Omaha daily bee., October 25, 1903, Page 11, Image 31

About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922

Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE

                
October 25, 1003L
THE ILLUSTKATHD 1U:K.
11
fall constantly Into the valley. There Is a
thundering of a spectral battle, as If the
air wore the scene of the war of annihila
tion that will break over the State If heaven
does not call me to save the land at the
right time. Day and night there Is the
thundering and the roaring. I listen to it
day and night day and night awaiting the
messages
And day and night they work to keep the
one path open, for over It must crme th
call, over it I must go. The people work
In constant peril. Before them, behind
them the avalanches tumble, ever eloping
the path anew, ever shutting entrance and
exit They say that several have been
killed already. What care I? I phall stride
over the lives of thousands and thousands
In order to make my people great.
A miracle! A miracle! Bee, a miracle
has been performed for me.
I knew It.
An hour remained to me before I start
for the capital. I have locked myself In,
to pass It with this, my confidant. I think
thpt It may be the last time.
How did everything fulfill Itself so won
drously? She came to me! Through snow and Ice,
through terror and death, she forced her
way to me. So mighty Is her love, con
quering terror and death, to call me, the
exiled and prosrribed, to the throne of my
fathers, where It waits for me.
For this she shall be my Queen!
T will write down calmly how It all hap
pened. In the afternoon I went out and walked
far. At a great distance from the house
I suddenly saw two figures moving along
the path that lay by the Bliore. I could
see plainly how completely they were ex
hausted so that they could move forward
nly painfully.
And I could see. too, hnw n mighty wall
f snow hung loosely over their heads,
ready to fall at any moment and bury the
weary, daring travelers under It. I saw
It and waited for It. But who were they?
People who were coming to the Sea-Alp,
to me surely they were bearing a mes
sage. Perhaps a great one, deciding the
fate of my house and my nation! Has my
brother conquered himself again? Has he
permitted them to wrest his signature from
Tilm? Has ' war lsen declared? And tha
wo, over whose heads hangs the icy death,
ro bringing mo the news?
I must hear the message! Death must
rot hurtle from the air until I heard! I
ran toward them, observing as I ran how
their exhaustion Increased, how a fine pale
rloud arose even then from the overhang
ing mass. And I heard the thunder of an
other avalanche, rolling fast. I called, I
shrieked. But they did not hear me.
One of the figures was that of a woman.
Bhe walked ahead. A woman who was
romlng to me, in danger of her life! Who
who could it be?
The Saga of Trig Olafsen, the Swimming Mate
fCopyright, 1903, by Albert Sonnichsen.)
F TOU have knocked about Hono
lulu much you will have heard
of Trig Olafsen. But perhaps
you 8rti a B'ranBer there- Then
vntiio ml go down to the docks some Sun
day morning when the seamen are loafing
bout the gangways and ask. They will
ing you the saga of Trig Olafsen. It
Will come couched in language hideously
profane, but no matter, you will. learn all
about Trig Olafsen.
Perhaps, If they are In a good humor,
thry will tell you of Trig Olafsen's long
wim with liberal criticism of the ways of
Providence In preserving the morally unfit.
For Olafsen's notoriety as a hard case
bucko mate equals his fame as a swimmer.
If you should ever meet Trig Olafsen
you will understand why he Is feared. Big
of body, arms like thighs, gnarled and
hairy; a lion-like head on a bull neck, a
tawny mustache drooping over ponderous
Jaws and hair of the most fiery hue such
a man Is Trig Olafsen. Sailors on the
west coast will rule or be ruled. Trig
Olafsen has never been ruled in spite of
many efforts on the part of insubordinate
crews to subdue him. A crowd of Irish
men tried It once on Island Queen, but
Trig piled Into them and smote with the
mighty arm of his Viking forefathers.
Those were the days when Dave Kala
kaua's banner floated from the palace tow
rs and from the gaffs of a dozen good
ailing ships. Trig Olafsen was mate of
the Hawaiian bark Aloha, then In the
ugar, lumber and coal trade coal from
Australia to Honolulu, thence to Pan
Francisco with sugar, and back to Aus
tralia with Pugct Sound lumber.
From a sailor's point of view this was
n Ideal ship, and Aloha was a first
rate ship for living and easy to handle,
but Its crews Invariably left ut the end
ef each passage. Few made a fu!l trip.
As they didn't stop to collect their wages
the owners found It profitable to retain
Trig Olafsen In their service. But on one
trip they almost lost him.
Atcha had cleared the doldrums ond
had barely caught the northeast trades.
It happened In the morning watch, about
t o'oloclc. The yards were braced sharp up
n the port tack, ajid if Aloha waa
Swiftly ss I could 1 ran toward them,
crying: "The avalanche! Quicker! In
heaven's name, quicker'.'
The howl of the storm, the thumler of the
avalanche swallowed my words. In that
instant I recognized the woman tlebhu nit's
sister! And then I saw a white mass fall
from above, heard the roar. The avalanche
and Gebhardt's sister under It.
I screamed with a terrible cry. I tried to
leap forward, but the whirling snow blinded
me. So I had to stand and wait until the
cloud of white had settled.
Tho first that my glance saw In the white
mists like a vision was Gebhardl's sister.
Over her head, too, a Royal crown hung and
shielded her.
This Is what happened In the Royal
Palace
To tell me of It the beautiful woman
whom I love and who loves me had found
her way through snow and ice, through
terror and death to me.
More and more Insistently government
and nation demanded tho declaration of
war from the trembling sovereign. But the
sovereign continued to fear and to tremble.
Again they send my mother to him, and
again she conquers her son's vacillation and
weakness. In the council In the afternoon
the King announces his determination lo
sign the declaration of war. On the same
evening the document Is laid before him.
He expresses the wish to be left alone and
commands that none must disturb him.
In the next room His Majesty's adjutant
waits. An hour passes. And a second hour
passes. The adjutant hears the King sigh
heavily several times.
The council has assembled and waits. A
third hour passes. The adjutant departs
for a moment to call the King's chamber
lain. He la to enter tho King's room. It Is
late ut night.
The chamberlain enters the door and sees
the King sitting at the desk with hH head
upon it as if he were asleep. Softly he
calls:
"Your Majesty!"
The King does not hear, does not move.
"Your Majesty!"
Because the King still does not hear the
man steps nearer and sees
It is dripping from the desk to the red
carpet, and It haa the royal color of the
carpet. Dabbled with blood Is the Declara
tion of War that bears no signature.
The King Is carried to his bed by adjutint
Rnd chamberlain. The room Is shut off.
It is announced: "Hla Majesty is Indis
posed." The spiritus famtliarlrls Is on the
spot at once. The Queen and the Queen
Mother are called. The Queen falls at the
bedside as one dead; the Queen-Mother Is
rigid and -strong. The King's servants are
sworn to silence, and that whole part of
the palace is thut off and guarded.
The council remains assembled.
The doctors are asked how long His
making Its course, that was about all. The
mate, sniffing the wind, to take prompt ad
vantage of any favorable change, kept
faithful watch by the weather mlzzen rig
ging. The men were Just taking coffee
when the breeia hauled aft a trifle. In
stead of waiting until they had finished,
Olafsen gave the order to square in a bit
at once.
"Slack away your spanker sheet," he or
dered rext.
A man did so. but the block on the boom
Jambed. The mate leaned over the railing
to overhaul tho sheet. Suddenly It clearid
end the boom shot out with a Jerk to lee
ward. The mate had been leaning against
the boom, so naturally he went wilh it,
but not having wings, he fell, and a minute
later was shouting In the ship's wake.
The mate's watch was made up partly of
Melbourne larrikins and partly of 'Frisco
roughs, an unwholesome mixture. Olafsen
had not been very courteous to them on the
trip and they remembered it now of all
times. The ship was making a good six
knots, and even had the helmsman brought
It up into the wind, It would have taken
a good hour to pick up the mate. But the
wheel remained unsbifted and Aloha
sailed straight on, the men coiled up the
ropes, and soon the shouts astern died out
In the hiss of the wake.
But It wasn't to save trouble that they
paid no heed. An hour later the man at
tho wheel cast loose a life buoy und roared
out :
"Man overboard!"
The taptaln came on deck, all hands were
called, the ship was hove lo and a boat
lowered. They spent an hour hunting, but
of course it wasn't likely that they would
find a man dropped six miles astern.
A week later Aloha c-ime into Honolulu
and officially reported Its mate lost at sea.
Aloha hauled up alongside the rail
road dock and hegan discharging its cargo
of coal. The crew were employed on deck
manipulating burtons and whips und driv
ing winches, while the Kanakas filled the
buckets below. By Saturday you couli no
longer Jjmp down the hatchways to the
top of the cargo.
It was nearly noon. The men expected
to knock off early and were in pretty good
humor, laughing, and bandying jokes with
Majesty will remain "indisposed." Net
fully forty-tight heurs mere! Who in I he
successor? A stranger! lias the King no
brother? Oh, yes; but tho brother has
- renounced the succession, had to renounce
because Ids reign would be a misfortune
for tho nation. A frccrol deed Is in ex
istence signed by him. Then, why yes!
Then we must lull tho stranger.
So they debate, and at last they desido
to wait until It can be said:
"The King is dead -Ions live the Kins!"
And yet they should let the brother
come. No, better, wait until all is over.
One cannot know.
But he will come. He wil come! He will
come to demand Ills I Wilts, to step Into his
inheritance, to lake the crown of his
fathers.
The woman who loves him culls him!
Accompanied by a faithful srvanl tho
Countess leaves the capital. She reaches
the lake. There is only one path; it may be
the path of death.
She takes it.
When I arrived on the Se i-Alp with the
Countess and her companion the night had
begun. 1 led the magnificent one Into my
rooms, served her with refreshments my
self, and then proceeded personally to my
adjutant, to whom I said:
"The King Is dying. I am his successor,
designated by (lod. Your sister has come
to mil me to preserve my rights at the
deathbed of my brother, anil aft. r death
to mount the throne which your sister
Fhall mount with me, thanks to my Royal
power and my passion.
"In an hour I shall start to the capital
with the Countess. Since the path has
become Impassable through Hie fall of an
avalanche, we cross the lake. No matter
bow I must! If you wish to accompany
me, come; If you would rather remain.
Rtny! Which la your decision?"
"For me there Is only one decision."
"To remain?"
"To do what I can in order to prevent
Tour Royal Highness from leaving the
Sca-Alp."
I asked him: "Is that your loyalty for
me?"
His answer wan: "Yes. that It Is."
And I asked further, suppressing my
self mightily: "You, too. will consider It
a misfortune If I become King?"
"Yes."
"Misfortune for the land?"
"Yes."
"Because I am unable to rule?"
"Too ill."
"I tell you your sister shall be Queen."
"That Is impossible under the law of
your house."
"I shall make a new law that will make
the impossible possible."
"Kven then it would remain Impossible."
"Because I um married already?"
"To an angel."
one another.
Suddenly there came a ora-.li a bucket
dropped on deck, almost driving through
the plans and near'y killing big Steve r. t
the burton. The man driving the for'd
winch stood stiff, his face the color of a
snake's belly, his eyes bulging. The others
were about to swear nt him, but following
his rigid gaze, horror likewise stiffened
them. Complete stillness had come over
the busy scene. All eyea were fixed on
something on I ho deck.
licking Us way through the line of
freight cars on the wharf came tho tower
lug figure of the "drowned" mate Trig.
Olafsen. The apparition leaped clear of a
coal pile and landed at the foot of tho
gangway. The cabin boy, cleaning the
gangway brass, looked up, gave w fright
ened scream and bolted down Into tho
cabin.
Only one man about there had never seen
the mate's big figure . and he was the duck
watchman. As he did not see hii thing
particularly ghostly In It this first time, and
br sides, had a pretty char conscience, he
took no part In the panio thai followed.
He hi the only one capable of giving a con
cise. Impartial account of what happenid
the rest fhiver yet when they think of It.
I have heard the watchman tell the story
several times und he always Id's It la a
h imorous vein. To him It was extremely
funny. You see, he did not know the mate
should have been dead ten days.
Trig Olafsen came up the gangway, his
head thrown up like a II n smelling fresh
inent. The plank quivered beneath tils n
derous tread. Ills huge mustache trailed
back over his ot jaws, his hair bristled
and his big hairy arms were swollen and
bare to the elbows, for he hud tlirr.wn off
his hat and rout on the dock. He paused
at the top for Just one moment, then, with
a roar like breakers on a reef, he bounded
to the deck.
The watohr ian says he never saw s u-li
a wild scramble it couldn't be oo:rpard
to the panic at Wr-lkikl, when llie tlgr
got loose In the circus menagerie. Not
only the ship, but the whole Island was
mu-h tto small for Aloha's crew Just then,
then.
The ghost seized a capstan bsr from the
rack at the break of the poop and charged
"In whom iui, however, see an c.uitUj
worn, in.
l'..ie . 1 1 1 unite In steed hrloro me, Willi
tils secret love exposed by lot uud liaiticti
calmly by me. He struggled lor Kuiim,
could s.i nothing toi a period, iiica
cjuu.atcit Willi a I. 'I. use voice.
"1 shall Mid do my iitmusl to prevent
Your Royal ,nujilj H in having llic tea
Alp." 'How will juu hinder me?"
"1 shall nut lei our Royal ll.tlimaa
go."
"Ah, ou mean to use tone."
"Force, if ncc-'.--nr'.'
Then it seized inc. I hurled m.'scll on
him. 1 i nun lit li i in with Hie power of a
g.uul that dc.-ceii.ieil on me at tnat in
rtant. 1 threw him, knec.ed en him, tr.ed
to strangle him. 1 Would have oouc 11
had he not possessed the eyes of his i-l-ier,
Willi which he looked al me without re
si.sting. Then 1 let go of htm, arose and da-
maimed bis Wold el ho tor til. it lie W Mild
not Interfere with me. Hut he would nol
give it. Thereupon I cubed nunc of my
people and told thein:
" I he King lies dying. In a few diys I
will be your King." And I commanded
them to Imprison the Count in his room un
til the morning. The creatures one.ved ma
like dogs.
Kvorythihg la ready for departure. Only
one thing lemains; to say farewell to
Jtutlca.
At llrst none of th.- nun would dare '.he
vouge hit"!" the .sea. Kven the royal re
wards that I offered tin in could nit m'ova
them. Then 1 commands). As King I oin
nia ride l. They obeyed, mid now the rahlda
craw ls hofoi e inc.
We took the n longest boat. We must go
with torchlight. Willi axo-t we m ist br. ilk
our way. It will he a voyage for lite or
d'ath.
I had the n maiiiing hi, lis Hove in in
case the Omul heml i os. ipo and lr to
follow.
They tell me that the boal Ls ready. I
muM sny farewell to .ludloa.
It Is done.
She will like--
Shall f lake this look with me?
Shall 1 threw It Inl" the sea where it l
deepest? Or hall I hurl it Into the tlru
thus dest lining what U a piece of my soul,
of this wrestling human soul wl:h its hula
that Is good and jure and with Its gnat
darkness and its many abysses?
With so much thai Is evil and wick-d!
Destroy these confessions!
1 Hi It, oh, do 1 '.
And yet
If 1 were to lay this took Into the ciket
again, ami if I were to have the caskoi
open, and -
Yes, and if -
(To Bo Continued.)
midships. Five of the men leaped over
board and swarm frantically across tha
harbor to the mail dock. Two fled up th
rigging and the rest sprang to the dock,
a drop of nearly tin feet. L'p the track
they pelted. Trig olafsen after the-m,
hulling the capstan bar ahead of him,
pii king ll up again when he got to It, and
roaring out blood curding oaths In N'oisa
and Knglish all the while.
Here the watchman became hysterical
and saw no more until Olafsen reappeared
on the deserted deck, roaring and fuming'
among the empty coal buckets and using
most unghostly language. Then the skipper
came up from below uud staggered against
the skylight, white as a water-i-OHked
corspe.
"What in de name of do Flying Dub-h-nrin's
llgurc-he uel ye statin' lit me like d.it
for?" roared Trig Olafsen.
lie really didn't swear by th" flying
diitcliniau's figure-head; It was something
d eidedly more expressive than that.
The captain recovi red no drowned man
cmild swear like that, no living man could
swear like that but Trig Olafsen. In flesh
urd lib od.
The skipper and the mate opproched each
other, but what I hey suld the watchman
could not bear. Finally both went below
Into the cabin.
None of the mate's watch came abroad
that night. The men of the other watch
r-nrne slragkllng abroad toward dusk. They
had no gul'ty conscience to keep them
away. The others made fi r the hills up by
the Pali and were captured by the police,
next day atiel brought aleoard In Irons. The
nii'lt: 1 : 1 1 1 1 --1 1 f i i nductee the hunt, but
bulged rio eeenplalnt against them he only
wanted them Willi liliu on the passage to
'Frisco.
(if course be left Honolulu on Aloha as
mate. Tin record of that pa. sago Is lost
to aiithe olio I. inl' ry. but oec isiou.illy you
Intel a sai'.nr who will tell you that there
really is a lull. It-cause be barf been there.
The poll watch -if Aloha reached 'Frisco
nlive that passage-, but they were carried
arhnre in stretchers, aboard the marine
hospital launch. Nor was Trig Olifsen
ever beard to complain ejf having gnna
unavenged. lb ulwavs ifcrs to that paa-
(Cnnlinued on Page Thirteen.)