -teeth met the armor of shell and several broke with the impact. The -loggerhead went steadily on. The water was now getting warmer again and -the sunshine made it very bright, for it was shoal and the white sand -reflected the rays from the bottom, hurting his eyes with the glare. - -He found a sloping beach and hauled lazily out into the heat of a -cloudless day. - -The quiet of the lagoon was attractive to the turtle. He spent many -days drifting about its shallow depths feeding upon the drift-weed and -small shell-fish the tide drove into the inlet. He was well content to -lie upon the surface and watch the shear-waters go sailing past, their -beaks skimming the smooth sea, the tips sometimes cutting like a knife -through the yielding medium, ready to snatch up any unwary mullet or -small fry that happened upon the surface in their path. Often a great -pelican would come in from the sea and fish for a few hours over the -schools of mullet or whiting until with heavy pouch and tired pinions -he would withdraw to the sand-spit to gorge himself with the tender -morsels. - -The loggerhead was amused at the harried schools of fish as they -scurried in terror for a shelter. He felt his superiority over all the -other denizens of the lagoon, and the poor little creatures hurrying in -terror from the destroyers filled him as before with disdain. - -One day a fishing schooner hove to off the inlet. Boats were lowered -and a long seine placed in them. The net was very strong and its -leadline so heavy it took eight men to haul it. They headed slowly -in for the inlet and lay off the entrance for some time waiting for -the tide to favor an attempt to make the opening through the breakers. -They headed the long rollers, rowing easily, and one man stood in the -bow of the leading boat watching the shoaling water, ready to warn the -helmsman in time to prevent getting ashore. - -Soon they saw the way clear ahead and the rowers put some strength into -their stroke, sending the small craft rapidly in. They went through the -entrance safely, although a breaker rolling close to the outer edge of -the sand-spit half filled the leading boat. Then they rested on their -oars and began to clear the net. - -The loggerhead was far away up the lagoon when the fishermen entered. -He saw them as they were stretching the seine across the entrance of -the inlet and watched them haul it slowly up the slue, driving all the -fish before them. The mullet were jumping in terror and the whiting -were hurrying for the shoal water half a mile away. The great sand -shark who lay off the entrance saw the closing trap in time to make a -lunge past the end of the line, splashing the man in the bow with a -vigorous slap of his tail as he swung across and clear. He made a chop -at the trailing net, but missed it in his hurry. Then he went sullenly -to sea. - -The fishermen landed on either side of the narrow lagoon and started to -walk the net slowly up, gradually closing the space above into smaller -and smaller scope. In half an hour they had gone more than halfway, and -the frightened schools of fish began to grow more and more restless as -they saw the strangers approaching. Some of them tried the meshes of -the seine, but they were too small for any save the tiniest mullet to -go through, and they fled back again to the shallow water farther up. - -The loggerhead was resting upon the surface watching the men. They had -not yet noticed him, but he had gone so long without harm from anyone -that he anticipated none. He was satisfied that his superiority to -all other creatures put him beyond the pale of becoming a victim to -anything. - -Suddenly a fisherman noticed him and yelled to his companions across -the slue, pointing at the bony beak that showed above the surface. His -companions were too far away to hear what he said, but their sharp eyes -followed his signals and they soon noticed the turtle. - -The net was drawing in closer and closer, the water was getting -shoaler, and the men were walking the lines ahead more rapidly. The -fish imprisoned beyond its scope now saw their danger plainly and -they tore the water into foam in their frantic efforts to escape. The -loggerhead saw them and watched them lazily, much amused at their -struggles. His contempt for them grew so supreme that when they rushed -past him in one of their frantic plunges he snapped viciously at a -lagging mullet and very nearly cut him in two. Then he sank slowly -down to the sandy bottom below, for the hurrying fish annoyed him. - -The net was now nearly up to the end of the slue, and a giant leader -of the mullet school made a mighty dash for liberty. He tore down the -lagoon and rising with a sudden sweep upward, leaped high in the air -and plunged over the line of corks which floated the top of the trap. - -He went free. Another, encouraged by his example, made the dash also -and went over. The rest, seeing the leaders leap to liberty, made a -dash in unison and with a mighty rush plunged at the floating line of -buoys. Hundreds went over in spite of the fishermen, who manned their -boats and rowed along the net, holding it aloft wherever they saw the -crowd coming. Some gave out at the jump and drove against the deadly -meshes, and others, finding the crowd too close for them, swerved at -the line and flowed past in a solid phalanx of shimmering silver to -swim back and make a new trial. - -The cries of the men and the rush of the passing schools began to -make the loggerhead restless. There was something very extraordinary -taking place. He was angry at the miserable fish who were so useless -and helpless. His contempt finally became so great that he concluded -that he would go down to the other end of the slue where the sand shark -usually lay waiting for the little fish to come out in deep water. He -started to scull himself forward and had just made headway when he -suddenly brought up against the net. - -The water was less than ten feet deep where he was, and he followed the -obstruction upward to the surface, thinking to find it end before he -came into view of the men. But the line of buoys held it well up and -his head popped out of the water before he realized that he could not -pass. A man in a boat made a vicious lunge at him with a boat-hook, but -he got out of the way and followed the net along trying to find a way -to get through. - -The mullet and whiting were now leaping by scores over the corked line. -Their active life had made them fleet and strong. They had fought for -existence from the beginning, and the trap about them was but another -of the many obstacles they must surmount if they would endure. They -were terrified, but they acted quickly and sensibly, their fright -not causing them to overlook any possible means of escape. They were -getting clear in spite of the shouting men who were now hauling line -as fast as they could. Several large skates and a couple of flounders -who had lived up the slue were vainly trying to burrow under the -heavy leadline that swept the bottom. The loggerhead noticed them as -he passed, but they paid no heed to him. A troop of crabs were being -hustled along the bottom by the weighted line. They were snapping at -everything that came in their reach. - -The loggerhead began to get anxious to go away. He made a savage lunge -at the meshes closing about him and he drove his head through a great -rent he made with his beak. His paddles, or flippers, however, caught -in the snare and he struggled wildly and with gigantic power to get -through. His tremendous struggles soon drew the corked line below the -surface and brought the fishermen hurrying in their boats to find out -what caused the trouble. They gazed down into the depths and soon made -out the giant shape struggling frantically. Seizing the lines of the -seine they quickly hauled the loggerhead to the surface, where one of -them grasped his hind paddle and held it long enough to get a bowline -around it. Then they rowed to the shore, towing him ignominiously -behind the craft, while the few remaining mullet, who were too small -and weak to make the leap for liberty, crowded swiftly through the gap -and headed for the open sea. - -Even the skates now made for the opening in the trap. They rose to the -surface with difficulty, but managed to get clear. In less than five -minutes every living thing in the shape of a fish had escaped. - -The fishermen landed their prize and tried to haul him out of the -water. The loggerhead objected to this, and he began to haul them -bodily into the sea. The water was riled and he appeared monstrous in -the foam. They could not tell what kind of creature he was, but it was -for them to get him ashore, and six of them hauled on the line while -two, wading in, began to pry at him with oars to turn him upon his -back. In a little while they had him rolled over and helpless. Then -they came close to examine their victim. - -“I’d be willing to lose half a ton of fish fer a fine green turtle,” -said the leader of the men. “He’s a corker, an’ that’s a fact.” - -“Looks to me like he’s nothin’ but one o’ them loggerheads,” said an -old fisherman; “if he is, he’s played it on us fine.” - -They looked at the markings on his shell and pulled out his flippers. -Then the leader mopped his streaming face with a handkerchief. The old -fisherman looked up sheepishly and grinned. - -“He aint wuth his weight in mud. Turn him lose an’ let him slide,” he -said. - -A sailor rapped him over the head and spoke feelingly. Then they cut -the line adrift and went to gather in their torn net. - -The loggerhead lay upon his back and waited. He was annoyed at the -disturbance. It was provoking to be turned over by a lot of fishermen. - -The mullet had seen him hauled out by the flipper, and he grew angry at -the thought. He tried to twist round and get upon his belly, but could -not. - -All day he lay in the hot sunshine and snapped viciously at the -sand-crabs who came to examine him. Then, as the tide raised and -floated him, he managed to get again upon his paddles. He was -disgusted. Far away down the lagoon a ripple on the water showed the -returning mullet. He gazed at them for a moment, then hauled himself -clear of the bottom. His ugly beak was stuck far out, and with steady -strokes he pointed it for the open sea. He passed the returning -fish, and they wondered at him. Then he went through the opening and -disappeared into the great ocean to the eastward. - - - - -[Illustration: The White FOLLOWER] - - -He was a little more than fourteen feet across the tips of his -outspread wings, more than two fathoms, and his white breast, full -and rounded, was as broad as that of the man who stood at the wheel -and watched him go soaring past. The very tips of his huge wings were -black as jet, showing in marked contrast to the unbroken whiteness of -the rest of his feathers, and the only other dark spot upon his snowy -form was his eye. This was as black and shiny as the lanyards in the -rigging. It was large and held a steady gaze, fearless yet curious, so -that when the man at the wheel looked up the bird tilted his head to -one side to get a better view of him. The giant beak, nearly a foot in -length and of heavy bone, had a strangely hooked end, which swelled -a little in size from the middle portion. It was a serviceable pair -of shears which could cut a five-pound fish in two at a bite. The two -webbed feet, as large again as those of a swan, were held close in -to the short tail feathers so as not to offer resistance to the air, -through which the bird went at the speed of an express train. Silent -and otherwise motionless, save for that turn of the head, the great -creature swept past. Not a movement of leg or pinion, not a feather -disturbed in that headlong rush. With the great wings stretched far out -and slightly bowed, he held his way and tore past the fast-running ship -as though she were at anchor, instead of plowing through the southern -ocean at the rate of ten knots an hour with the wind behind her. Then, -as she was left far astern, he tilted himself a little, and off into -the curve of a tremendous circle he swerved, swinging with the speed of -the wind over the rolling wave-tops until he had covered at least three -miles upon the arc and was heading swiftly back again to repeat the -maneuver. - -All the time that large black and shining pair of eyes watched the -surface of the sea. Not a morsel of anything went overboard unobserved. -From a distance of a mile or more the huge bird would note the smallest -bits of food or grease which the cook would toss over the side when -cleaning his coppers for a new mess of salt junk. Sailing over the bits -of floating stuff he would hover a moment to see if they were really -worth tasting. If so, he would soar in smaller and smaller circles -until he would breast a sea. Then, dropping his legs and bracing his -feet to retard the slowing flight, he would sink into the water and -check himself with both feet and wings until his body finally rested -gracefully upon surface. Folding his pinions slowly and a little -stiffly, he would propel himself like a huge goose toward the floating -prize and make a pass at it with his beak. Salt-pork rind, gristle, -anything that had grease or taste to it, was chopped by the bony shears -and quickly bolted. It mattered little just what it was as long as it -had some grease or taste to it. His appetite was not squeamish. - -When nothing remained he would slowly and stiffly again stretch out -those wings and face to windward. Then he would propel himself along -into the breeze until he rose upon a sea. A quick couple of strokes -with the pinions and a sudden push with both feet generally lifted the -great body clear of the water before it began to sink down the slope of -the succeeding sea. After that it was but a detail to rise higher and -higher into the clear air without perceptible motion save of rushing -ahead and circling in spiral curves, which no mathematician might -describe or define as a means of ascending. - -The ship was something over six hundred miles off shore. She was -heading for the last corner of the world, Cape Horn, to turn it and -then go northward up the South Pacific. She would head up the middle of -the great ocean and at times she would not be within a thousand miles -of any land whatever. - -For more than two weeks the albatross had followed in the wake, his -tireless pinions showing no signs of weakening by the continuous -flight. Steadily night and day he had followed, and the men aboard -had watched him with the awe all deep-water men feel for the giant -birds, which seem to be able to soar through space for a lifetime -without tiring. Sometimes when he came up astern he slackened his pace -by some method and remained for a short moment poised a few fathoms -above the man at the wheel. Then his steady look as he slanted his -head sideways made the man have a queer feeling, as though he were -almost in communication with a stranger from the realms of space. When -the captain happened on deck he paid considerable attention to the -follower, but he never thought to harm him. The Winchester, which he -often used to take snap-shots at blackfish, was always laid aside at -his approach. - -The great bird noted this. He was not afraid of the rifle, for although -he saw the effects of the shot, he knew nothing of its power. The -man was a creature of the earth like himself, and he had no reason -to suspect him of harmful purposes simply on that account. He was -interested in him, and a not unfriendly feeling came within his breast. - -In the latitude of the “roaring forties” the weather is uncertain. -Sometimes it blows high and sometimes low, which latter means it is -dead calm for a spell. Under these conditions a sailing ship naturally -comes to a sudden stop, and, with clewed-up courses, rolls and switches -away often for days without making more than a degree of southing. - -It was during one of these calm spells that the captain began to -formulate a plan which would bring him in closer contact with the -great bird which still soared and circled about the ship. He rigged a -trolling line with a bit of wood for a float near the hook. Then he -baited it with a piece of salt beef and tossed it over the side. - -The ship was barely moving, but still had headway enough to get away -from the bait. When it was fifty fathoms astern the captain held the -line and waited. - -The albatross soon sighted the piece of beef and circled slowly toward -it. Then as it floated in clear view he settled upon the surface of the -sea and paddled up to it and gave it a chop. He cut away half the beef, -but missed the hook, and the captain’s jerk upon the line merely pulled -it from him. He made another grab, and as he did so the line tautened -and the barb of the hook caught under his beak. - -Hand over hand the captain hauled him in. He spread forth his wings and -backed water hard with his feet, but the seaman kept a steady strain -upon the line and prevented the hook from slipping clear. Soon he was -directly under the ship’s counter, and as she squatted down into the -hollow of a swell the captain quickly hauled the bird over the rail to -the deck. - -Inside the poop-rail it was impossible for the albatross to get headway -enough to rise into the air, the wind was so unfavorable in the -shelter. While he might waddle about upon the white planks it was as -impossible for him to get away as though he had been chained by the -leg. It was most provoking to be in such an absurd position. The man at -the wheel grinned at him, and the mate came up to take a better look -at close quarters. He stretched forth his wings and tried to rise by a -series of powerful strokes, but it was in vain. He only managed to go -plunging into the rail before he got his feet clear of the planks. This -made him angry and he snapped at the mate, making a savage chop with -his great beak, which came together with a loud clap. But the seaman -jumped aside, and the captain admonished him to keep away. - -Gradually the feeling of being upon a floating thing with other -creatures seemed less strange. It was remarkable how different the -ship was now that he was on board it from what it appeared while he -was a few fathoms in the air. Yet he had followed it so long that he -had become accustomed to it, and the unpleasant sensation of becoming -suddenly a prisoner aboard gave place to that of curiosity. The captain -brought some choice fat and ordered the steward to keep the slush from -the coppers as clean as possible and give the stranger as much as he -wished. After eating several pounds he lost for the time all desire to -get away and waddled about the quarter-deck perfectly satisfied with -the sudden change in his condition. - -The ship’s dog rushed up and made a savage attack, and for a few -minutes the great bird was frightened, for the noise was distracting -and a sudden bite gave him pain. Then the captain dragged the animal -away and gave the newcomer a choice piece of salt pork to make up for -the lack of courtesy shown by the dog. - -There was much of the dog’s spirit aboard the ship, although it was -not manifest to the albatross. Among the men forward were several -who had much the same feeling for their fellows. Under the cover of -bluff and honest exteriors they concealed dispositions like that of -the dog. They were a type of what is known as “sea lawyer,” and were -always dwelling upon the grievances of sailors and the rascality of -mates and masters. Close and intelligent observers would have noticed -at once that the faults their leader saw in others were the ones rising -to the surface in himself and which he was trying to conceal. He was -saturnine, and his ugly little eyes held an unpleasant look every time -he came in the vicinity of either the mate or captain. The second -officer was in the other watch and therefore not often about to give -him orders. - -As the vessel gradually made her way southward and the hardships became -more trying with the colder weather, the feeling aboard among the men -who listened to the grumbler became more sinister. The captain was not -such a man as to let things go unnoticed, but as long as there was no -direct disobedience of orders he took no action and let the mate warm -up the discontented men with extra work, for it is well known that -hard work will do more for an ugly crew than any medicine. - -The captain spent much time on deck and made a pet of the bird he -had captured. He was a generous man and lonesome among the rough -fellows who made up the crew, for his position forbade any intercourse -whatever with anyone except his first officer. Even this seaman, able -and intelligent as he was, could not be made more of than a slight -acquaintance. Such is the rule aboard deep-water ships, for discipline -must be enforced if safety is to be considered. - -During many lonely hours the master tried to reconcile the dog to the -newcomer. The old wolf spirit bred through thousands of generations -of the land animal was not easy to pacify. It was the old spirit of -suspicion for strangers based upon the experience of hundreds of -ancestors, who had perhaps trusted not wisely but too well in the -days when all living things were at war with each other and only the -strongest and most cunning might survive. It was as evident in the -dog as in the men of the forecastle, and the master studied carefully -and comprehensively to subdue it, or at least pacify it to an extent -that strife might be averted. Kindness and unselfishness were the two -antidotes he would employ. - -The great bird was not slow to notice his friendship. After a day or -two he was on the lookout for the master, who appeared regularly to -take his morning observation for longitude, and he walked laboriously -up to him in spite of the dog’s yelping. There was something in the -man’s behavior that made him instinctively his friend. Finally even -the dog’s suspicions were allayed, and instead of seizing the bird’s -feathers in the rear to jerk them and then dodge the snap of the beak, -he met the bird face to face and refrained from either a bite or bark. -The two became reconciled. - -During several days the albatross waddled about the quarter-deck and -was fed, until the captain, fearing that he would grow so fat he would -be unable to fly, finally took him in his arms one day and placed him -upon the rail. Then he tied a bit of fancy red cord about his leg so -that he might distinguish him from other birds that would follow in -the ship’s wake. The great bird had long ago learned to eat from the -man’s hand and took care not to chop too close to the fingers with -his powerful beak. The master would stroke the beautiful white head -and smooth the snowy feathers until the petting became a thing looked -forward to. It was a smooth day in the latitude of the Falklands when -he determined to set the captive free, and the dark water seemed -less attractive than usual under the gloom of the overcast sky. The -lonely cry of a stray penguin broke now and again upon the ears of the -listening seaman and had a depressing effect. - -With a last caress he gave the pet a gentle push to start him. The -great black eyes looked hard at the sailor, and then, with the giant -wings outstretched, he swung off in a graceful swoop, curving upward -as the falling body nearly touched the sea. He was gone. - -That night it came on to blow hard from the westward. The ship, nearing -the latitude of the Horn, was shortened down to her lower topsails, -and with the wind snoring away under them and past each taut downhaul, -clewline, and halyard, she was hove to. It was necessary to try to keep -her from sagging off to the eastward, for in this latitude every mile -counts. - -During the morning watch the mate had reason to call the captain, for -with a falling glass and shifting wind, he was on the lookout for a -definite change. - -The captain came on deck and took in the situation. It was still dark, -but the growing light on the horizon told of the approaching day. He -stood near the man at the wheel a moment and the mate went forward -where the green seas sometimes rose above the topgallant rail and fell -upon the deck as the staggering ship plunged into the trough. Through -the dim, misty light of the early morning he saw the watch turning out -to clew down the foretopsail, and as the foremost man took the ratlines -he turned and walked to the binnacle to watch the shifting course. - -The increasing gale and gloomy prospects had caused the grumbling -element among the crew to be more careless than usual, in spite of the -master’s efforts to pacify them. The leader of the malcontents came aft -with two others to take a pull in the spanker sheet, for upon the boom -had been bent the storm trysail to hold the vessel’s head up to the -gale while hove to. The men hauled surlily upon the line, but it came -in so slowly that the mate came aft and spoke to them to stir them up. -Then they flattened it in, but the stout landsman, or ordinary seaman, -who was taking in the slack upon the cleat, failed to catch a turn. A -tremendous sea hove the ship to leeward almost upon her beam-ends. The -struggling men were hove against the lee rail, and the sheet, whirling -loose from the fellow’s hands, caught a turn about his body and in an -instant he was flung over the side. The captain, who had just stepped -out from the wheel-house, made a grab to seize him, and a turn of the -now flying line caught him around the ankle and jerked him also over -the rail into the sea. Then followed the dreaded cry of “man overboard” -and the confusion of a crew of men without a leader. - -The mate with ready knife cut away the lashings of the quarter-buoys -and let them go overboard. Then he tried to fling a line, but the ship -was moving too fast. She was forereaching heavily, but in that sea it -was madness to think of trying to stop her by laying the yards aback, -or losing control of her in any way. She must go on. They might shorten -her down enough to stop her, but even if they could do so within half -an hour she would be too far away to see a man in the water and the sea -too heavy to think of lowering a small boat. - -Daylight was breaking over the stormy ocean and the roar from aloft was -sounding louder with the increasing gale. Many of the men forward had -not seen the incident and the cries of those upon the foretopsail yard -to those on deck could be heard. From a bunch at the weather clewline -came a faint strain of a “chanty”: - - “‘Ole stormy, ’e was a good ole man-- - Singing yo, ho, ho--with a hey--bar-rrr.’” - -The absurd chorus struck forcibly upon the ears of the master, who -with both hands gripped the life-buoy and kept his head clear of the -breaking seas. The mate, leaning over the taffrail, bawled something to -him he could not understand, and then the ship drifted to leeward with -the faint sound of singing still in his ears: - - “‘Ole stormy, ’e’ll come walking home, - Singing yo, ho, ho--with a hey--bar-rrrrr. - - “‘le stormy, ’e has gone to sea-- - But ’e’ll not come back, with a hey--bar-r-rr-rr.’” - -The words of a “chanty” are generally grotesque and meaningless, but -it was this very absurdity that struck the listening master as fraught -with meaning. It was significant of his ending. He would not come back -again. - -The water was quite cold, and to make certain that he would not lose -his hold upon the cork float he passed his head through the circular -opening and made his body fast with the hand-line to the buoy at both -sides, so that he would balance evenly. He would do all he could to -live, and if he floated long enough they might pick him up after all. -The minutes dragged into hours, and cold and exhaustion caused his mind -to wander. He fancied he saw green fields again and was back in the -land of his birth. - -The suffering of passing was almost over and it held no terrors for -him. He had tried to do what he could aboard the ship to make things -less hard for his men. Perhaps if he had been more savage he would have -done better, for there are some men who cannot be touched save through -great bodily fear. - -The dawn of the southern day had broken over the heaving ocean, and -at times he would try instinctively to look for the ship. She had -disappeared. Nothing but the great rolling seas as far as the eye -could reach, and these turned now and again into grass-grown hills -before his failing vision. - -It was late in the morning, after the daylight had become strong, that -he fancied he heard a dull, thunderous noise. It had little effect upon -him now, for he was too far gone to pay much attention. The noise grew -louder and louder as the minutes passed and suddenly his dulled brain -became alert again. He looked toward where the sound came from, and -it was from the northward and behind him, and through the haze of the -flying spume-drift he saw the dark gray shadows of rocks. He fancied -his mind was at fault, and in spite of the heavy roar which now filled -the air he paid little attention. Then he was hove nearer the ledge and -felt the rush of the lifting sea. - -It spurred him to recover. He dashed the salt water from his eyes and -made a desperate effort to realize his position. Then a great, high -rolling surge that had run for miles across the southern ocean picked -him up on its crest and bore him shoreward with the speed of the wind. -As it broke into a white smother of foam he saw clearly at last that he -was being hurled upon the rocks. He struggled to keep his head out of -the boiling rush and looked for a place where he would strike. To hit -the ledge at the speed he was going meant instant death, and he tried -to see if there was no slue or opening into which he might be hurled. -The current of the Antarctic had caused an eddy within a few miles of -the rocks of Hermite Isle, in which he had drifted, and it had carried -him toward the land at a rapid rate. - -Rising upon the roll of the crest, he just managed to keep from -striking until the weight and speed of the breaker had been exhausted. -Then by chance and the aid of the buoy he managed to float into a -crevice between the rocks and cling there until the back-wash had left -him almost high and dry. With the last remaining energy left he hauled -his body clear of the tide and lost consciousness. - -When he regained his senses the sun was well up on the northwestern -horizon. The wind had gone down considerably, and heavy, oily-looking -clouds were hurrying past overhead, with breaks between them. He felt -the sting of sleet upon his face and the chill from his wet clothes -almost paralyzed him. He staggered to his feet and gazed about him. -Then he crawled higher up the rocks. - -There was no doubt about it, he was upon the rocks of Cape Horn. He was -clear in his mind now and remembered his struggles, and he had seen the -ragged hump too often not to recognize it at once. How his ship had -been driven in so close was hard to guess, but he knew the treacherous -currents of the Drift and remembered that a careless helmsman might -very easily nurse the vessel off her course with the help of an unknown -set to the northward. - -While he looked about him he became aware that he needed nourishment -very badly. He was faint with the long swim and continued exposure to -the cold water and he must have remained unconscious for many hours -after coming ashore. There was nothing to eat upon the ledge. Tufts -of the great tussac-grass shot up here and there upon the heights -above him, but there was nothing that looked as if it might be used to -prolong his life. - -But a seaman is never beaten until he dies. The master would not -despair. He sat a moment and studied the question. Then he arose again -and clambered painfully up the crags, hoping that he might find some -Cape pigeon eggs upon the higher terraces. There was not a sign of -anything except a great rock-hopper, or penguin, who skipped nimbly -down and plunged into the sea with a loud cry before the sailor could -reach him. Some thirty feet above the ledge upon which he landed he -discovered a pool of half-stagnant water, but it was not salty and -came from the melted snow and sleet. He drank some and felt better, -although it made him colder. He felt through his clothes for a match, -but found the metal case in which he carried them had failed to keep -out the sea water. His numb fingers could scarcely open the case, but -he finally placed the little sticks in a lee, where he hoped they would -dry enough to light. Then he sat down and waited, and before he knew it -he had fallen asleep. - -The sun had swung up again in the northeast when he opened his eyes -and the weather was less ugly. He tried his matches. First one was -scratched carefully upon a dry piece of stone. The head crumbled slowly -away. A bit of smoke seemed to start from it and the seaman’s heart -beat rapidly. Then the head fell away, leaving the bare stick. It was -worthless. He tried another of his scanty store. He grasped the little -stick close to its head of composition and drew it very carefully upon -the rock. A bunch of finely shredded grass, perfectly dry, was rolled -into a ball to catch the first spurt of flame. The match cracked -softly and at each noise the sailor’s heart seemed to stop. His hand -shook violently. Then the head of the match crumbled again, and his -spirits sank within him. It was life or death, for he must have warmth -soon or perish. He had only three more fuses and he stopped a little to -think of some way he might make them burn. He gazed steadily at them -for a long time and then took up one. It failed. - -Hope died away as he took up the other two. He struck them carefully -as before, but they were spoiled. Then he cast the grass from him and -looked out to sea. - -He had been gazing for a long time before he was aware of a form which -appeared circling over the ocean beyond the lift of the breakers. It -was that of a huge albatross, which had come in from the sea and was -apparently looking for a sheltered place upon the Horn to rest. The -master gazed at the great white form skimming along over the wave-tops -and remembered his pet. The bird appeared larger than the one he had -caught, but all of the great Cape albatrosses were so much alike that -he could not distinguish between them. He watched the bird circle about -him and finally noticed that he had been discovered, for the creature -came nearer and nearer at each sweep until he caught the look of its -eye as it bent its head a little in order to observe him better. The -albatross was evidently hungry and it might take very little indeed -to invite an attack. The bird was practically carnivorous, for it ate -anything in the way of flesh it could capture. It was very powerful -and could get the best of a man without much trouble, provided the -man was incapable of vigorous defense. The thought made him alert and -brought to his own hungry self the idea of capture. He might do worse -than eat a thirty-pound bird during his stay ashore. He could not -cook the creature, but that would be of but small consequence in his -present state. The food was the main thing and it was necessary to get -something at once. - -The bird came closer and closer until finally with outstretched wings -and projecting feet it backed against its own headway and settled upon -the ledge not twenty feet distant. - -The captain’s heart beat high with expectation. He lay perfectly still -watching it, hoping that it would come near enough for him to grasp it. -If it was strong enough to conquer, it was well; he would soon be dead -anyway without food. If he could master it by gripping its throat, he -might live for many days. - -The bird came straight toward him. He was quiet as a cat waiting for -a spring, his eyes glaring at it as it approached. Then something -attracted his attention. Upon the foot of the bird was a bit of cord. -Yes, there was no mistake, it was his pet, the bird he had captured. He -started up with a cry, but the bird came steadily toward him without -fear, and in an instant was poking his great beak into his hand for -food. - -The seaman’s heart was beating wildly. Here was food enough for a week -right in his grasp. He had but to seize the bird’s neck quickly and -with the little strength he had left he could strangle it. The thought -called forth all the wild wolf spirit in his nature. He was trembling -with the excitement. But, as he looked down upon the beautiful, smooth -white neck of his former pet, he wavered. Something within him rose -against a deed of violence. He stroked the soft feathers and looked -at the creature, who was probably almost as hungry as himself. No, he -would commit no horrid act. He would probably starve anyhow, and it -would be better to die than to have such a conscience. Then all of the -beast fell away from him and he felt better. - -But while he sat and stroked the great bird his mind was active. The -albatross would not remain there long. He would follow some vessel for -the beef-fat from her coppers, and as the thought came to him he began -a plan to attract attention. - -He tore from his shirt a long piece of linen. This was a piece having -his name written upon it in indelible ink which had stood the wash of -the laundry. It would stand the wash of the sea. He made it fast to the -bird’s leg, and the bight of it he brought up over the back beneath -the wings, tying it loosely and leading the other end down so that it -could be fastened to the other leg. The thin cloth lying loose would -prevent the bird from cutting it with its beak, for the edges of that -appendage, while very sharp, were not laid as close together as those -of a pair of shears, and the thin cloth would work between them. Upon -the top of the piece he wrote with his own blood, “Cape Horn, Hermite -Isle, Help.” Underneath this he put the date, and let his laundry mark -do for signature. Then he led the bird gently to the edge of the rock -and pushed him over. - -Afterward he settled down in his bed of tussac and waited for the end -he now felt was at hand. He prayed to the God he had felt in the breath -of the trade wind and roar of the storm, the power which was manifest -in all nature. Then a feeling of peace came upon him and his sufferings -were over; he had collapsed. - -Two days later the Norwegian bark _Eric_ was working to the westward -past Cape St. John. Her captain had noticed a great albatross following -his vessel all day, and saw the bird had something fast to its leg. -Being of a very superstitious nature the master did everything he could -to attract the bird’s attention and draw him close enough to observe -the hanging cloth more thoroughly. He was astonished to find the bird -quite tame, and had no difficulty in hauling it on deck with a baited -hook. He took off the rag and read the inscription, which had luckily -kept clear and dry, for the weather had been cold and the sleet squalls -had not caused the writing to run. - -Being in the neighborhood of the Horn, he did what no one but a very -superstitious master would have done without great trepidation. He -stood under all sail for Hermite Isle and hove his ship to not three -miles from the rocks. The weather was better than usual and he had no -difficulty in lowering a small boat and making a landing. - -As the craft drew near the land the white life-buoy attracted the -helmsman’s attention, lying high up on the rocks and showing out -strongly against the background of black ledge. The boat was headed -into a rift or slue, and two of the men managed to spring out of her, -the rest keeping her clear of the rocks, which, although sheltered in -the slue, felt the tremendous lift and back-wash of the heavy swell -outside. The master was found unconscious in his bed of tussac-grass. - -By care and skill they managed to get him into the small boat alive -and started for the bark that was riding safely in the offing. They -hurried back aboard and came alongside just as the Norwegian navigator -set the great bird free again. The men rested upon their oars and -watched the albatross as it stretched forth its wings and bore away to -the southward. A man standing in the lee rigging held a line to throw -to the bow oarsmen, but he hesitated and watched the majestic flight. -The officer in the boat looked instinctively upward, and, as the huge -creature soared away, he took off his cap and bowed his head. - - - - -[Illustration: KING ALBICORE] - - -He came from a race of giants. His ancestors had held sway over the -great breadth of the Pacific for many centuries, and were the lords of -the South Sea. When he first saw the light it was where the towering -peaks of Juan Fernandez rose above the eastern sea, like the backs -of huge marine monsters, from the deep ocean, topped by a heavy pall -of vapor which rose densely for miles into the blue above and spread -out like an enormous umbrella. Between the darkening under surface of -the higher layers of white, reaching down to the green hills beneath, -rectangular sections of steel-blue showed the semi-tropic rainfall. -They were sharply outlined against the clear sky beyond, for off the -land the sky was devoid of a single trade-cloud. - -All around was peaceful calm. The great Pacific, father of waters, was -resting. Only the high-rolling swell from far away to the westward came -majestically onward toward the shore, rising higher and higher as it -met, deep down, the resistance of the outlying reefs, until it threw -its crest far into the air, and, with a thunderous roar of welcome, -rushed white and churning against the iron-hard cliffs, which received -it silently and hurled it backward as if coldly repellent of its -embrace. - -The sun had shone strongly for days upon the smooth, heaving swell, -and out upon the sunken ledges where the albicore lingered; the rays -filtered down to the solid rock. Here, sheltered by the reef beyond, -the breakers did not disturb the ocean denizens. The deep-toned thunder -of the fall on the outer barrier filled the air, but beneath the -surface of the clear water all was quiet in the sunshine. The king was -a young one of a large family. Scores of his brothers and sisters lay -close to the bottom peering in and out among the forests of kelp, and -enjoying the rays of the warm sun, for the albicore is essentially a -surface fish. The heat and light were very pleasant to them, and they -were growing strong and healthy. - -The older fish had come inshore some weeks before our hero was born, -but food was plentiful about the island and they still lingered. They -had spawned and had seen their young brought forth. Now their duty -was done and they swarmed about the ledges or plunged playfully about -the slues in the reef, chasing the smaller fish to shelter in pure -wantonness. They lingered on when it was time for them to take to the -great stretch of ocean to the westward and make room for others of the -deep ocean tribes. Now the young were about in great numbers, and they -seemed almost to crowd the waters in the sheltered coves. It was high -time to go to sea again, and on the morrow the leaders of the school -would start for the open ocean to the west, where the sun sank out of -sight. Those who could follow might be safe, for the older fish were -very strong, and their numbers would prevent any of the hanger-on crowd -of sullen sharks from coming too near the flanks of the moving throng. - -A leader passed while our young one was watching the light. He was a -great fish six feet in length, his sides shimmering like silver. His -long, sinuous body apparently made no motion, save that it went ahead -slowly and steadily, and his eyes sparkled like glistening crystals. -His thin, tapering head seemed barely to disturb the medium about him -as he went through it, and the only vibration of the light rays near -him was caused by the huge mouth, which, although shut, showed heavy -projecting lips and a half-concealed row of pointed teeth that rippled -the water slightly as he slipped past. He was a long, powerful fellow, -capable of great speed, and a stroke from those jaws of his meant -death to anything in the sea of his size except the shark. Even the -tough hide of this scavenger would not protect him from a frightful -cut when the long, muscular body was launched at him with the speed -of an arrow. A dark shadow which had come near the edge of the broken -water gradually drew away with the albicore’s approach, and the young -one experienced a feeling of relief instinctively which he could not -understand. He was a very sensitive young one, all nerves, and the -uneasiness which possessed him when the large relative drew away caused -him to make an effort to follow. But the great albicore took no notice -of him, nor waited, but suddenly made a dart ahead, leaving only the -vision of a silvery flash. - -Other large fellows came and went while the younger ones strayed about -the shoal water and chased the herring spawn or whale-food, eating much -and gaining strength hourly. - -High above the bare rocks a shaggy goat nibbled the grass of the -hillside, and to the southward a chunky, dirty bark lay with her -courses hauled up and her mainyards aback, while a dense smoke arose -from her trying-out furnace. Alongside of her the carcass of a freshly -killed whale rolled just awash in the swell, attracting countless -thousands of whalebirds and loafing sharks. - -The young albicore grew very nervous as the sun sank behind the sea -in the far west, dyeing the waves a deep crimson. He was remarkably -sensitive for an ocean fish. Instinct told him that he would fare -better away from that reef after the last full-grown albicore had gone. -They had been going to sea all day by twos and threes, but had paid -not the slightest attention to him or any of his younger mates. The -longing for the open ocean came upon him and with it a nameless dread. -He had no mother to guide him, no father to protect him. They had gone -to sea with the rest and left him to shift for himself. But there was -something in the deepening roar of the surf and the moaning of the -sea among the sunken ledges that spoke of an all-pervading Power that -would guide him onward to whatever life held in store. And yet with it -all was that nameless fear and dread which made him alert to every -vibration of the water. Darkness came suddenly, and some of his smaller -companions began to seek shelter of the more shallow water within the -coves and between the rocks. Their shimmering bodies grew less and less -distinct until only the phosphorescent flare of the disturbed water -when they moved gave notice of their presence. The semi-tropical night -fell upon the peaceful ocean. - -All that night the great fish moved westward. In the morning, just -before the sun rose, the last of the laggards had started off into deep -water, leaving the high cliffs like a wall in the eastward, while the -somber bank of vapor rose again from the land and cast a gloom over the -outlying reef. - -While the young fish were waiting for the growing light to guide them -in the wake of their forbears, there was a sudden commotion on the -edge of the surf. Numerous plunges and splashes told of a horde of -rapidly moving bodies advancing through the shoal water of the reef. -The feeling of terror that had come over our young one the day before -now seemed to pervade the entire crowd that scurried here and there in -the gloom. Everywhere there seemed to be a state of wild alarm. Bunches -of the smaller fish tried to find shelter in deep, dark holes where the -kelp weed formed mats and snaky tangles. Then, just as the first rays -of the morning sun glistened upon the crest of a great roller, there -was a sudden rush through the water all about, and dark forms came -plunging onward with incredible speed. - -Our young one caught a glimpse of a great fish high in the air heading -for him, and the next instant there were several huge gaping mouths -between pairs of shining eyes rushing upon him from all sides. He saw -his young comrades seized and swallowed, their frantic efforts to -escape availing them not the least. Then with a wild terror, which -spurred him to frantic action, he rushed seaward. A giant mouth made a -snap at him as he went past. A huge form rose in the air and dropped -upon him with jaws gaping. He made a mad dodge and just missed the -rows of teeth, while the stroke of the falling body almost stunned -him. Then he recovered and tore for the outer breakers. The bonita had -struck inshore, and lucky would be the small fish who could escape -their rush. - -Away into the deepening blue of the ocean he sped headlong with all -his energy. He looked neither to the right nor left, but held his way -straight ahead with the terror of those fierce monsters vibrating -through his whole being. On and on, without a thought of rest or -slacking his speed, he pushed until the bright sunshine showed him a -desolate waste of fathomless blue void around and beneath him, and a -bluer void above, with the little lumpy trade-clouds swinging past -overhead. He was heading almost due west, and as the day wore on and -his terror gave place to fatigue, he slacked his speed enough to take a -careful look about him. There was not a living thing in sight. - -Hunger soon came upon him and stirred him to further action. He began -searching the sea for food. Soon one of his former companions came up -almost as exhausted as himself with the run for life, and together they -swam slowly along just beneath the surface in the roll of the swell. - -As the day passed more of his youthful relatives hove in sight until by -night six followers held their way in his wake. These were all who had -gotten to sea. Few indeed had escaped. The day had marked the death of -countless young fish, for the bonita spared nothing that came in their -path. - -The seven albicore cruised in company, capturing what small surface -fish accident cast in their way, but all the time they held a general -course to the westward and northward to where the coral reefs rose -from the bed of the equatorial ocean. Day after day they swam steadily -on, the young albicore leading. Their silvery bodies grew apace and -their backs took on a shifting blue color, so that looking down from -above, it would have been hard to tell them from the surrounding blue -depths. Sometimes the ugly and noisy bos’n-birds would swoop down as -though to strike them, but by sinking a few feet beneath the surface -the albicore easily escaped. At night the seven swam beneath a tropic -moon, and as they went their courage grew rapidly with their size. -Unfortunately they approached an unknown peak lying below the surface -of the great ocean. Here they were chased by a huge dolphin who haunted -the vicinity. Three of their number fell prey to him before they could -get away. A week or two later the remaining four fell in with a roaming -pair of bonita. Two more went the way of the weak. - -The remaining pair of albicore now cruised onward together, our hero -leading as before, until they came to Tahiti, in the South Sea. Long -accustomed to danger now, they approached the shore warily, their -tapering bodies scarcely disturbing the sea. The albicore had grown -very fast, developing during these weeks of travel into powerful fish. -The teeth of the male leader began to show sharply beyond his lips. -He was growing more and more muscular, and the long swim was hardening -him. He was sturdy and shrewd, and the wild instinctive fear that had -governed his younger actions now gave place to a feeling of confidence. -His mate had also developed into a strong fish, and as they swam slowly -in through the outer breakers of the barrier reef, their long, sinuous -bodies armed with jaws and teeth which were not to be despised, smaller -fish approached to welcome them. The albicore received them coldly, -heading straight into the sheltered coves of coral, where they would -rest from their long run. Here they stopped at last and set about -making a new home. - -During the months that followed the albicore grew several feet longer. -Our leader was now nearly six feet in length, with his long jaws armed -with razor-like teeth, his tapering flanks with silvery scales covering -muscles of great hardness and power. And with that power came a -consciousness of his worth. His wild life and flight made him careful -of the denizens of the coral banks. He grew cold and thoughtful until, -as he reached his final development physically, he was a dignified and -quiet fellow. The smaller sociable fish of the reef did not understand -him. Theirs was a life of ease and comparative safety, and their -thoughts seldom went beyond the boundaries of the outer barrier. They -fussed among themselves and voted the great stranger and his companion -surly company. The inquisitive little sunfish would sometimes take a -peep in at the cove where the albicore usually lay in the sunshine on -bright afternoons, but there was something in the great fish’s manner -that the little reefer could not understand, and he set him down for -a villain, keeping at a distance and looking askance always at those -ragged teeth that peeped out from the long, sharp jaws. Even the mullet -were warned, and gave the albicore a wide berth, while all the time he -lay there with his thoughts far away where the peaks of Juan Fernandez -rose from the sea. He was indeed a stranger in a strange place. -Finally he was left alone with his mate. - -The little sociable fish were heeded not at all by the albicore. He -went to the reef daily and caught what small game he wished. His -dignified movements were even watched by the great ground shark who lay -daily under the shelter of the outer barrier, waiting to snap up any -unwary traveler who might be unfortunate enough to be caught in the -rolling surf and lose control of himself. Once only did the shark come -in contact with the stranger. It was when the albicore had been rolled -shoreward in the roaring surge. The lurking monster thought it a good -chance to strike. He received a savage cut over the eye that left him -somewhat bewildered and much more respectful of the powerful stranger’s -rights in the vicinity. - -As the season changed and the trade-wind shifted to the eastward, -bringing with it little watery clouds, the two albicore became more -and more restless. The future king’s sensitive nature became more and -more imbued with the feeling that he must return to the waters of his -birth to take his place among those of his kind. He would be needed. -The bonita would come again, and there might be no albicore leader to -protect those who had escaped their last assault, and who would return -to the beautiful peaks that rose from the sea of his birth. There -was a feeling within him that he must be there for a purpose. He was -something more than a mere cruising pirate of the reefs of the South -Pacific. The petty life of little sociable fish was not for such as -he. There was something for him to do before he died, and this feeling -became stronger and stronger until one rainy morning he started out -accompanied by his faithful mate. - -He was now at the fullness of his powers, a full-grown albicore of the -southern ocean. All the inheritance of the race of giants from whom he -had sprung was in his strong frame and lightning-like actions. He could -dart so swiftly the eye could hardly follow his form, and by a slight -swerve upwards he could spring high into the air above, leaving the -sea ten feet or more below him, and then with head pointed gracefully -downward, he would plunge into the blue depths, slipping his long, -sinuous body so easily into the unresisting medium that there would be -hardly a splash to mark his entrance. There were strength and grace in -all his movements, and he was as bold as he was beautiful. - -The speed of the fastest ship was slow as compared with his tremendous -pace, so although he took his time and spent several days hunting upon -the surface of the sea, it was but a short run for him to Mas-a-fuera. -It was a very different passage from the one made when as a little -fellow he voyaged out. - -[Illustration: FULL INTO THE CENTRE KING ALBICORE TORE HIS WAY.] - -The high, grim cliffs of Mas-a-fuera rise a sheer thousand feet on -the north side of the island, and the wind is usually southerly. This -makes a ponderous lee, the only sea being the heave of the offshore -swell. Many denizens of the deep ocean come in here to rest and -search for food, and even the great cachalot, or sperm-whale, often -takes a quiet cruise through the clear depths to enjoy the stillness, -and incidentally look up a stray octopus or cuttle fish who might be -ensconced within some ocean cavern in the cliffs. - -It was toward this sheltered lee-shore our albicore held his way. -Above the heights the huge pall of vapor rose as in his younger days, -standing out clearly against the void of blue, as sharply outlined as a -heavy cumulus cloud. There was no mistaking the place. He felt like a -sailor who had made a long voyage and had sighted the home port at last. - -As he went shoreward, followed by his mate, he noticed many silvery -flashes in the water between him and the land. Drawing nearer he saw -that these were caused by countless albicore. Soon he was amid a throng -of his fellows numbering thousands, all making their way toward the -sheltered sea in the lee of the island. With the spirit and instinct -born in him and developed by his roaming life, he at once took the -lead of this vast school and led them slowly in to the submerged rocks -which would shelter them during their stay. Great numbers of females, -heavy with spawn, straggled from the flanks of the column, but he swam -around them, forcing them all into an almost solid phalanx of moving -fish. The memory of the bonita was still fresh within him. He would -take no chances with these helpless kindred. They seemed to recognize -his leadership without question, and followed quietly wherever he led -the way. Now and then some frisky younger member of the horde would -make a sudden start to sheer away, but with a rush our leader was -upon him, and he was forced back again. As they drew near the island -a school of porpoises made a dash among them. These fellows drove the -more timid in frantic throngs until our leader came plunging to the -rescue followed by a few of the largest and boldest of the school. In a -few minutes the warm-blooded animals had received some severe strokes -from the razor-like teeth and they went plunging seaward. Then the mass -of albicore went in and took possession of the rocks, the smaller fish -fleeing before them. - -Here at last our hero was in the waters he loved. Game was plentiful -and the schools of the albicore led by him along the sunken rocks found -it easy to keep supplied. His great size, greater than even the largest -of that vast host, made his leadership unquestioned. Everything stood -clear of his rush except the sullen sharks, and even they took care not -to precipitate trouble by hanging too closely about the rear of his -foraging parties as they went their way along the shore. - -During the whole season the albicore hung about the reefs of -Mas-a-fuera and Juan Fernandez Island. The young had come forth and the -sheltered places inside the outer breakers were teeming with them. Our -leader had driven to sea all other fish who were at all antagonistic -to them, and peaceful tranquillity reigned. Once or twice a growing -fellow, who had reached six feet or more in length, wanted to try -conclusions with the leader, but he soon had enough after encountering -the sharp teeth, and took his place among the followers. He was their -king. A king by election and superiority, he led them steadily until -the season waned, and the time for the bonita to strike inshore came at -hand. - -As this time drew near the feeling of unrest began to show itself among -the school. Stragglers began to leave the reef and seek the open ocean -with the instinctive longing for that safety which exists there. Our -king watched them go by pairs and sometimes dozens, but he made no -attempt to stop them. There would be enough to look out for without -them, and they could well be spared. - -Finally the time came for the general movement. He had marshaled the -great host of albicore from the adjacent reefs, and together in one -vast throng they left for open ocean, going to the northward to avoid -the enemy who would attack from the south and west. The bonita were -not as large or as heavy as themselves individually, but they were the -strongest creatures of their size in the ocean, and their countless -numbers made them absolutely fearless. They would attack anything that -stood in their path, and their great vitality and quickness made them -the most dreaded of all the foraging bands of sea-wolves which roamed -the South Sea. - -The solid phalanx of albicore started offshore at sunrise, the king in -the van and the younger and more helpless bringing up in the rear of -the column; but as before many of the young had been overlooked as they -loitered among the sheltered places in the rocks. - -The head of the moving mass was a full mile from shore before the end -of the crowd had begun to leave, and as the sun shone upon the calm -ocean, its rays struck glancing along the flanks of thousands of moving -bodies, making the water seem like shimmering silver as the light -flashed from the bright scales. There was no wind at all, and far away -to the westward our leader thought he saw a peculiar disturbance of the -sea surface. He took a leap into the air to get a better view and was -followed by many of his companions, who usually imitated his example -in all his movements. As he rose in the sunshine his glistening armor -reflected the light and made him visible for miles. What he had seen -upon the western skyline was enough. As far as the eye could reach the -ocean had spurted white at his plunge, for the bonita had seen him, and -with a front of several miles in extent they were plunging toward the -band of albicore, tearing the calm surface to foam with their rush. It -was as though some mighty explosion had taken place and spurted the sea -upward in little jets along the front of a sunken reef, for the bonita -acted almost in unison in spite of their vast numbers. They were now in -full charge. - -When two rapidly moving bodies, of almost equal weight, meet, the one -having the swifter movement will prevail. King Albicore understood -this principle instinctively, and instantly darted forward. His -followers joined him, and away they rushed straight for the line of -breaking water which drew nearer and nearer as the moments flew by. The -rear of the column, finding the head leaving at speed, closed up the -gap and came onward until soon the entire mass of albicore were driving -headlong to the westward as fast as they could go. - -It was a magnificent sight to watch those charging columns. A million -bonita charging a hundred thousand albicore. Nowhere on land could such -vast hosts of large living creatures marshal. The sea was ruffled and -foamed for miles with the disturbance of the fleeting bodies, and from -above the bos’n-birds could watch the long line of pointed heads making -the ocean darken with a huge shadow as the hordes rushed onward. - -A mile, then a half--a quarter, and still the ruffling lines of ocean -surface seemed to draw nearer with undiminished speed. There was a -seeming instant of quiet. A space of apparently unruffled water. And -then they met. - -Like an eruption from some subterranean crater the sea sprung upward. -The long lines of pointed heads struck together. Bodies flung high in -the air. Tails, heads, quivering sides streaming from ugly gashes, were -thrown into the sunlight, and then upon the quiet of the morning there -broke a deep, dull, moaning roar of immense volume. - -Full into the center of the great army the king albicore tore his -way. Bonita snapped and flashed upon all sides, their vigorous bodies -fairly quivering with the rapidity of their movements, but with his -jaws cutting like a pair of flying shears, he held his way while his -sturdy followers entered behind him and forced the gap. Into this, like -a wedge, pressed the body of the column, cutting and fighting with -incredible fury. Comrades fell out by the hundred, chopped and torn -by the bonita who surged in upon the flanks, but the great mass of -albicore tore its way through, killing everything in its path. - -Away they went straight ahead. The bonita fell away sullenly from the -solid ranks, and in half an hour the last albicore had gone through the -gap in close column, leaving the sea and its scavengers to wipe out the -marks of their passage. There was no changing front to that horde. The -course was straight ahead. It was certain death to be left behind. - -The bonita held their way toward the reefs of Mas-a-fuera and were soon -out of sight in the East. - -But King Albicore, what of him? - -With flanks cut and ripped almost to ribbons he stuck at the head of -the column. No sheering this way or that. The feeling had come upon -him that he had done his duty. He had fulfilled his mission. He, the -king, had led his comrades to victory, and he must pay the great debt -which falls to all sons of nature. Silently and steadily he went along, -his instinct telling him his time had come. But with it there were no -regrets. - -He had done all he could for his kind, and like a king he would die. - -The bright sunshine would fade and the blue water would disappear -forever. They would forget him, and another leader would take his -place. But he knew he had done his duty and knew he had done it well, -and the great throng would live to be thankful for his prowess. - -The sunlight seemed to be fading and darkness appeared to be coming -upon the ocean, yet he knew it was not quite midday. He turned to take -one look at the mighty host he had brought to sea. They were still -following him faithfully. - -Then the light went out. He turned upon his side and sank downward -through the blue depths, while the albicore held their way to the coral -reefs of the South Sea. - - - - -[Illustration: _The NIBBLERS_] - - -The “Nibblers” received their name from Mr. Keon, second officer of -the steamship _Spitfire_ of the Great American Fruit Company’s line -running to the tropics for bananas. The family, commonly speaking, -were simply ship’s rats, but Mr. Keon was of a romantic and discerning -turn of mind, and after making their acquaintance he christened them -comprehensively. - -To Mr. Keon they were much more than ordinary rats. He knew the whole -family intimately from old Mrs. Nibbler, the mother, down to little -Tiny, the smallest and most timid youngster of the lot, and to be known -by the second officer was a privilege not granted to all who came -aboard the fruit ship. He was a man who possessed an enormous fund of -material from which he could draw without effort for sea stories, and, -according to many authorities, consequently possessed a large amount -of “gray matter” in his head. Whether this came outside in the form of -hair, or remained inside in the form of brains, it is not necessary to -inquire. He told the story of “The Nibblers,” sitting one night on the -edge of the forward hatch with the full tropic moon behind him and the -soft wind of the Florida Stream blowing the smoke from his pipe away to -leeward, and enough of it was remembered to get his name down as that -of a very remarkable man. - -“Ye see,” said he, after we had been watching the antics of a huge rat -who was scampering around the edge of the hatchway, “that feller has -got as much sense as you have. It’s ole Toby, one o’ the old fellers -what’s been aboard this vessel since she carried her first cargo. He’s -a most uncommon old rat, an’ that’s a fact. He’s as happy an ole raskil -as ever haunted a ship’s bilge, an’ he aint afeared o’ much. I seen -him chase a cat clean into the galley door onct, and he would ha’ got -her but fer the fool ‘doctor’ heavin’ a pan at him. See how quick he -kin jump. Just look at them whiskers, hey? - -“I remember when I first seen him, away back in the eighties, when -Captain Jackson took command. He ware a young feller then an’ the -captain’s wife used to come o’ evenings an’ sit on the bridge jest over -this forrad hatch. She ware a fine-lookin’ gal, an’ that’s a fact, a -heap finer-lookin’ than the ole man. He warn’t nothin’ much fer looks -anyway, a little chap with a squint an’ grizzled whiskers fer all the -world like ole Toby’s there, but he ware a terrier fer handlin’ canvas -in the ole days. I seen him onct--but no matter, that aint got nothin’ -to do with what I’m goin’ to tell ye. - -“Ye see, the gal was mighty pretty. I don’t know as I ever seen a woman -as good-lookin’. She had golden hair, an’ eyes as soft an’ blue----” - -“Go on with the yarn,” interrupted the bos’n; “we’ll let the girl go.” - -Keon smoked on in silence after this as though he had taken offense, -but we soon saw by the look of his eyes that he was far away from that -fore hatch. - -“The second mate used to sit right here,” he went on at last, “an’ she -would look over the bridge rail on fine evenings an’ watch the Nibblers -goin’ an’ comin’ around this hole. Rats is like all other animals, -includin’ humans, in respects to selections, an’ the way these fellows -would fight an’ scrap fer each other was somethin’ funny to see. The -biggest an’ strongest rat would knock the other out an’ take up with -one o’ the young an’ frivolous females, jest like it occurs in story -books. He was the hero, big an’ strong an’ fine-lookin’, an’ o’ course -the gal rat would care fer him like females care fer all heroes. He was -supposed to have all the fine qualities o’ rat in his make-up, jest -like a hero has, an’ the way he would go a-scamperin’ around after -some little feller who wasn’t strong enough to stand to him was funny -to see. The captain’s wife used to come to the rail an’ look down an’ -watch them fer hours, an’ laugh an’ laugh when some fellow like big -Toby there would put the rest out the way, an’ the second mate he would -sit there close by durin’ the dog-watch, an’ watch, too, but he warn’t -always lookin’ at the rats. Then when he had to go on the bridge he had -to meet that queer little captain who waren’t no bigger’n a good-sized -mouse. He didn’t reach much more’n up to the second mate’s shoulder. -Sometimes the young woman looked hard at the two when they were -together, an’ the skipper would get nervous, fer he thought a lot o’ -her--an’ so did the second mate. The men forrads used to notice a thing -or two, an’ they called the skipper ‘Squeak Jackson,’ he was so little -an’ small in his voice. But he kept his temper an’ never let on as to -what he thought o’ his size, fer he had been a good one. - -“Ye see, rats don’t have no consciences. That’s where they differs with -humans. Fools don’t have none to speak on, but sometimes there comes -a time to most men when they wonders what about the little feller what -gets licked. It’s all right in stories o’ love, and no one bothers at -the time about the weaklin’ who can’t hold his own, but really when it -comes down to hard fact without all the romance o’ women in it, there’s -somethin’ sorrowful about the poor feller who can’t hold his way agin -the stronger one. He aint done nothin’ wrong in bein’ weak, an’ he was -born that way, so why blame him fer it? Sometimes it seems as if the -world was wrong, always goin’ sides with the fine, handsome hero o’ -the affair who can drive off the weaklin’ an’ rescue the female. What -about the feller who was born weak an’ small, aint he got no feelin’s? -But nobody cares a rap fer him. It’s nature. It shows humans are mostly -animals, an’ as fer me I sometimes feel I lost somethin’ by not bein’ -born a rat. - -“Ye see, the _Spitfire_ was in the banana trade then. Bananas are the -devil to carry if they get ripe on you, and get switchin’ around below. -I seen the banana slush four feet deep in the lower hold, an’ ye know -banana juice is about as acid as anythin’ goin’, an’ it cuts iron -into holes an’ pits quicker’n you can tell o’ it. Ye got to be mighty -careful cleanin’ a banana ship’s bilge if you don’t want her to get -pitted, an’ her bottom like a piece o’ blottin’ paper soft enough to -poke yer foot through with a kick. It takes a man who knows how to take -care o’ a banana ship to keep her up! - -“I don’t know how rats come to be in ships, but they come by the -hundreds. Mebbe they come in the fruit, or stores. Anyways, there they -be, an’ there’s no way to git rid o’ them. - -“Ye see, there has to be a ceiling of wood in an iron ship to keep -the fruit off’n the plates, an’ it’s in atween this that the little -critters git. They aint no more like a shore rat than you are. They are -all sailors, every one o’ them, an’ they stan’ their watches same as -you an’ me. You see these fellers running around here now, but there’s -a lot more below that won’t come on deck until I go below. Toby there -is in my watch, an’ I feed him. Them that aint in my watch won’t come -out till the bell strikes, an’ then they peep up, an’ if they see the -mate out they come on deck an’ look fer the grub some fellers in his -watch fetches up now an’ then. - -“But what I was tellin’ was this. We took aboard a lot o’ fresh ones -down to Montego Bay, an’ among ’em was that old fat female rat ye see -there sittin’ on the edge o’ the coamin’. She’s the mother o’ half a -hundred now, but when she first come aboard she was a young an’ frisky -rat as ever you see. She’d been aboard a week or two afore I noticed -her, but on the way south again, one night when we struck into the warm -water, I noticed her come on deck with a lot more. It was just such a -night as this an’ the little skipper an’ his wife were on the bridge -a-lookin’ down at the black hole o’ the fore hatch. Soon the gal made -out the rats a-runnin’ an’ jumpin’ around the opening an’ the second -mate sat there waitin’ fer the bells to strike afore he went on watch. - -“That ole rat was skippin’ away from a whole crowd o’ young rats what -was a-followin’ her around, an’ that big Toby there he was gettin’ sort -o’ interested. He was a young rat then, ye see, an’ he looked on sort -o’ solemn like fer a while an’ let ’em skip around, but I seen that he -wasn’t goin’ to stand still long. Suddenly he gave a squeak. Then the -frolickin’ stopped sudden like an’ Toby come forrads. - -“Well, sir, you may not believe it, but he went straight up to that -handsome young female an’ said ‘How d’ye do’ as plain as ye please. I -don’t mean to say he spoke, but that was his action, an’ no mistakin’, -fer the pair stood nose to nose fer the space o’ half a minute. Then -they went off together to another part o’ the deck, an’ ye ought to -seen how them other young rats took it. It was comical an’ that’s a -fact. He had done the polite to that female rat an’ was gettin’ along -handsome’ an’ the gal above was laughin’ at it, while the skipper -walked athwartships an’ took no notice. - -“Toby hadn’t been more’n two minutes with his fair one when up comes -a sassy-lookin’ rat, about as big as a kitten. He was lookin’ fer -trouble, that rat, fer he jest walked right up an’ lit into Toby -without waitin’ fer further orders. Sink me, if that weren’t a scrap. -Ye never would think them little critters would take on so. A pair o’ -bulldogs warn’t in it with them rats, an’ the rest all crowded around, -comin’ up slowly, an’ lookin’ to see which one would do fer the other. - -“Well, sir, the second mate sat still lookin’ on, an’ the gal was -lookin’ down from above over the bridge rail. The night was bright -enough fer to see things pretty well on deck, an’ the gal’s eyes showed -interest. It was the same old story, the choosin’ o’ the hero, only -they was rats, an’ there wasn’t no doubt that we wanted the best one to -win: him that was the biggest an’ strongest an’ best-lookin’. - -“It’s been a long time ago now, but ye would think that ole rat would -still have the marks o’ that fight on him, an’ mebbe he has. They -grabbed at each other with them long teeth, an’ I tell you they made -the fur fly fer a few minutes. The sassy big rat made a pass an’ -grabbed Toby by the leg, an’ sech a squealin’ ye never heard. But that -female rat sat quiet, an’ jest kept lookin’ on, waitin’ fer the finish. -Toby saw he was in a bad fix. He was gettin’ the worst o’ the fight, -fer that rat had him fast enough by the hind leg. It was up an’ down -an’ all over the deck forrads, the old fellow squealin’ an’ bitin’, an’ -that sassy-lookin’ rat jest holdin’ on fer further orders. It looked -blue fer Toby an’ he seen somethin’ must be done sudden if he wanted -that fine female rat fer a side pardner down in the bilge. He stopped -his squealin’ an’ was quiet fer a minute, thinkin’ an’ tryin’ to plan -out some kind o’ game fer to git away an’ get his grip on that sassy -rat that was slowly sawin’ his leg off. All to onct he give a jerk. -Then he bent his body double an’ rolled on his back like a ball. That -brought his enemy up alongside him an’ the next minute he was fast to -him amidships, gettin’ a good grip o’ the feller’s belly. - -“I tell you he must have pinched right hard. That sassy-lookin’ rat -couldn’t stand the bite, an’ let go the leg grip he had, squealin’ an’ -twistin’ to get away. But no sirree. Old Toby had him fer sure this -time, an’ he jest settled right down to business, shakin’ an’ pullin’, -fer there aint nothin’ a rat kin stand less than a good shakin’. Pretty -soon the feller began to give up an’ try to get away, squealin’ a -different sort o’ squeal from the sassy squeal he began with. - -“Then Toby goes fer him harder than ever, but jest as he was tryin’ to -get a new hold, the fellow up an’ bolts fer the open hatchway, an’ the -fight was over. Then all hands scrambled below, an’ Toby walks right -up to the fine female rat what was waitin’ fer him an’ they goes off -together. Then the gal on the bridge laughs right out an’ says ‘Bully -boy,’ an’ the second mate looks up an’ sees the look in her eyes, -an’--well, I dunno, after that they used to come together somehow until -the skipper speaks up one day an’ asks the second mate his business. - -“‘Ye seem to have too much to do,’ says he one evenin’ to the second -mate, ‘an’ if I was you I’d keep more by meself, or mebbe I’ll take ye -in hand a bit.’ - -“That second mate was thinkin’ o’ them rats, an’ speaks up: ‘You kin -try yer hand when we gets in port. I’m an officer here an’ can’t get no -show, but on the beach I’ll take yer skin or I’m a soger,’ says he. - -“An’ so the captain was too proud to take advantage o’ his position, -an’ waits until the vessel was in at Port Antonio. Then he steps ashore -an’ tells the second mate to follow him an’ take a lickin’. - -“Well, sir, there aint no use tellin’ how that fight come off. It took -three hours to put that dinky little skipper temporarily to sleep, an’ -the fellers what seen the scrap tells a thing or two about it,--but -they was only niggers an’ didn’t count. Anyways, the second mate -was as well pounded as a beefsteak, but he was a hero, an’ that’s a -fact. He was a pretty good sort o’ man, an’ some says he was fairly -good-lookin’. Anyways, he was way ahead in looks o’ that dinky little -skipper, an’ the gal, I believe, thought so too. Yessir, it ware the -same ole story o’ choosin’ the hero over again, jest like it takes -place in story books--only a bit different, fer the gal was already -married in this case, an’ sech doin’s never is printed except in -papers. But that second mate, he ware the hero jest the same. - -“When the _Spitfire_ went to sea again there was a mighty quiet sort o’ -skipper aboard, an’ a second mate who was a-lookin’ out fer squalls. -There was evidently goin’ to be a change aboard at the end of the -passage. But all the time that gal she jest kept to herself, an’ by the -look o’ her eyes she ware tellin’ the second mate plainer ’n mud that -he ware the man fer her. The dinky little skipper could see it too. - -“The night she went to sea the second mate was sittin’ on the edge o’ -the hatchway here as usual when it come on eight bells, an’ he seen -all that new load o’ rats a-gettin’ ashore fast. It aint no good sign -to see rats gettin’ out o’ a ship. They generally leave afore she goes -down, an’ when the second mate seen them a-goin’ ashore he was fer -followin’ them. Then he thinks o’ that gal again an’ stays, fer you may -not believe it, but ole Toby, there, an’ his mate wouldn’t go ashore. -They stays on deck at the last minute when the second officer was -gettin’ ready to clear an’ when he seen it he says he’d stay too. It -sort o’ put him in mind o’ hisself. - -“It began to come on to blow the day after we passed Cape Maysi. Ye -know how it is in the windward passage, so it didn’t bother us much. -But along about dark the glass began to drop sudden like, until it got -down about three marks below where it ought to stayed. The air was -warm an’ sultry comin’ hot from the s’uthard. The haze what comes with -the hurricane was raisin’ plain in sight, an’ the dinky little skipper -puts her head to the east’ard to clear the center, fer it ware jest in -our wake. - -“I seen it blow before, but sink me if ever it blew anywhere’s like -that. The sea ware jest a roarin’ hill leapin’ up with a cross heave -in it, an’ the air was like a solid wall when it struck. No, sir, ye -couldn’t stand on the bridge. It would have picked ye up bodily an’ -hove ye overboard. The roar ware deafenin’, an’ we hove her to on the -starboard tack to work clear, an’ jest then, by some luck or other, -she waded right into the center o’ that whirl where the seas ware jest -standin’ right up on end. - -“Ye can’t do nothin’ with a ship caught in the center of one o’ them -circular storms. It blows in sech squalls that there aint no way -a tellin’ which way it’s comin’, only it comes with sech a mighty -weight that no ship kin stan’ to it. An’ the sea falls down on ye from -anywhere at all till the decks are under tons o’ water, an’ everythin’ -gone to the devil stove up. - -“The _Spitfire_ ware knocked over in one o’ the rushes o’ hot wind -that ripped the funnel out o’ her. Then an almighty sea broke right -amidships an’ tore the side o’ the house away an’ flooded the engine -room. It ware lookin’ kind o’ bad fer us, an’ when the engineer come -on deck half drowned, an’ said the engine ware done fer an’ the water -a-comin’ in about two feet at a jump, we made up our minds the ole ship -ware done fer, an’ the best thing ware to get clear as soon as we could. - -“But no small boat could have lived in that sea a minute. There wasn’t -anything to do but wait until the gale wore down, which it did after -about three hours of the heaviest blowin’ I ever seen. Then she eased -up an’ the ole ship was jest decks out in a sea what would make yer -hair white to look at. - -“We made a lee o’ the side an’ lowered down the boats before daybreak, -that dinky little skipper jest a-standin’ an’ lookin’ on an’ never -a-sayin’ a word. - -“The first officer he takes the first boat what swings clear, an’ then -the gal she looks down at the second mate. He puts her in the next -boat an’ they lower it down an’ they scramble to get in, fer the ship -is wallowin’ in that nasty sea an’ feels dead. Some fool fumbles the -tackle an’ nearly capsized the craft, but the second mate he grabs -the line in time to save it an’ she goes clear. The men rush to find -places, an’ then the second mate stan’s there alone with that dinky -little skipper, who hasn’t spoken or moved from the chart-house door. - -“It’s all mighty plain. The fellers from below, white with scare an’ -tremblin’ as they grab the ship’s sides. Some pushes the others an’ -then they curse and swear to kill each other when there aint enough -breath in them to speak out loud. - -“‘Be ye a-goin’ in that boat, sir?’ says the second mate to his -captain. - -“‘Go an’ be d----d,’ says the dinky little skipper. - -“An’ the second officer jumps in an’ the painter is cast off. Then the -little skipper stan’s out an’ watches them slowly go away--watches them -drawin’ off further an’ further, an’ his eyes is on the gal in the -boat, an’ his hands is folded on his breast. That’s the last they sees -o’ him as he stands there with the risin’ sun a-shinin’ on him an’ the -blue sea washin’ nigh up to the ole hooker’s deck. - -“Fer seven days an’ nights the fellers in that boat has a time with it. -Then there comes a ship bound in an’ takes ’em aboard, an’ in a few -days they finds themselves in New York, the second mate an’ the gal -hardly speakin’. - -“When they comes ashore the first man the gal sees is that dinky little -skipper a-waitin’ there on the dock, jest as natural an’ chipper as if -he wasn’t the ugliest skipper ever in a decent ship. An’ funniest of -all she jest naturally goes an’ flings herself at him like a dolphin -at a bait, landin’ right in his arms. Fer, ye see, that old hooker -_Spitfire_ warn’t so badly used up as the engineer thought, an’ when -the sea went down she didn’t make no more water to speak of. The next -mornin’ a vessel comes along an’ lends a hand to the dinky little -feller aboard, an’ pretty soon the engine is a-goin’ an’ the ole ship -is headin’ away on her course with one o’ the company’s ships alongside -to see her through. There aint no salvage to pay, an’ all is taut as a -gantline.” - -Here Mr. Keon stopped and knocked the ashes from his pipe. The great -rat he called Toby scampered down the hatchway as the bells struck off, -warning us that the first watch was at hand. - -“What became of the little captain?” asked the bos’n. - -“Oh, that little feller got the finest ship in the company’s fleet. -He’s commodore now, ye see,” said the second mate, “an’ we got ‘Peepin’ -Shaw’ in his place.” - -“Did they discharge the officers that deserted?” asked a sailor. - -Mr. Keon looked sorrowfully at him and rose from the hatchway. Then he -stopped a moment and fumbled his pipe. - -“D’ye think second officers sech as me are plentiful abouts, hey?” he -asked. - -He was a powerfully built man and showed to some advantage in his -working clothes of light duck. - -“Second mates sech as me aint to be picked up everywhere, ye might -know, an’ this ship has never had but one since she was launched,” and -he went on the bridge for his watch on deck. - - - - -[Illustration: JOHNNY SHARK] - - -In the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, about six hundred miles to -the eastward of Cape St. Roque, rises the peculiar peak called the St. -Paul’s Rock. It is some sixty feet above the sea level, and is a ragged -granite point. Within a cable’s length of it the bottom apparently -falls out of the ocean, for it takes nearly three miles of piano wire -with an enormous deep-sea lead attached to find the half-liquid ooze -below. If the blue water were suddenly to subside the tiny point of the -St. Paul’s would present a different appearance. It would then be the -highest pinnacle of a most colossal mountain. - -It is on the edge of the calm belt, close to the equator, and the blue -depths surrounding its huge flanks are seldom, if ever, disturbed by a -storm. Only the steady trade swell rolling gently in upon its sides -forms a white ring about it, and the dull roar of the southern ocean -is but a low monotonous thunder that would hardly frighten the timid -flying fish. - -Besides this there is nothing save the occasional snore of a sea -breaking over a submerged peak to disturb the silence; for here -desolation and loneliness reign supreme. It is as though a bit of the -Great Silence of the ocean bed were raised up to be burned in the glare -of the torrid sunshine, and fanned by the breath of the unending trade -wind. - -But, if the peak is devoid of life, a look into the beautiful blue -abyss alongside shows a different state. All kinds of shell-fish -inhabit the hospitable caverns beneath, and fish can be seen darting -here and there through the bunches of seaweed. The busy coral works -steadfastly at his never-ending toil. The sea-crabs, star-fish, and -their myriad brethren are all visible. - -Sometimes a couple of albicore will dart past below the surface, or -a flash of white reveal the quick strike of a dolphin, followed -instantly by a shower of glittering gems that break from the surface -and scatter,--the flying fish that have escaped those rapid jaws. - -Then a huge dark shadow will rise slowly out of the blue invisibility -below, and all the smaller fish will disappear. The shadow will take -form, and will be that of an old shark lazily policing the rocks for -pieces of the game that are deserted. He is a large brute, but in spite -of his enormous fins and tail he is quite willing that others shall do -his work of the chase for him. - -If there happens to be an injured fish near, the great tail will give -one or two powerful strokes, and chop! Those jaws, armed with half a -dozen rows of sawlike teeth, with the points of those above fitting -into the spaces between those below, seldom have to strike twice. - -The first motion upon the part of the monster is a signal which -produces a strange effect. No sooner has he bolted the game than from -all around rise dark-brown and gray shadows. These congregate about -him, and he lazily swims away, leaving probably half a hundred of his -relations to search the clear depths for what might be left. - -And such relatives! One has a head half a fathom wide, his eyes peering -wickedly from the curving sides of his shovel-like nose. Another has -stripes like those of the tiger on land, and is hardly less ugly -in disposition. Let the old fellow who first tackled the game get -a slit in his hide and the striped fellow see it. He will find his -affectionate relative’s knowledge of the fact announced by a sudden -chop. Then there will be a general mix-up, and if he is still active -and strong enough he may live to dine upon the unsympathetic cousin. -But more than likely the cousin will be re-enforced by a host of -hungry comrades, whose ideas of fair play are somewhat biased by an -uncontrollable appetite for anything nutritious. If this is the case he -will apparently melt into that beautiful blue void about him, leaving -but a slight stain which will soon disappear. It was here in these -abodes of the genus carcharodon that our hero was born. - -He was one of a school of six when he first saw the light, and his five -brothers and sisters were so like him that the great mother shark could -hardly tell them apart. When she opened her enormous mouth one day to -receive them and give them shelter while a desperate sword-fish swung -his weapon in her face, she made a miscount when shutting her jaws, and -one belated little fellow was quickly swallowed by the insolent enemy. -The mother made a dash and chopped off a piece of the sword-fish’s tail -as he fled before her wrath, but he escaped in spite of this. - -During his babyhood Johnny Shark had many trials. There were the -hideous little pilot fish to deal with. They were always following him -around trying to rob him of his rights. Then his brothers also lacked -in unselfishness, and he fought them, one and all, from the beginning, -until his disposition became somewhat combative. - -During this period of his life his skin was of a most beautiful -velvety gray, shading to white on his belly. His hard bony lips formed -a sheath for his cutters, and they fitted in behind them as snug as a -sword in a scabbard. They were very small, but the same shape as his -mother’s triangles, and he could work them on their bases as though -hinged in his jaws. He was but little more than a foot in length, and -he kept close to his mother’s side, ready to shelter should a fierce -albicore or any of the giant mackerel tribe take a notion that he would -make a good meal. - -And yet he could venture deep in the shadow of the mountain defiles, -where in some of the huge caverns gigantic, many-armed monsters, with -huge beaks and eyes a foot in diameter, lay waiting, seizing whatever -unfortunate fish happened within the sweep of their snaky tentacles. -In fact all around him was an eternal war. Everything seemed to be -fighting with everything else and only the luckiest and most powerful -beings seemed to last many changes of the moon. - -As for his brothers and sisters they were like himself, keeping close -to his mother, and ready for a refuge within her huge jaws at the first -sign of an approaching enemy. - -As he grew slowly he began to develop a wandering spirit. He would -leave the protecting shadow of his mother when she would float lazily -upon the surface, and explore the ragged fringe of foam to see what -might be had in the way of diversion. Once a great bonita made a dash -at him, but he saw him coming in time, and turning he chopped him -savagely. The taste of blood seemed to invigorate him, for he hung -fiercely upon his now fleeing enemy until he tore away, leaving a -mouthful of himself in the tightly locked jaws. He was too lazy to -follow up his victory. A fat porpoise chased his wounded assailant -until he conquered him and made him his meal. - -In fact, he seldom cared for violent exercise, and could hardly -understand the foolish savagery of some of the warmer-blooded denizens -about him. When he fought he generally made a sure thing of it. He -would take no chances where a wound or exhaustion meant certain death. -There were plenty of small rockfish that were too stupid to run when he -approached, and he could always get enough of them without playing the -game of death for the pleasure of it. - -Once a school of giants came to the Rocks, and he lay in the shadow -of a crag wondering at their size. They were sperm whales, and their -leader was an enormous old fellow whose fat sides were studded with -barnacles. These seemed to trouble him, and he would roll slowly up to -a peak near the surface where the sunlight filtered down through the -blue, and rub his belly for hours at a time, scraping off thousands of -the parasites. Then the stupid little fishes would dart out from their -hiding places to catch them, and he would dash among them before they -could get back again. While the monsters lay near the Rocks a very -long and thin relative of Johnny’s mother paid them a visit. His tail -was enormous, and it was evident he was fast. He seemed to have some -business with his parent, for soon afterwards she followed him off to -sea where one of the whales lay sleeping with the water breaking gently -over her back. - -When they were close to her they made a sudden dash, the lean shark -leaping high in air and falling with a tremendous whack upon the -sleeping victim, while his mother chopped her savagely in the sides. It -was all so sudden he hardly had time to get away, for in an instant the -sleeping whale awoke and tore the sea into foam with her flukes. - -His mother, however, heeded the outfly but little and held gamely on. -The whale tried to turn and seize her in the long thin jaw that was -studded with enormous teeth, but nothing could dislodge the grip of -her triangles. And all the time the thin fellow in company would throw -himself in the air and smash the whale terrific blows with his lean -tail. - -The noise must have been an uproar, for in a very few minutes the great -leader who had been rubbing his belly came plunging through the water -towards them, leaving a great path of white foam to mark his course. - -Then the whale sounded, carrying his mother out of sight below. Instead -of following, the thresher shark dodged the great bull leader and made -off, leaving the mother shark to get away as best she could. - -She came up with the whale half a mile away, and then finding herself -deserted she let go and started to make off. As she did so she -encountered the big bull coming after her. She ducked from his bite, -but he smote her such a blow with his flukes as she dodged past that -she was hardly able to escape. - -The next day she grew weaker, and a sword-fish, seeing her, gave her a -final taste of his weapon, and began to chop her up. Instead of driving -him away, several other sharks, that now appeared, openly joined him in -accomplishing her destruction, and soon she disappeared entirely. - -With no protection save his own teeth, the little shark now went -his way among the peaks. Deep down in the blue abyss he would sink -until the terrible pressure would force him up again to the world of -sunlight. Sometimes he would stay for hours a mile or more down in -caverns and caves of the mountain side, guided alone by the sense of -smell and that delicate sense of feeling peculiar to his kind. Each and -every motion of the sea caused a vibration that instinct explained. -Once a huge arm reached out from a hiding place and circled him within -its embrace, but before it could draw him in he had chopped it in two, -and leisurely ate what remained as he swam on. - -He was growing strong now, and his triangular teeth developed saw -edges, making the most perfect cutting machines possible to devise. His -skin was tough and coarse, a bony substance forming upon it that made -it almost tooth-proof to ordinary fish. - -He developed a roving disposition, and the vicinity of the great -mountain became too well known. He started off to the westward where -the sun seemed to sink in a deep golden-red ocean, and he cruised along -near the surface, his dorsal fin and tip of tail just awash. - -Out upon the lonely ocean he quickened his movement. There was nothing, -nothing but the never-ending sea ahead, with the soft murmur of the -trade wind turning the glistening surface a darker blue, while from -miles and miles away to windward came the low song of the South Sea. - -On and on he went until hunger made him look about for a victim. He -was not particular as to who or what this creature might be, for his -own powers produced an apathy of fear for all dangerous denizens of -the deep. He was changing now, and no longer shunned a conflict with -anything that formerly might have wounded his soft sides. - -One day a whale passed in his wake. The huge bulk of the creature -might have appalled any fish, but he was hungry, and the fat blubber -was tempting. His own three fathoms of lean, hard flank seemed meager -enough. - -With a quick movement he turned and made straight for the cachalot. -The monster opened his mouth by dropping his long, thin under jaw, and -made a chop at him, but he swerved and sank his triangles deep in the -blubber of the animal’s neck, covering a good hundred pounds of him. - -The whale plunged wildly, lashing right and left with his powerful -tail, finally throwing himself clear of the sea and falling again with -a stupendous crash. But the shark held grimly on. Rolling over and over -the animal tried to throw himself clear of that grip. The blubber was -tearing out in a huge ribbon where the triangles had cut it clear, and -the blood was showing upon the white fat. The sea was a surf upon a -submerged reef. And all the time the shark jerked and wrenched, dodged -and pulled until the huge mouthful came clear. - -Quickly the whale turned to chop with that long jaw studded with huge -points of ivory. Quicker still slewed the shark. The whale missed, and -the shark again sank those terrible cutters deep in the hole already -made in the animal’s neck. This time it was flesh that felt the bite, -and the pain maddened the leviathan. With a bellow like a bull he -started off, dragging the shark along with him as though he had been -but a tiny pilot fish. - -On and on the great whale tore, while the shark hung helpless by his -side. The whale was doing all the work, and all he had to do was to -hold on. Gradually the pace eased a little, and finally stopped. Then -down, straight down into the abyss below, plunged the leviathan. - -But even here the shark still held his grip. The pressure became -enormous in that cold blackness, but he could stand it as well as the -monster. - -Then, after an hour of twisting and rolling, they came quickly to the -surface again, the whale somewhat tired. Now was the shark’s chance. -Letting go his hold he made a sudden fresh chop to tear the bite out, -and he backed away with a huge piece of flesh. The whale turned as -quickly as possible, but he was tired now, and the shark chopped him -again and again, savagely tearing out great pieces of blubber and beef. - -The sea was dyed red, and the surging of flukes and threshing about -brought several wandering sharks from the depth to see what it all -meant. One of these, a huge killer, joined the fight against the whale, -and soon he also chopped and tore the wound into a great hole. The -fight now became general, as the strangers took a hand. The worried -whale rolled and smote right and left, but our shark tore him deeper -and deeper. - -One of the newcomers ventured across the whale’s head, and was promptly -seized in the long thin jaw that swung up and cut him in halves. All -except the first assailant left the whale to eat the unfortunate shark, -and the two fighters were alone again for some minutes. - -The whale now became weaker, and except for an occasional lunge lay -quietly beating the sea with his flukes. - -The shark now began to bolt large pieces of him at his leisure, and the -rest seeing him at work came sneaking back again. They formed a circle -around the dying monster, and rushed in and chopped him whenever they -dared. In a little while he began swimming slowly in a circle, and -then finally stopped. He gave one final sidelong blow with his flukes -that broke every bone in a shark’s body that happened in its way. Then -he lay still and rolled upon his sides. He was dead. And now from the -lonely depths where all was apparently a void, the scavengers came -sneaking forth. - -Big sharks and little sharks, hammerhead and shovel-nose, all began to -circle about the huge carcass, and watch for a place to chop a piece of -blubber out. They crowded and jostled each other, and sometimes even -fought for a place alongside. Above them the whale-birds screamed and -squawked as they hovered and lit for an instant to tear at the juicy -covering of the carcass. - -Our fighter had by this time gorged himself with several hundred pounds -of whale beef, and being tired from the exertion of the encounter, he -swam slowly away. - -In the following weeks of cruising he found smaller game, but he now -felt a contempt for all other creatures. He had vanquished the largest -animal alive, and the feeling that he could conquer anything made him -slow to tackle smaller fish. - -For months he cruised to the westward and skirted the shores of the -continent, finding enough to eat around the river mouths. In one harbor -where there was much offal he lived for several years, only going to -sea for a draught of fresh salt water now and then. He grew steadily in -size until he reached full twenty feet in length. - -His hide was now of a dull grayish-brown, shading to white on his -belly. Upon it the little hard lumps of bony substance thickened. His -jaws were nearly three feet wide, and he now had six rows of triangles, -the outside and largest being over an inch on a side clear of the gums. -His eyes were large and bright, and his nose broad and sensitive. - -Several ugly little fish followed him around wherever he went. They had -flat tops to their heads, and looked like black corrugated chunks of -rubber with tails to them, the corrugated part of their heads being on -top. With these slits they sucked strongly to the shark when he swam, -making him tow them about without any exertion on their part. His hide, -however, was too thick to mind a little thing like that, and he finally -came to know each one so well by sight that he never made a chop at -them. They were about the only living things he let pass him. - -As time passed he developed a taste for company. A desire to meet his -kind came upon him, and he left the lazy life in the harbor and went to -sea again. - -He traveled through the West Indies, and there one bright hot day on -the reef he met a shark that appeared most friendly. It was a new -feeling that came upon him at the meeting, a desire to live in the -companionship of the stranger for a time. He even found himself letting -her take the first choice of some barracuda he had killed, and from one -thing leading to another he waxed very affectionate. - -They traveled together during a moon, and then they found a warm spot -on the Bahama Bank where the hot stream flowed past beautiful coral -hills that rose from the blue depths. - -Here they lingered for some time, his mate giving birth to five -soft-skinned little sharks. He was not much interested in this and once -made a chop at one of the youngsters, cutting him in half. - -For this his mate made a chop at him, and nearly cut off his side fin. -Then, finding that everything was not as pleasant as it had seemed, he -cruised away again to the southward. - -One day he came to a queer thing floating upon the water. It was not -unlike a whale as viewed from underneath, but every now and then a -peculiar creature with arms and legs swaying wildly, dropped from it -and went to the bottom. Then, staying but a moment to collect some -shell-fish, it would rise again to the surface. - -This interested him, and he lay by watching. Then, the smell of these -creatures being somewhat appetizing, he made a dash at one as he arose. - -He came to the surface with the man in his jaws, and he saw the -whalelike object was full of similar animals. They shouted and made a -great noise when they saw their fellow chopped in halves and carried -away by him. - -Now the taste of this peculiar creature was very good--much better, in -fact, than the fish he had been eating. For a long time after his meal -he waited a few fathoms below the surface, hoping another would descend. - -Finally, he noticed a long line trailing away from the floating thing -above. He watched it and smelled it, and found there was something -tied to the end. He was a little afraid that there was something wrong -with that line and a sudden fear came upon him. He hesitated. Then his -old careless spirit came back, and he nosed the bait, finding it some -kind of flesh he had never tasted before. He pushed it about while the -instinctive fear of the peculiar smell held him. Then he made a chop -and bolted the lump. - -The line, however, would not cut. He chopped and chopped, again and -again, backing away, but to no purpose. - -Suddenly the line became taut. A sharp pain struck him in the throat, -and he knew he was fast to the line by some sharp thing in the flesh he -had bolted. - -He became panic-stricken and fled away. But no sooner would he forge -ahead a few fathoms than that line would draw so tight the pain was -unbearable. He would be slowly and surely pulled back again. - -This lasted for some minutes, and then his old spirit of apathy came -upon him, and he allowed the line drag him where it chose, while he -held it like a vice in his jaws. - -Soon he found himself at the surface, and the strange creatures like -the one he had eaten made a great noise. There were several flashes -like lightning, only not so bright, and with the noise like thunder he -felt heavy blows upon his head. He made a desperate dash away, and tore -the line slack for many fathoms, but the pain in his throat stopped him -from going farther. Then he was lifted slowly back to the surface again. - -There he lay a huge, dark shadow under the clear water. He was growing -faint and dizzy from the blows upon his head, and the last he saw of -the bright sunlight was the blue water foaming about him, and a row of -eyes looking over the edge of the floating thing. - -They passed a bowline over his tail and hitched the throat-halliard -block to it. Then they hoisted him tail first into the air, and cut -the hook from his mouth. A diver cut off his tail and hung it on the -jib-boom end for luck. Later they cut him adrift and he sank slowly -down to the white coral below, lying there upon his side, a grisly -sight. The shadow above disappeared, and then the scavengers of the -reef came creeping up to do their work. - - - - -[Illustration: A TRAGEDY OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC] - - -The whaling schooner _Erin_ was a modern vessel. She had a little of -the “old greaser” about her. She had been built and fitted out at New -Bedford, Mass., the mother-port of nearly all good whaling craft, and -she was manned by men who had served their time in whaling ships. -Her tonnage was not over three hundred, but she was so strongly put -together that she looked somewhat heavier than she really was. Her -bow was like that of a clipper, and her stern had the modern overhang -of a cruising yacht, but her beam was great and her top-sides bulky, -showing a tumble-home like that of the ancient frigates. Therefore, -she was not considered fast. Her spars were short and stumpy, and she -had no foreboom, owing to chunky smokestack that arose from her main -deck, over which the foresail passed. She was flushed fore and aft, -save for a heavy-built superstructure over her engines, through which -the smokestack protruded, and it was evident that she could stand a -great amount of rough usage. Being built for southern whaling in the -vicinity of Cape Horn, she needed all the strength that could be put -into her, and Captain Jackson, her commander, always kept her down to a -draught of fifteen feet, even when running light, to enable her to hold -up to the tremendous rolling seas off the Cape. Forward, she carried -a peculiar sort of cannon on her forecastle, which fired an exploding -harpoon weighing a hundred pounds, heavy enough to put a quietus upon -any ordinary member of the whale family. Her boats and other gear -were of the usual type; but, as she was not to carry oil, either in -bulk or casks, her deck was devoid of the ordinary furnace of the -sperm-whaler, and her hold of the odor which comes from the usual mass -of rancid blubber when packed for a long voyage from the Arctic Ocean, -in vessels hunting the right whale. She was, in fact, a stanch, trim -little vessel. Her crew of thirty men had been selected and shipped, -and Captain Jackson cleared for his last cruise. - -When well off shore, the boiler was cooled and sails set, for there -must be no waste of coal, and the _Erin_ stood to the southward on her -long run to the Falkland Islands, where she would begin her hunt for -the giants of the southern ocean. - -The run south was made without any unusual experience. On the -sixty-first day out she raised the huge mountains of Patagonia to the -westward, and, shortening sail so as to drift not over four knots -an hour, she hauled on the wind and stood through the “black water” -between the Falk Islands and Staten Land. - -In December and January, the Antarctic summer months, the air is quite -cold as far north as the fiftieth parallel. The “blow” of a whale -stands out sharply against the sky as the warm air in the animal’s -lungs turns into vapor, giving the hunter a chance to see it at a -distance of several miles. Objects seem to lift from off the horizon as -in a mirage, only they are not inverted. - -Here, in the summer season, the great rorqual, or finback whale, -disports himself in ease and security, for, until lately, he has had -few known enemies, and has been unmolested by man. Dozens of these -great creatures often follow a huge bull leader, and they jump and -plunge about as lively as they would if their weight were reckoned in -pounds instead of tons. - -The huge, timid creature who led a school under the shadow of Tierra -del Fuego, that season, was a giant of his kind. One hundred feet of -solid bulk was between the tips of his tremendous flukes and the end -of his hideous head. A hundred tons of bone and sinew, covered with a -coating of thin blubber, to keep out the cold of the icy seas. - -His head was ugly and flat-looking, and his mouth a hideous cavern, -full of slabs of whalebone, from which depended masses of horrible -hair to act as a sieve for the whale-food poured down his gullet. His -back slanted away to a place amidships, where a lumpy knob rose, as if -he were a hunchback, and from there aft he sloped in long and sinuous -lines to the spread of his tail or flukes, which were fully two fathoms -across. The blades of the _Erin’s_ wheel were not nearly so large or -so powerful as the blades of bone and cartilage that drove him ahead -through the yielding medium, or raised the tons of flesh and blood to -a height that showed a full fathom or more of clear sky under his thin -belly when he breached. He was a giant, a descendant from prehistoric -ages when monsters of his kind were more common than they are to-day. -It is doubtful if ever anything existed in flesh or blood of greater -size. - -How old the giant was no one could learn. His age could hardly have -been less than two centuries, for whales grow slowly. They are like -other warm-blooded animals, and it takes many years to build up a mass -of a hundred tons of flesh fiber. He was known to Captain Jackson, -who had seen him on former voyages, but as yet he had not made his -acquaintance; for, in spite of the old whale’s size and age, he was -very timid. He would rush from a pair of fierce “killers,”--the dreaded -sharks who attack toothless whales,--and only his tremendous size and -activity would prevent them from following him. Consequently, whenever -Jackson lowered his small boats, with the intention of making him a -visit, the old fellow would wait only long enough to allow the boats -to approach within fifty fathoms of him. Then he would begin to edge -away, and, before the whale-gun could be brought to bear, he would be -in full flight to windward, his flock or school following in his wake. -Many were the maledictions cast upon him by the whalemen, whose tired -muscles bore witness to his speed, and, finally, he was left alone to -roam at will in the “black water.” Where he went to, at the beginning -of winter, it was impossible to tell, but, at the first easterly blow, -he would disappear, bound for other parts, leaving nothing behind but a -crew of angry sailors, and taking with him the memory of an undisturbed -old age. - -On that December morning, when Captain Jackson hauled on the wind and -stood offshore, the sun shone brilliantly. The wind was light and -from the southwest, and objects stood up plainly from the sea. The -lookout at the masthead had just been relieved, when the time-worn cry -of “blo-o-ow” reached the deck. Away to the southward rose the jets, -looking almost as high as water spouts, as the warm vapor condensed in -the cool air. It was a large school, or, more properly speaking, herd, -for a finback is no more a fish than is a cow. Jackson came on deck and -watched the blows, counting them over and over to get the exact number -of his game. Whalebone at so much a ton was within easy distance, -and it looked as if a few thousand dollars’ worth of the substance -would find its way below hatches by dinner time. The forward gun was -overhauled and the line and harpoon cleared, the latter being charged -with a heavy load of powder. The explosion would open the huge barbs -of the harpoon and drive them deeper into the monster, expanding in -his flesh, making it absolutely impossible to withdraw them by pulling -on the line. They would not hunt him after the manner of the tame and -harmless sperm whale, that can be killed with about as much ease as a -cow in a pasture, in spite of all the sailors’ yarns to the contrary. - -The whales paid no attention whatever to the schooner. They played a -quiet, frolicsome game, breaching and sounding, and coming often to -the surface to breathe. There were some young ones among them, and the -huge leader, the giant bull, seemed to take a special pride in one -whose antics were more pronounced than the rest. He would come near -it and seem almost to touch it gently with his side flipper, and the -little fellow would make a breach clear out of the water, apparently -with pure joy at the notice bestowed. Then he would come alongside the -big fellow and snuggle up to him in a most affectionate manner, and -the giant would roll toward him and put out his great arm or flipper, -as if to bestow a caress. He was a very affectionate old fellow, and, -as the vessel drew nearer, his size and actions were remarked by the -mate, who called the skipper’s attention to them. Just then the great -whale breached, and the sun, striking fairly upon his dark side, -showed several deep lines that looked like huge scars. His long, thin -shape and hideous head were plainly outlined against the sky, and, as -he struck, the sea resounded with the crash. He disappeared, and the -little fellow breached and followed him. - -“That’s the big coward, the leader,” said Jackson. “You kin tell him by -them cuts he has in his sides, an’ there aint nothin’ bigger afloat. He -is an old one and wary. You wouldn’t think a whale with them scars on -him would be scared at a little boat, hey? Them was cut a long time -ago, mebbe, but they were done in a fight sech as ye’ve never seen.” - -“Mebbe he got licked?” suggested the mate. - -“He wouldn’t be here if he had,” said Jackson. “Howsomever, here he is, -and it’s our business to get him and cut him up, if we kin.” - -To stop the leader of the whales was the object, for, if he was -held, the rest would either scatter or await developments. In either -case they would not get very far away, and could be reckoned with -afterwards. The _Erin_ was held pointed toward the spot where the whale -was expected to rise, and the mate went forward and stood behind the -gun with the harpoon loaded in it, and ready for a shot as soon as he -should come within twenty fathoms. The old coward, however, had seen -the approaching ship, and, with a peculiar movement of his flukes upon -the water, he gave the signal for danger. - -Somewhere in that oily brain the memory of his past life was stored -in a strangely simple but vivid manner. He remembered, although he -was unable to reason it all out like the human being who hunted him; -but, a thousand moons before, he had gone forth in the ocean from his -birthplace in the South Pacific, and had held his way proudly and with -force. Fiercely he had fought for everything he took of the world’s -belongings, and the joy of battle had run warm in his blood. It had -surged through his great frame at the sight of a stranger, and he had -striven and conquered all who had opposed him or refused to do his -will. Many had died, for a sea fight is usually to the death, and the -strangeness of the passion had gradually worked its way into the old -mind, and he held aloof. The experience of a hundred years taught him -something. The oily brain learned slowly. The instinct, or feeling, had -gradually come upon him that to fight is a great waste of energy, for -life was more pleasant in the companionship of his many wives and young -ones, and continual strife was not the right thing. To avoid it, if -possible, was the thought uppermost in his old head; so, when he saw -the approaching schooner, he gave a warning stroke upon the sea. - -Instantly all the whales sounded. - -But Captain Jackson was an old whaleman. He was after whales, and he -had come thousands of miles to hunt them. The animals must come up -again, soon, and to be near the spot where they would reappear would -probably mean a capture. With a keen sense of reasoning, the bull knew -that bodies that travel through the air must necessarily be retarded -by the wind. Therefore, to windward he led the herd, and Jackson did -not underestimate his cunning. With fires started under the boiler, the -_Erin_ held her way straight into the eye of the breeze, and the mate -leaned over the forecastle rail, gun-lanyard in hand, peering into the -clear depths for the dark shadow below that would show the presence -of a rising monster. Jackson stood at the wheel with the signal pull -in his hand, waiting to “shake her up” at the first sign of the game. -The wheel turned slowly below, and the slight jar of machinery -vibrating the hull was the only sound save the stirred water abaft the -rudder from the thrust of the screw, gurgling and murmuring in a soft -undertone. - -The whalemen were gathered about the forecastle head, or stood near -the boat falls, ready to lower away at a signal, and secure their -victim. The sun shone strongly, and objects were visible at a great -depth below the surface of the sea. Ten minutes passed, and Jackson -was getting nervous. He had tried to gauge the rapidity of the old -bull’s headway through the water, and had figured that he would come up -somewhere in the vicinity of the vessel on her course. But not a sign -of a whale had shown, and ten minutes had passed. They must be badly -gallied, indeed, to stay under much longer. The old bull was cunning; -but he, Jackson, knew a thing or two. It was pitting the old brain of -an animal with a century or two of experience against that of an old -man with keen intelligence. The skipper felt confident. He would take -a long shot at the big fellow, and, once fast to him, whalebone would -be plentiful for a few days. While the mate was leaning over the rail -forward, looking down into the depths, he noticed a sudden darkening of -the water just ahead of the vessel. He sprang to the cannon and stood -ready to fire. The great shadow rose toward the surface, and the men -saw instantly that it was a huge whale. Jackson was right, to a hair. -The great bull was coming up under the jib-boom end. A man raised his -hand aloft and gave a low cry, while the rest stood back from the gun -to escape the shock of the heavy discharge and powder-blast. Jackson -rushed to the rail and leaned over. - -But the great shadow did not materialize into anything more. It -remained deep down beneath the surface, fully twenty feet below, and, -as the schooner forged ahead, it drifted alongside, a few fathoms -distant. The signal was made to stop the engines, and both the schooner -and the whale lay quietly drifting, the animal deep down and perfectly -safe from a shot. - -“It’s the coward, all right,” said Jackson, coming to the mate’s side; -“that big coward bull what won’t show up for nothin’. I never seen sech -a scary whale. Look at him--sink me, jest look at him! Blamed if he -didn’t wink at me. Will ye look at that eye?” - -The old whale was lying almost motionless, and his eye could be seen -distinctly. He was watching the vessel carefully, and the rippling -water from the bends actually did give him the appearance of opening -and closing one eye as the waves of light flashed upon it. He seemed to -be very much absorbed in profound contemplation of the ship. Perhaps -he had not expected to find her so close aboard when he intended -to breach for a breath of air. However, there was plenty of time. -Breathing was something he was not obliged to indulge in more than -once every half-hour or two, and he would not come up until he had put -a little more distance between himself and the vessel. All hands were -peering over the side at him when, suddenly, several blows sounded -close aboard. All about, jets of spray and vapor shot skyward, and -fully a dozen whales breached and then disappeared again. The mate -rushed for the gun and Jackson sprang to the engine signal, while the -second and third officers, “bos’n,” harpooners, and the rest, ran for -their gear. When they looked over the side again the shadow of the -giant had disappeared, and the sea was as quiet as a lake. In a few -minutes a huge form breached about a quarter of a mile ahead--the bull -had breathed, and was quietly going to windward. The animals were not -badly gallied as the word is applied to thoroughly frightened whales. -They had gone along at a steady, but not fast, gait, and had come up -together as if at a signal. The schooner was not troubling them very -much, and the sea was wide. There was room enough for all. - -The high, grim cliffs of Staten Land rose higher and higher as the -morning wore on. The _Erin_ was heading inshore, still pointing into -the breeze, and now and then a great spurt of foam and a blow would -show where the whales led the way straight ahead. - -“Of all the low-lived critters I ever see, that cowardly bull air the -meanest,” said Jackson, after seven bells had struck; “but I’ll fix -him, if I chase him clear to ’Frisco. I won’t mind burning a few tons -o’ coal fer him. Put an extra charge of powder in behind that iron, and -loose off at him when we come within thirty fathom.” - -“Looks like he’ll be a-climbing the mounting ahead thar in a minute,” -said the mate, motioning toward the high and ragged hills which rose -out of the sea. - -“We’ll strike ile in half an hour, or I’m a sojer,” said the skipper -decisively. “You tend ter yer own, and don’t give no advice, an’, if -there’s any climbin’ to be done, I’ll do it.” - -The animals still held along inshore, and it looked as if they would -soon be in shallow water. The leadline was gotten out when the vessel -came within half a mile of the rocks, and a sounding was taken. No -bottom was found at fifty fathoms, and she was allowed to drift further -in, her engines barely turning fast enough to give her steering way. -The land was very near, and Jackson was nervous. The heavy snore of the -swell upon the ledges sounded plainly over the sunlit sea, and every -now and then a spurt of foam showed that, although the ocean was calm, -there were heavy breakers falling upon the shore, caused by the lift -of the offshore heave. That barren island was not an inviting coast, -and to strike upon a sunken ledge would mean disaster. Jackson stood -upon the poop, with his hand upon the signal, ready to reverse the -engines and swing clear, when there seemed to be a slowing down in the -movements of the game ahead. Then the water whitened about the ship, -and the cause became evident. They were running through a great mass of -whale-food, and the tiny gelatinous bodies were so thick that the color -of the sea was changed by them. Jackson rang off the engine. - -“We’ve got ’em now,” he said quietly, and watched the surface of the -ocean. - -The big bull whale had run into the mass of food, and had slowed down -a little to allow quantities of it to pour down his gullet. There was -no unseemly haste in getting away from the pursuing stranger. He would -suddenly slew to the southward, when he reached four or five fathoms of -water, and then the pace could be increased until the following craft -would be dropped behind. He was a cool-headed old bull, and there was -no occasion for nervousness--all would have gone well with the whole -herd, if it had not been for a willful young cow. - -As the _Erin_ slowed down the whales ahead were swimming upon the -surface, taking in the food in enormous quantities, apparently enjoying -their dinner, and showing no interest in the vessel that held along, -with her sinister purpose, in their wake. She barely rippled the water, -as she went through it, and Mr. Collins, the mate, stood behind the gun -on the forecastle, with the lanyard in his hand, ready to fire at any -back that might break water within thirty fathoms. The rest crowded -about the rail and waited, some standing by the line, ready to snub it -as soon as a stricken animal should become weak enough to allow them. - -The young cow that lagged behind the rest was not very large, but she -had a thousand pounds or more of good bone in her mouth, and she had -breached dead in front of the vessel, with her tail toward it. The bull -saw the distance gradually closing between his followers and the ship, -and he gave again that peculiar stroke with his flukes which meant -danger. All save the lagging whale instantly sounded. She was enjoying -the food, and failed to regard the signal, and the _Erin_, going up -astern, quietly approached her. - -On account of a whale’s peculiar development, it is difficult for it -to see directly ahead or astern, and an object approaching exactly -in line can do so quite often without being perceived until within -close range. The schooner came drifting slowly down upon the animal, -and was within thirty fathoms, when the big bull suddenly breached a -short distance ahead, the little fellow who had been under his care -being with him. Again he gave the sea a heavy blow with his flukes and -disappeared, and nothing broke the smooth surface. - -But the young cow was obstinate. She enjoyed the food, and failed to -note how close the ship had approached. Suddenly the mate straightened -himself and looked along the cannon sights. There was a flash and a -loud report, and the exploding harpoon was launched full at the broad -back that lay drifting almost awash just ahead. The heavy missile went -straight to its mark. - -“Stand by to haul line!” came the order, while the mate sprang forward -and slipped another charge into the harpoon gun. - -The line whizzed out for a few fathoms before the men could snub it, -but there was no need for a second shot. The missile had done its -work, and the stricken cow began the flurry that ends in death. Round -and round she went in a circle, convulsively throwing herself clear of -the sea and lashing the water into a lather with her flukes. Blood dyed -the foam and her spiracles were crimson. Then she slowed down, and, -with a few shudders of her great frame, lay motionless. - -The fluke chain was gotten out, and she was soon fast alongside. -A man was sent aloft to watch, and the operation of removing the -whalebone blades from the mouth began. While this was going on, the -rest of the herd did not run away or get gallied. The big bull was -seen approaching, after a time; and, for an hour, while the work of -cutting in went on, he came up repeatedly at a short distance from the -vessel. The men thought little of this, as the whale-food was thick, -but Jackson pondered at the strangeness of the old fellow’s behavior. -He was an old whaleman, and knew that, at the death of one, the rest -of a school usually get badly gallied, and seldom wait for a second -attack. A sperm whale will stand, but a finback, never; and, as the old -bull rose again and again close aboard, he watched him furtively from -the corner of his eye while superintending the work overside. In spite -of the fact that the cow was fat, the blubber was not stripped. She -was cast adrift early in the afternoon, having yielded a mass of prime -bone, and her carcass floated astern, to be devoured by the countless -sharks and birds that come, apparently by magic, from the void of sea -and sky. - -It was late in the afternoon when the _Erin_ started ahead again, and -the mate took his place at the gun. No sooner had the carcass floated a -half-mile distant than the old bull was seen to swim alongside of it. -The schooner was turned slowly around and headed back again. - -The old bull had come up to the carcass and examined it. The cow was -quite dead, and the fact that she had been killed by the stranger -gradually became clear to him. Suspicion became conviction on his -part, and he turned toward the rest of his charges and led the way -straight out to sea. Away out toward the Falkland Islands he headed, -and reluctantly the rest followed. The pace was increased to a rapid -gait, and soon the pursuing vessel was under a full head of steam, -plowing through the heavy swell at a great rate, in an effort to keep -the flying herd in sight. The sun sank behind the ragged peaks to the -westward, and the darkness soon put a stop to the chase. Jackson had -secured one of the herd, but the others were gallied and were headed -offshore, where they disappeared in the gathering darkness. Soon the -engine was rung off and the vessel put under easy canvas for the night, -while Jackson walked the poop and gave forcible expression to his -opinion of the old coward who had so ignominiously run away. - -[Illustration: THE LINE WAS WHIZZING OUT.] - -Away into the vastness of the southern ocean the old fellow led his -charges, always keeping the little whale he had with him close -aboard. He missed the mate who had been slain, but he knew that she -had disregarded his warning. He had done all he could. Now he would -take the rest far away to other feeding grounds, and the ocean would -leave no trail to show the stranger whither he had gone. The young one -near him needed protection, and he would keep him close until he was -large enough to look out for himself. On the edge of Falkland Channel -was plenty of food at that season of the year, and a few hundred miles -would put the stranger safely out of sight. The old brain longed for -rest and quiet. Strife was a useless thing, fit only for the young and -unthinking, or those possessed with the killing spirit. - -The morning dawned, and, as the sun rose slanting from the southern -ocean, the old bull took a look around. Nothing broke the even line -of the horizon, and then, the feeling that the stranger had been left -behind coming upon him, he slowed the tremendous pace. One hundred -miles of trackless sea had been placed between him and the rocks of -Staten Land. - -For many weeks the herd cruised to the northward of the Falkland -Islands, the old bull still keeping the young whale under his -protecting care. Finally there was born a pretty little baby whale with -rounded lines, weighing, perhaps, a little more than half a ton. A pair -of the fierce “killer” sharks soon scented the tender little fellow, -and made a concerted rush, one day, to seize him before the older -whales could prevent; but the bull smote one a blow with his flukes -that crushed him as flat as if a house had fallen upon him, and the -other took flight. He was a watchful old fellow, and had to keep on the -lookout night and day, for the mother whale was weak, and would recover -slowly. - -As the days passed the weather began to change. The zone of the -“variables,” or that of the “roaring forties,” is not to be depended -upon long for sunshine and pleasant breezes. One day it started in for -a gale from the eastward, and the sea was white with rolling combers. -The whale-food was driven south, and the animals were forced to follow. -The sun shone only for a short time each day, being but a few degrees -above the sea line, and the high-rolling sea made life upon the surface -uncomfortable. The bull headed for the South Orkney Islands, and for -days the little band of giants went along below the surface, only -coming up every now and then to breathe. - -As they made their way southward, the wind grew less violent. The high -black cliffs of the islands offered no shelter to vessels, but to the -whales the lee of the land was comfortable, and the sea was swarming -with food. There they would rest a while and take life easy, beyond the -reach of the hurricanes from Cape Horn. - -The old bull guided the band among the sunken peaks, and for weeks they -fattened under his care, when one bleak morning he came to the surface -of the sea and noticed a black shape approaching. There was something -strangely familiar in the outlines, and, after watching it for some -minutes, he remembered the schooner _Erin_. - -She was heading straight toward the whales, and was going slowly, as if -in no particular hurry, and upon her forecastle was the same murderous -gun which had slain the cow near Le Maire Strait. - -The young whale, who was in company, breached playfully into full view -and sounded. The vessel did not change her course, but headed straight -for the cow with the newborn calf, who was feeding a mile distant to -the southward. - -The old bull instantly struck the water with his flukes and headed for -her. The rest of the herd took notice of the warning, and sank from -view; but, whether the cow failed to notice it, or her young one was -disobedient, it was too late to find out. The schooner made a sudden -spurt of speed, and, coming close to the mother, fired the harpoon into -her before she fairly realized what was taking place. - -The dull boom of the shot told the old whale what had happened, before -he came up to look. When he arrived within a hundred fathoms, the -mother was in her last agony, and her little baby was being towed along -with her, being unable to realize its mother’s death, and still holding -to her with all the tenderness of a child. - -The old bull lay watching events, and once tried to make the little -fellow let go by giving the sea some tremendous slaps with his flukes; -but he was too young to understand, and, while the bull watched, a boat -was lowered and the sailors began their work of destruction. They rowed -slowly toward the infant, and suddenly one rose in the bow and hurled a -harpoon into his soft baby side. The little fellow gave a spring upward -in his agony. A man quickly pulled him alongside the boat and another -drove a lance through him. - -Jackson was standing upon the poop, looking on, and the mate was on -the forecastle, loading the gun for another shot when an opportunity -should offer. The men in the waist were overhauling the fluke chain -to make fast to the dead mother, while the man at the wheel held the -spokes idly. The skipper turned toward him. - -“Seems to me that that’s the old cowardly bull we fell in with to th’ -no’th’ard; aint it?” he asked. - -“Yes, sir; it looks like him fer sure,” answered the man; “jest see -him, sir.” - -As they looked, the great whale lay watching the men in the boat. -His old oily brain was working, and the rapid events of the last -few minutes were gradually making an impression on his mind. He was -wondering at the slaughter, and could hardly understand how it was done -so quickly. The mother had been a favorite for many years, yet there -she lay, suddenly dead before him. Would the strange craft follow him -over the seas, and kill off the herd one by one, until all were gone? -The boat approaching the young whale stirred his attention. He smote -the sea savagely with his flukes to warn him of the danger. Then the -iron went home, and the little fellow was dead beside his mother. -Something flashed suddenly through the old brain. The pent-up reserve -of years seemed to give way within him, all thought of safety fell -away, and the old feeling of the conqueror rose within his heart. - -“Good Lord, what’s a-comin’?” gasped Jackson. - -His remark was not addressed to anyone in particular, but was caused by -a terrific commotion in the sea which caused the men to drop their gear -and look out over the side to see what was taking place. - -The coward, the giant bull who had fled so often from them, was heading -straight for the small boat and was tearing the southern ocean into -foam with his flukes. Straight as a harpoon from the gun forward, he -shot with tremendous speed, hurling his hundred tons of bone and sinew -like a living avalanche upon the doomed craft. - -“Starn all,” was the hoarse yell from the third officer, who stood upon -the stern-sheets and swung madly upon the steering oar. Men strained -their necks forward over the schooner’s rail to see. The unfortunate -men at the oars of the whaleboat struggled wildly. An oar snapped. -There was a wild cry, and some sprang up to dive over the side into the -sea. At that instant the whale leaped high in the air, clearing the -water fully two fathoms. Then he crashed down upon the boat, wiping all -out in a tremendous smother of spray. He was close to the _Erin_, and -the mate stood waiting. There was a loud report as Collins fired the -exploding harpoon into him, taking him almost “on the fly,” as it were, -and then as he disappeared beneath the surface there was a heavy jar -that shook the _Erin_ from stem to stern. She had been rammed. - -For an instant not a man aboard moved. Then Jackson, with a face as -white as chalk, came forward and called below to the engineer. - -The line was whizzing out upon the forecastle head, showing that -Collins had made the shot of his life. He had struck the whale, but -just where he had no idea. He stood watching the line as it flaked away -with the rapidity of lightning, but said no word to the men to have it -snubbed. He had felt the heavy jar beneath the schooner’s keel, and -knew what it meant as plainly as if he had seen the stroke. - -Two,--three,--four,--five hundred fathoms went whirling over the side, -and silence still reigned aboard. The sea had smoothed again where the -whaleboat had been a few moments before, but the only signs of her were -a few floating splinters. Not a man ever appeared again. - -Suddenly the strain was broken. - -“Water comin’ in fast below, sir,” was the word passed on deck. - -Jackson walked aft as if in a dream. The mate left the gun, and the -last fathom of the line flaked overboard unheeded. It brought up -suddenly, taut as a bowstring, then snapped. The mate paid not the -least attention to it, but went slowly aft. - -“Shall we provision the boats, sir?” he asked, as he approached the -captain. - -Jackson stared at him. “D’ye know what it means?” asked the old -whaleman huskily. - -The mate nodded. Half an hour later, four boats full of men were -heading northward for the Falkland Islands, and the only thing that -remained upon the spot where the _Erin_ had floated a short time before -was the carcass of a mother whale with her baby alongside, while above -them the birds hovered and screamed as if to mark the grave of the lost -ship. - -The next year a Scottish whaleman from the Falklands fell in with an -old bull whale whose starboard side bore a tremendous wound, partly -healed. He was so wary, however, that he was soon lost sight of, and -the school that followed him gave no chance for a catch. - - - - -[Illustration: IN THE WAKE OF THE WEATHER-CLOTH] - - -We had raised the great tower of the Hatteras lighthouse in the dim -gray of the early morning. The huge spark flashed and faded as the lens -swung slowly about its axis some fifteen miles to the south’ard of us. -Objects now began to be more distinct, and our masthead could be made -out against the leaden background above. Up there the fierce song of -the gale roared dismally as the little vessel rose upon the giant Gulf -sea, and swung her straining fabric to windward. Then, quartering the -heave of the foam-crested hill, she would drop slowly down that dread -incline and roll desperately to leeward as she started to meet the -rushing hill to windward and above her. - -With a bit of the gaff hoisted, and leach and luff lashed fast down, -we were trying to forereach to the eastward and clear the death-trap -under our lee--the fatal diamond of the Hatteras Shoals. Buck and I had -been on deck all the day before, and all night, and we welcomed the -growing light as only hard-pressed men at sea can welcome it. It meant -a respite from the black hell about us, and the heavy snore of some -giant comber would no longer make us catch our breath in the dread it -might be the beginning of that white reach where no vessel that enters -comes forth again. - -We could see we had many miles between us and the end--miles that -meant many minutes which might be utilized in the fight for life. We -were heading nearly east now, and the stanch little craft was making -better than south, while the gale had swung up to nor’-nor’east. She -was forereaching ahead, though going fast to leeward, and it looked as -if we might claw off into the wild Gulf Stream, where in spite of the -sea lay safety. To leeward lay certain death, the wild death of a lost -ship in the white smother that rolled with the chaotic thunder of riven -hills of water. - -Buck’s face was calm and white in the morning light, and his oilskins -hung about him in dismal folds. White streaks of salt showed under -his eyes, which were partly sheltered by his sou’wester, and the deep -lines in his wet cheeks gave him a worn-out look. He must have been -very tired, for as I came from behind the piece of canvas lashed on -the weather quarter to serve as a weather-cloth, he left the wheel and -dropped down behind the bulwarks. - -“Begins to look better,” I bawled, taking off the becket from the wheel -spokes, which had been hove hard down all night. “She needs a bit of -nursing,” and Buck nodded and grinned as he ducked from the flying -drift. - -She was doing well now, and after trying to ease her a while I put the -wheel back in the becket and bawled down the scuttle to our little -black boy to get us some junk and ship’s bread. - -Our other man, John, a Swede, had turned in dead beat out an hour -before, and as we four were all hands, I thought it just as well to let -him sleep as long as he could. As master, I would have to stay on deck -anyway. - -Buck and I crouched in the lee of the bulwarks and tarpaulin, munching -the junk and watching the little ship ride the sea. We could do nothing -except let her head as close as we dared to the gale. - -As long as the canvas held all would be well. The close-reefed mainsail -would have been blown away in the rush of that fierce blast, and it -would have been folly to try to drive her into that appalling sea. If -anything started we were lost men. She was only a twenty-ton vessel, -but she had a good nine feet of keel under her, and could hold on -grimly. We had used a sea anchor for twenty-four hours, but while it -held her head to the sea it caused her to drift dead to leeward, so we -had at last cut it adrift and put a bit of storm staysail on her to -work ahead. - -“I’m glad we didn’t run durin’ the night,” said Buck, “she wouldn’t ’a’ -done it an’ gone clear--just look at that fellow!” - -As he spoke a giant sea rose on the weather beam, a great mass of blue -water capped with a white comber. The little vessel’s head dropped down -the foam-streaked hollow until we were almost becalmed under the sea -that followed. A dirty, dangerous sea to run in. - -“I thought you might have run when we saw how bad it was--an’ trust -to luck to go clear. But fight on, says I, even when you know you’re -losing. If you’d started to run you’d never been able to swing her up -again if we’d had to--an’ now we’ll go clear. She’ll stand it.” - -Buck was an American and John a Swede. The latter had hinted at running -off before the storm when we found ourselves close in. Buck cursed him -in my presence in true American fashion. - -“Never give up a fight because you’re beat at the start,” says I. -“It’s them that fights when they have to, an’ because it’s right, -that always win. We did seem dead beat last night, an’ when that light -flashed out bright I was almost willing to say Amen. But I knew it ware -wrong, an’ we must fight it out. A man that fights to win is no sailor. -It’s him that fights when he _knows_ he will lose--an’ then maybe he -won’t lose after all.” - -The sun showed a little through a break in the flying scud, and the -water looked a beautiful blue, streaked with great patches of white. -Buck was gazing hard to the southward and could make nothing out except -the Hatteras Light. He was tired, and refused to move from a wash of -foam along the deck where he sat. - -“You see,” he said, wiping the spray from his face, “a man can’t tell -nothin’ in this world. There’s no use tryin’ to at sea--an’ the more -you risk sometimes the more you win. It isn’t always judgment. There -ware old man Richards. He knew the coast, but he trusted his judgment -too much--an’ I’m the bum ye see now. I don’t mean nothin’ agin your -boat, Cap’n. - -“You remember Richards? Had the ole _Pocosin_. Used to run her from -Nassau to Hunter’s P’int. ’Taint much of a run, even for that kind o’ -hooker, but in the winter this Cape is hell, an’ that’s a fact. You kin -almost jump from wrack to wrack from the Core Bank to Bodie’s Island. -I’ve seen forty vessels, big an’ small, on the beach here in one -season--an’ we aint out o’ the business yet, either.” - -We were drifting down fast on the outer shoal, and I could see, or -fancy I could see, the Ocracoke Lighthouse. The wind had increased a -little with sunrise as usual in a northeaster, but it seemed to be -working a bit more to the northward and getting colder. - -“It was just such a day as this. We hove the _Pocosin_ up when she was -almost in sight of the Capes and not ten hours’ run from Norfolk. But -she ware ramming her nose into it harder and harder, an’ there we was. -We couldn’t get no farther. - -“It ware pretty bad when we started inshore, with the glass a-fallin’ -an’ the sky like the inside of a lead pot. Then came the breeze and big -northeast sea what stopped us. - -“We couldn’t push her through that sea. It was more’n common heavy, and -even with the whole mainsail on her she wouldn’t do a thing but rear up -on her hind legs an’ throw herself into it so she’d go out o’ sight to -her foremast. Man, she ware an’ old boat, an’ if she’d kept the racket -up she’d have split in two! - -“We could see Cape Henry light by dark, but it warn’t no use, so we -wore around before it ware too late an’ got the foresail an’ jib stowed -safe. Then we came to on the port tack, lowering down the mainsail and -reefing it to balance the bit o’ staysail forrads. ’Twas a piece o’ -work takin’ in that mainsail, an’ that’s the truth. You may search me -if it didn’t fair blow the hair off yer head by this time. I don’t mind -a bit o’ breeze, Cap’n, but when I say it ware blowin’ then, it aint -more’n half the truth. It ware fair howlin’. - -“We got the sail on the boom, and then that same boom took charge for -twenty red-hot minutes while she threw it from port to starboard--an’ -all hands hangin’ onto the mainsheet tryin’ to get it in when it -slacked with the throw. - -“‘Balance-reef her,’ says the old man, an’ we lashed her down, givin’ -about ten feet o’ leach rope hoisted taut with the peak downhaul -fast to windward. Then everything was made snug, an’ with the bit o’ -staysail hauled to the mast we hung on to see what would happen next.” - -Buck rose for a minute and gazed steadily to the southward as though he -had seen something. Then he settled down again. - -“Me? I was mate, you know. I’d been with Richards over a year. He had -his wife an’ daughter aboard that trip--yessir--about as fine--she was -about seventeen.” - -A sea struck the vessel while Buck was looking to leeward, but he paid -no attention to it as the spray filled his collar. He seemed to be -so deeply occupied in some object that I began to get a bit nervous, -and reached for the glasses to try and pick out a new danger. But he -evidently saw nothing, for he went on slowly after a bit. - -“There were six of us men and a little coon boy in the galley. It gave -us three men in a watch, an’ that ware enough. I saw we were goin’ to -the south’ard fast, the sea was northerly yet, but the wind was working -fast to the eastward and we waren’t reaching off a little bit. She was -heavy with lumber an’ goin’ sideways like a crab--not shoving her nose -ahead like we are now. It was dead to leeward, and you know how that is -to the north’ard of Core Bank or Lookout. - -“The old man had the wheel fast hard down and was standin’ there -watchin’ her take them seas. It was growing dark an’ them fellers -from the Gulf looked ugly. They just wiped her clean from end to end, -roarin’ over her an’ smotherin’ everything. - -“‘We got to fight fer it to-night,’ said I. ‘Better try the -close-reefed mainsail before it’s too late. A bit o’ fore-reachin’ an’ -we’ll clear.’ - -“‘’Twon’t stand,’ says he, ‘’twon’t stand ten minutes in this breeze. -Let her go. If she won’t go clear we’ll run her fer Ocracoke. It’s high -water at eight-bells to-night.’ - -“That may have been good judgment, but you know that entrance is a warm -place at night in a roarin’ northeaster. I got a bit nervous an’ spoke -up again after an hour or two. - -“‘Better try her with the mainsail; we’ve got to fight her off,’ I said -again. - -“‘’Taint no use,’ said he. ‘Let her go. A man never dies till his time -comes.’ - -“I’d heard that sayin’ before, but I never knew just how a feller could -reckon on his time. Seemed to me somebody’s was comin’ along before -daylight. Finally I kept on asking the old man an’ argufyin’--for there -was the two women--an’ he gave in. Before twelve that night we had her -under a single reef and shovin’ off for dear life. It ware blowin’ -harder now, an’ the first thing away went that staysail. Then we tried -a bit o’ jib, but she gave a couple o’ plunges and drove her head under -a good fathom. When she lifted it up the jib ware gone. - -“There we ware with the old hooker a-broachin’ to an’ no head sail on -her. The seas ware comin’ over her like a cataract and the dull roar -soundin’ louder an’ louder. There ware the two women below---- - -“Still the fight waren’t half over. Ther ware the new foresail to close -reef. It would have held an hour or two. That would have driven us off -far enough to have gone through the slue. But no. The old man had had -enough. - -“‘Take in the mainsail,’ he bawled, and all hands wrastled for half -an hour with that sail while all the time we were goin’ fast to the -south’ard. ‘Close reef foresail,’ says he; ‘we’ll try an’ run her -through.’ Then he took the lashin’s off the wheel. - -“There ware no use sayin’ nothin’ more. We ware hardly able to speak as -it was. We put the peak o’ that foresail on her an’ the old man ran the -wheel hard up. It ware near daybreak now, and she paid off an’ streaked -away before it through a roarin’ white sea. Just as she struck her gait -we saw the flash o’ the Hatteras Light. - -“The old man saw it. It ware bright enough for all hands. So bright my -heart gave one big jump an’ then seemed to stop. There ware the two -women below, the girl--we tore along into the night with six men an’ -one little black boy holdin’ on to anything they could an’ lookin’ out -over the jib-boom end----” - -Buck was silent for a moment. Then he went on. - -“It had to come. I saw it first. Just a great white spout o’ foam in -the blackness ahead. It ware the outer edge o’ the Diamond Shoal.” - -Buck’s voice died away in the roar about us and close as I was to him -I could hear nothing he said, though I saw his lips move. I went -to the binnacle and peered into it. The lighthouse was drawing to -the westward. The roar aloft was deepening as she swung herself to -windward, but she was making good weather of it and holding on like -grim death. - -“How did you get through?” I asked, ducking down again behind the -shelter. - -“We didn’t. We didn’t get through. The _Pocosin’s_ there yet--or what’s -left of her. One more hour of fightin’ off under that reefed foresail -an’ we’d have got to sea--we’d have gone clear. There waren’t nothin’ -happened--just a smashing crash in the night. Man, ye couldn’t hear or -see nothin’. Both masts gone with the first jolt, an’ up she broaches -to a sea what was breakin’ clear out in seven fathoms. I tried to get -aft--good God! I tried to get to the companion----” - -Buck was looking steadily to leeward and the drift was trickling out of -his eyes. - -When he turned he smiled and his tired face looked years older as -he wiped it with the cuff of his oilskin. The gale roared and snored -overhead, but breaks in the flying scud told that the storm-center was -working to the northward and the cold meant it would go to stay. - -“I don’t know but what’s that’s so about a feller not goin’ till his -time comes, Cap’n. I came in the next day on a bit o’ the mainmast, -a little more dead than alive, but I’m tellin’ you fairly, Cap’n, -if it waren’t fer you an’ your little ship, I’d just as soon have -gone to leeward this mornin’. A feller gets sort o’ lonesome at -times--especially when he’s got no ties----” - -“Haven’t you any?” I asked cheerfully. - -Buck looked slowly up and his eyes met mine. They rested there for a -moment. His lips moved for a little, but I heard nothing he said. Then -he let his gaze droop to the deck planks and bowed his head. - -A long time he sat there while I watched the lighthouse draw more and -more to the westward. Suddenly he looked up. - -“She’s all clear now, sir, an’ if you say so I’ll go below an’ start a -bit o’ fire.” - -“Go ahead, and tell Arthur to come here?” I said. - -I watched him as he staggered below. He was tired out, wet, and -despondent. The fate of the _Pocosin_ was too evident for me to ask -questions. I respected him for not mentioning the girl again. It was -evident what she had been to him. It was long ago, but the memory was -fresh before him. He was passing near the grave of the one woman he had -loved, and there was more than the salt drift in his eyes as he went -down the companion. In a few minutes a stream of black smoke poured -from the funnel in the deck and was whirled away to leeward. Soon -the smell of frying bacon was swept aft, and I went below to a warm -breakfast to be followed by a nap, while the plunging little vessel -rode safely into the great Gulf sea. We had gone past the graveyard of -the Diamond Shoals. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant -preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. - -Simple typographical errors were corrected; occasional unbalanced -quotation marks retained. - -Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained; occurrences of -inconsistent hyphenation have not been changed. - -Chapter names have been combined with the illustrations preceding -the chapters. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Strife of the Sea, by T. 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