Gallery eBooks

? ? ? ? I discovered her in the steerage, by Wolf Larsen's bunk. I looked at him- the man who had been hurled down from the topmost pitch of life to be buried alive and be worse than dead. There seemed a relaxation of his expressionless face which was new. Maud looked at me, and I understood.

? ? ? ? 'His life flickered out in the storm,' I said.

? ? ? ? 'But he still lives,' she answered, infinite faith in her voice.

? ? ? ? 'He had too great strength.'

? ? ? ? 'Yes,' she said; 'but now it no longer shackles him. He is a free spirit.'

? ? ? ? 'He is a free spirit surely,' I answered; and, taking her hand, I led her on deck.

? ? ? ? The storm broke that night, which is to say that it diminished as slowly as it had arisen. After breakfast next morning, when I had hoisted Wolf Larsen's body on deck ready for burial, it was still blowing heavily and a large sea was running. The deck was continually awash with the sea which came inboard over the rail and through the scuppers.


Pages:
517 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533