The Republican journal., 1881-10-06


us so merry. When | look back upon
that voyage it's the first evening of our
sailing that comes uppermost: Jan work
ing at his concertina on the bOoms, us
men dancing on the forcastle, the skip
per and the mate walking up and down
the quarter deck, the first smoking q
great pipe, the bowl of which came as
low as his waist, the sails very quiet over
head, and the sun going down on our
starboard bow. For a whole week we
carried fine weather, and nothing appear
ed amiss with us. One day | was on the
lore-topsail yard fitting a stirrup to the
foot rope. Just above me was Dirk Hon
thorst, at work at some job on the top
gallantyard. | heard him call me, and
looking up, saw him sitting in the bunt
Of the yard, with his back against the
mast, holding on to the tie. His face
HAD \ QUEER RED LOOK,
and my first notion was he had had sun
stroke. sung out to him, What ails you
Dirk Z? Come up here and hold me,
Peter, he called back feebly. | sprang
into the rigging, and Skinned on to the
yard and laid hold Of him. He began to
gloan and Wriggle about, and rolled his
eyes wildly When | put my hand Oh
his it was like touching hot-iron The
mate seeing us sung out to know what
was the matter, | answered that Dirk
llonthorst was taken i'll, and was unable
to come down by himself, and that it
would he necessary to send a whip aloft
to lower him by. This was Immediately
done, French Peter, as we called him,
h,,i,, ~ c1
the sick man in bOWlne, and he was got
on deck and taken to his bunk. We had
4 medicine chest aboard but no doctor
The skipper, when he heard that one Of
the crew was i'll, came into the torecastle
and prescribed for Dirk out of I; book
What he gave him don't knoW-nothing
that did hm good anyway for, when my
watch was up and | went below, | found
Dirk delrous, and looking as if he had
been boiled. | never saw such a sight as
his face was. French Peter said it was
the scarlet fever; but we none of us knew .
only it frightened us to hear that it was
any sort Of Il fever for the briggs torecaste
was but little place, two tiers Of hunks
went on either side, which brought us all
together. and bedding and sea chests and
oilslins hanging against the Stanchions
and bulkheads, made the fit u tight one
We were in the hot ATTITUDES, too, not
having made much southing in that week
We had Il bit Of a Windsail down the fore
scuttle but the breeze was following
one. and the fore course kept the wind
out of the WindsaiI, 50 that the forecast3
Was like an oven and in it lay poor Dirk,
shouting and raying in his delirium, and
none of us knowing what he was sick Of
and some being afraid to 90 near him.
This fear kept us out of the forecastle,
and both watches lay that night on deck,
one Of Us from time to time dropping
through the hatch to see if the sick man
wanted anything. Well, he fell quiet
about the middle of the morning watch
and
LAY BREATHING 50 HEAVILY
that, if YOU went near the scuttle, you
could hear HIM plain, and this went on
unit! Just before eight bells, when the
skipper, who had been down to have q
look at him, came up followed by Philip
Stogren, one of the Danes, and said that
Dirk IIonthoTot was dead. The news
didn't much shock lis, for his breathing
had made us all reckon that he couldn't
live long. We let him be in his bunk for
over an hour (all hands eating their
breakfast ON deck) SO as to make sure
that he was dead, when that being past
all doubt we stitched him up in piece
Of sailcloth, none Of us having hammocks,
and lashing a lump Of h0lystOne to his
feet we sent him home.
He was Il good man gone, and our
company was weaker by one able seaman /;
but, as the Lords hand was upon him,
we considered it best for our sakes that
the end had come quickly The skipper
made us bring our bedding and chests
on deck. and air them thoroughly. Like
wise, we scrubbed the forecastle from top
to bottom. But, on the following after
noon, the fOrccastlc being occupied by
us again, heard my name softly called
by Adren WGidemann, who slept in the
bunk over mine. peter, said he, Il think
Jan Macs has got the fever. Look at
him. Iraised my head, and saw Jan sit
ting upright in his bunk, with his legs
over the side. He was tanning his face
with his hand. The windsail blocked
the light in the hatch, and the slush
lamp that swung under the beam Just al
lowed me to see his figure and the motion
of his limbs. The rest of the watch were
asleep, and | wouldn't call out to know
what was the matter for fear Of rOuSing
Them 50 | lay watching him for a few
minutes, and, then noticing that his ges-
lures grew more wild, | got out of my
bunk and walked over to him. When
was close, was sure he had the fever by
his fiery yes-they put Inc in mind Of
Dirk's. said nothing to him, but went
on deck, and, seeing the mate aft, ran to
him and said that Jan Macs had the fever.
He turned as white as a corpse and cried !:
What. have we shipped pestilence p
and hurried below to speak to the cap
tain They both returned, and went for
ward, but by this time the men below had
been aroused by Jan beginning to
SING SONGS IN \ sHRILI VOICE,
and guessing what was wrong, they had
hurried up out of the forecastle. The
watch on deck knocked off work on hear
ing that another man had the fever and
the five of us, one man being at the wheel,
stood near the scuttle waiting for the skip
per to come up. what can it be? p we
asked of one another What's wrong
with the brig? She was wholesome
enough in the outward voyage One said
lie believed it was the water. Another
said that something rotten-there was no
telling what-might have been shipped
along with the cargo and slowed away
under the fOrecaStle. But we ridicued
that notion, for we were sure that moth
! ing but coffee had come aboard, having
slowed the vessel ourselves. There was
look Of fear and distress in the captains
face when he came out of the forecastle.
He ran his eye over us as if he had mind
to speak, but was walking aft without say
ing a word, when we followed him. Capt.
Roster, said we, If the pestilence is
aboard, hat is to become of us 2 NO, no; :
he answered there's no pestilence
aboard. Dirk IIonthorst gave the fever
to Jan. Keep away from the forecastle,
men, until Jan is better. The mate and
| will see to him 'But can you not tell
us how Dirk took the fever, Capt Kos