Show I VJ 1 1 i By JACK LONDON f c Copyright 1904 by JACK LONDON Author of The Call Cal of the Wild Wid People of the Abyss T H E S E A VV 0 L F Copyright 1903 1904 by THE CENTURY COMp I Children of the Frost Etc Copyright 1904 by THE MACMILLAN A CO COMPA COMP j I She was waa In striking contrast to Volf Wolf Larsen Laren Each rach was nothing that everything e that theother theother the theother the other was as other was as not I 1 noted them walking the deck together one morning and and 1 I likened them to the extreme ends o of the human ladder r of oC evolution evolution- the one the culmination of or all al savagery say sav agery the thc other the finished product of or the finest civilization ton True Tru Wolf ol J Larson Larsen possess possessed d Intellect to an unusual un unusual un- un usual de degree ee but It I was directed solely sole sole- ly Jy to the exercise e of ot hIR savage age 8 In Instincts tn- tn and made him but the thc more mor formidable n a savage ac Ho wa was splendidly I did I muscled a hN heavy man and thou though h he strode with wih the certitude I and directness of or the physical man there was nothing hea heavy about aboul his I stride The Jungle le and and the wilderness wilder wilder- ness nass lurked In the uplift and down down- put pta of or his feel feet He was cat toot footed t. t and lithe and strong always strong some great tiger a n I likened him to He beast of or prowess S and pre prey Jool looked ed It and the pi piercing glitter that the arose at al times In his eyes tyes was the same Fame glitter I 1 had bad oh observed piercing and In the eyes o of caged caKed leopards other preying creatures of or the wild wid them noted But this day as I pacing up UI and down don 1 I saw gW that thal It i iwas was she who terminated the thc walk They came care up to where I 1 wa was standIng stand stand- to the com com- Ing lug b by the entrance Though she sho betrayed it b by no outward outward sl sign n. n I ci somehow that she she- was perturbed She made some Idle remark looking atme atme at atme me and and laughed l lightly enough nough hut I saw her eyes ces return to his Involuntarily involuntarily though fascinated then as but not swiftly enough h to toT they ttY fell fel T veil i the rush o of terror that filled fied UI Uh It was In his eyes ees that I 1 saw AW the Ordinarily Ordinarily cause of ot her perturbation Cuse gra gray and cold and harsh the they and soft and golden were ere now warm and nil all U with Ih tn tiny lights that dimmed and faded or welled weed up till tm the full tuB orbs were flooded with a plowing glowing radiance Perhaps It i was to this that the golden color was due but golden his eyes es were enticing I and arid masterful masterful at the same tm time luring lurI lur lur- and speaking a I ing lug and compelling demand and clamor of tho blood Maud which no woman much less Brewster could misunderstand Her own terror rushed upon me mc moment of or fear fear the the most and in that t terrible fe fear r a man can cn experience experience- experIence I she I knew that in Inexpressible ways was Th The knowledge that dear to me ma was as her hr rushed me upon me with the thc I loved emotions gripping gripping gripping grip grip- terror and with wih both teror heart and causing my at m my ping chill chili and blood at the same time to chi to leap riotously I felt tel myself drawn and beyond without me rue b by a A power returning me rae and found my eyes will wm to gaze aze into the eyes oyes against m my nto But he had recovered recovered of Wolf Larsen o ered cred Wol himself The golden color and Cold lights were gone the tho dancing the they were ashe ashe as ashe glittering and and gray gm he bowed brusquely and turned away I T am afraid she whispered witha with lh a shiver I am so afraid what of pt my I I. I too was afraid and meant to tome tome tome she discovery of ot ho how much discover in turmoil turmon but butI a mind was me m my I 1 succeeded in answering quite calmly calmly calm calm- ly h Miss Brewster Brew- Brew All will come right eter ster Al Trust wl me It will wi come right with a grateful little She answered smile that sent m my heart pounding and started to descend the companion stairs standing standIng stand stand- For a lon long while I 1 remained There ing where she had left lef me roe was inS Imperative need to adjust myself my my- af of ot self seU to consider the tho significance the changed aspect of or things It I had when I 1 love had come come at last least expected It i and under the most forbidding conditions Of or course m my the tho recognized philosophy had alwa always R of or the love call can sooner or later but long years ears of or bookish inattentive and made me silence had unprepared And now flOW it had come core Maud My memory flashed back Bre Brewster ter y to that first thin little BLUe volume on m my desk leak and I saw before me as thou though h hIn faw of or thin lit littie little lit lit- in the concrete the row lt- lt shelf shelt How tie tle volumes on m my library 1 J te had had welcomed each of oC them Each Ech year ear one had come from irom tho the p press and to mo me e each ch was wag the tho advent of ot the year ear The They had voiced a kindred kindred kindred kin kin- dred intellect and amI spirit and as as such I 11 had received them into a camaraderie camara carnara- derie of or the mind hut but now their their dere place was in my heart My 1 heart A revulsion of ot feeling came over me I seemed to stand stanl outside myself and to look at myself incredulously Maud Brewster Humphrey Van Yan the cold blooded fish the emotionless monster monster monster mon mon- ster the analytical demon ot or Charley Furuseth's christening In Inloe Inlove Inlove love loe And then without rhyme or realon reason all 31 81 skeptical m my mind flew feW hack back to a small smal biographical note Inthe Inthe in inthe the red rd bound Who ho and I IMil Isaid said Raul to myself SIte She was wa horn born in iii Mil Cambridge and she Ii Is h- h 2 27 years relf old oh And then I 1 said Ald Twenty seven ven ranold years ran old and still free trEe and fancy free tree But how did I 1 know she was fancy free Cree And And the pang of or new born horn Jealousy put all ni incredulity to flight There here was no doubt about It It I was Jealous therefore I loved Io And the tho jalous woman oman I 1 loved lovd was Maud Brewster I I. I Humphrey an Van eyden was waR in And a again aln the doubt assailed me Not ot that I was waR afraid arld of or it I. I hoever however however how how- ho ever or reluctant to meet I it On the contrary Idealist that I was to tho the most pronounced d degree ree my phio philosophy ophy o- o phy pity had always reco recognized and guer guer- toned love Jove as 8 the greatest thing Inthe In Inthe the world the aim and th the tho summit of ot v i tle In th tw mO not l nitch o nf of L j joy joy and happiness f n to which life lire could thrill the thing of or all al things to le he Lp hailed hald and welcomed and taken into the heart hEart But now that that it I had come core I 1 could not beleve believe I could not riot be so fortunate It I was too good too too- good to be true Symons' Symons lines came into my head I 1 wandered all al these years ar amon amonA among A world worM of ot won women n seeking you you ouo And then I 1 had ceased seeking It I was waa not for me this greatest thing I in the world I 1 had decided Furu- Furu I seth peth feth was right I was abnormal abnormal an nn I emotionless monster a strange bookish creature capable of ot pleasuring I lug ing In In 8 sensations sensation ani only of ot the mind And though I L had bad been surrounded surround b by women all al my days m my appreciation of or them had een esthetic and auth nothIng nothing nothing noth noth- ing more I 1 had actually at times considered myself outside the pale a monkish fellow denied denh 11 the eternal or orthe orthe orthe the passing passions I saw aw awand and un understood understood un- un so 50 well wel In other others And novit now nov it had come core Undreamed of ot anti and un unheralded unheralded 11 un- un heralded it had had come In what could have ha eJ been leen no less than an ecstasy I 1 left heft my post poet at the head of ur the tho com com- lee and started along the deck murmuring to myself those beautiful lines of or Mrs Browning I t 1 lived with visions for tor m my company com corn pa pany In Instead l ad of or men and women years yearn ear ago ago And found them gentle mates nor thought to know kno A sweeter music than they played to me But Dut the me sweeter music was playing plain In i my ears and 1 was blind and oblivious to all al aho about t me voice olce of Wolf VoIr Larson Larsen aroused me What the hell hel aro arc you Ol up to he was sas demanding I J had strayed forward whom where the sailors tors were painting anti and I 1 came to myself to find my advancing foot root on the vr verge e of ot ov overturning a paint pot Sleep walking sunstroke what what he barked No 0 Indigestion I retorted retort 1 l and continued fl m my walk as If nothing un- un to ard had occurred CHAPTER Among mong tho the mot most vivid memories o of my IJ life arc are those of or tho the events e entson on the Ghost which occurred during the forty hours succeeding the discovery dis dis- covery overy o of m my love lo for Maud laud Brewster Brew Drew ster ter cr I I. I who had lived my life C in quiet places only to enter at the ago ao of ct thirty five upon a n course of or thel the l most st adventure I 1 could had bad more mor in incident ill in- have C im Imagined inel never ne and excitement crammed inlo into an any fort forty hours of or m my exper exper- nce Nor or C can I 1 quite quie close my mY ears cars carsto to te tt a small mal voice of or pride which tells mo me 1 I did ld not do so b badly all nl things consid considered cred To he begin ln with wih at the midday dinner dinner din din- ner ncr Welt Larsen informed the hunters hunters hunt hunt- ers that the they were to eat cat thenceforth In n the steerage e. e It was an ao unprecedented unprecedented crr n ted th thing I en cn seal sealing nE schooners rs where It Is the tho ng for or th the hunters huntus hunt hunt- ers us to rank unofficially as officers rs Ho lie gave no reason reagon but his motive was gave obvious enough Homer Horner and Smoke had heen been displaying a gallantry gallantry gal gal- bl- bl lant lantry toward Maud Br Brewster r lu ludicrous lu- lu in iii Itself Itsel and e to Ic her ler but hul to him evidently distastefuL distaste distaste- ful The Tho announcement was received with black silence though the other four hunters glanced significantly at atthe tho the two who had been the tho cause of their banishment Jock Joc Horner homer quiet as was his way a sa gave saC C no sign but u t the blood sur surged ed darkly across Smokes Smoke's forehead and ho he half halt opened his mouth to speak Wolf olt Larsen en was watching watching him waiting for tor him hUn the tho steely glitter In his eyes eres but Smoke closed his mouth again wIthout without with wIth- wih- wih out having said ald anything Anything to say the other de demanded demanded demanded de- de aggressively I It I was ws a challenge but lUt Smoke ro- ro 10 fU fused ed to accept it About Aboul what hat he ho asked so innocently mao inno cent that Wolf Larsen was disconcerted discon while th the other smiled Oh nothing Wolf rolf Larsen said lamely lamel I Just thought you ou might want to register a 1 kick About what asked tho the Imperturbable Imperturbable Imperturbable Imper Imper- Smoke Smokes Smoke's mates were now smiling broadly His captain could have o ha killed him and I 1 doubt not nt that blood would have h c flowed hall had not Maud Br Brewster been present nt For that matter mater it was her presence which enabled Smoke act as he ho did He was as too discreet and cautious cau can tous a man to incur Wolf oJ Larsons' Larsons anger at a tm time when that thal an anger er could be bc expressed in terms stronger than words I was in fear th that t a struggle might take place but a cry from irom the thc helmsman m made de it easy cas for forthe forthe forthe the situation to save e itself Smoke ho the cr cry cr came down own the ho open companion wa way Hows it bear Wolf Larson Larsen called up Dead astern sir Maybe Maybo its it's a Russian suggested Latimer His words brought ty into the tho faces of ot tho the other hunters hunters A Russian could mean but hut one thing thing- thing thing- a cruiser The hunters never r ne more than roughly aware of the position cf cr the ship nevertheless nC knew that we were close to the tho boundaries of the forbidden sea sea while Wolf Yol Larens Laren's Larren's Larren's Lar- Lar rens ren's r record corI as a poacher was no no- no All Al eyes cent centered rod upon him Were dead ead safe safe- he assured them with sith a laugh No 10 salt 1 mines this time thre Smoke But Ill I'll IJ te tell you OU what what Ill what what-Il Ill I'll Ja jay odds jay dds of oC five rhe to one its it's the tho Macedonia No Xo on one accepted his offer and he ho went vent on In which event nt Ill I'll IJ laten lay la layten layten ten to on one om th theres there's rc's trouble breezing up Un No Ko thank you ou latimer spoke o upI upI up I r dont don't oj object ct to losing my mone money but I t 1 like 0 to get got a n run for It I it anya any any- way a There never was a time when there wasn't trouble when you and that brother of or yours ours got ot together and end Ill I'll la lay t ent twenty to one on that A general generl smile smie followed t In which Wolf YoU Larsen Joined and the thc dinner wont ont on smoothly smooth tha thanks ks to me for COI forbe ho be treated me abominably the rest Test of f r the meal meil sneering at me and aUll patronizing patronizing pat pat- mo me till Ul I 1 wa was wa all a a a tremble with wih suppressed sed r rape rage c. c Yet I 1 knew I must control myself for Cor Maud Brew Brewster's sake and I received my reward when her ey eyes eye's ru caught ht mine for tor a fedin fleeting second and te they said as us distinctly as if iC she spoke sloke He Be ft bra brave e. be le lra brave We J left the tho table to go 0 on heck deck for a n st steamer was wa a welcome break In the monotony of the sea seaon on which w we ve floated the conviction that It was Death Larsen and tho the Macedonia Macedonia Macedonia Mace Mace- donia added to tho the excitement excitement- The Tho breeze and anh heavy hm sea which ha had hall hail afternoon th the previous sprung up been moderating all al morning mornin so fO that It was now possible ll to lower th the boats for tor an on afternoons afternoon's hunt The he hunting promised to he be profitable We e had sailed called saied since daylight hl across a sea barren of or seals and were now r running into the herd The smoke mok was wis still miles ast astern rn hut but overhauling overhung us us' us J when we C lowered 1 our boats They The spread pJ d out and struck n a northerly course across across the ocean Now and again we ve saw sawa a lower wr heard hearl the reports of qt the 51 shotguns and saw sw the sail I go up thick the again The seals Reals wore were wind was 38 Jin dying awa away aay everything fa favored a- a orell a big catch As we wo r ran rn n off of to get our le leeward position of oC the last lee Jee boat hoat we found the ocean fairly carpeted with sleeping seals als They were all al about us thicker than I 1 hail had hal haler ever er seen een them before In twos and threes and bunches hunches stretched full length on the surface and sleeping for tor all an the world like so 0 man m many lazy do young oung dogs dogs' Under the approaching smoke moke th the tho I Lull bull and of a steamer mer were growing larger larler It H was the tho I Macedonia I 1 read rad her name through the glasses as who sue thc passed h by |