Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 65: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

gunwales. Fish for the Gunner They finally succeeded in clearing the The animals came to recognize the pain-dealing efficiency of the swiftly moving club and the sharp-bladed oar, and kept clear. Still they continued to jostle and jam about the boat, lashing the water into a seething, splashing whirl that kept spraying and surging Over until it had risen above the ankles of the two fighting men. Then in trying to make a long-distance swing at a snout a few feet distant, Grave- yard accidentally threw his club away. A moment later Goat overreached himself in making a jab, and to keep from going over had to let go of his weapon. Immediately the pack closed in. yard snatched up the water-jug; but it was wet, and as he raised it aloft it slipped from his grasp and plunked into the water. i Goat and Graveyard to cross the big MJ divide that porpoise would have been somewhere else. An “I, W. W.” bomb dropped in a crowd of people would not cause a greater scatter- ing in all directions than does the appear- ance of one big black porpoise in the midst of a pack of sea-lions. One porpoise can deal more death among a pack of these ani- mals in five minutes than a whole pack of hungry wolves can deal among a flock of sheep in an hour. Sea-lions always give “porp”’ a wide berth. As a porpoise always shows himself when swimming through the water the sea-lions can usually see him at a-distance. But aided by the dense fog that morning, and the absorbing battle the animals were hav- ing with the two men in the boat, the por- poise approached unseen. He came rooting out of the fog, and was in the midst of the mix-up before either the men or the animals were aware of his presence. The water boiled! Helter-skelter splashed the surprized horde in all directions. Then a peculiar thing happened. One of the sea-lions got foul of the painter, or bow- line, which had been dangling over the side, HAD it been the time ordained for - and became so entangled that in his frantic effort to make a get-away he took the boat — along with him. As they shot out of the snarling mass by a lucky freak of chance the oar Goat had lost bobbed up alongside. Goat gave an exultant shout as he reached out and re- _ covered it. Then, swinging around, he Grave- - 63 commenced prodding the animal on the rump with the blade. “Giddap, you son-of-a-sea-cook! Gid- dap!’ he yelled as he continued to prod. But that sea-lion needed no persuasion. He was making knots. And like any ani- mal in a hurry—man, beast, fish or bird— he followed the path of least resistance. Southward, with the pull of the current to assist, they went skimming. “Cut him loose! Let him go!” barked Graveyard as this realization flashed over him. “He'll have us down around Hono- lulu! Cut him loose!” ‘Maybe we can make him go the other way and take us toward the rock,” Goat temporized. He was reluctant about casting loose from so efficient a moving-power. “Take us toward yard. “Cut him loose, I tell you!” Goat knew Graveyard too well to waste time in further argument. He dropped the oar, fished out his knife and cut the line. Relieved of his tow, the sea-lion shot ahead into the fog. The boat gradually slowed down to the speed of the current. “ That’ s as close to —— as I ever want to get,” declared Graveyard. “Vd say that was ”” Goat replied. “Did I see you heave the jug of water?” ““Heave nothing! It slipped out of my hand.” Goat looked wistfully down upon the water about them. ‘Anyway it’s gone,” he said finally. The growls and snarls had died off into the — density. Allabout them was as before—fog and silence. « “‘And I’m sure thirsty,” Goat added. The suggestion made Graveyard, too, conscious of a burning thirst. Wet to the skin with water; ankle deep in water; a vast ocean of water stretching away on all sides; yet not so much as a drop of water to drink. “Serves us good and right,” said Goat after a while. “If we hadn’t thought we was so smart, and wanted to get fish for the gunner, we might have s “Oh, shut your bazoo!” snapped Grave-_ yard. ““Anyway talking makes you thirsty.” JUST how long Goat and Grave- yard might have lasted would be hard to say. Without food one might live for a long time; but not without water. In so dense a fog there was. little ,’ snorted Grave-_ Comichooks.co