The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-11-18
The Story Of a Wreck.
Thrilling and Romantic Account Of
q Mutiny at Sea-
By w. CLARK RUSSELL.
CHAPTER Iv.-CoE1ISUEn.

were bnc EnS1lSn SHORES, MADE Oellcate
and even fanciful by distance; here and
there fairy-like groups of houses,
standing on the heights among trees
or embosomed in valleys, with silver
sands slOping to the sea; deep shadows
staining the purity of the brilliant
chalk; and foreground of pleasure
boats, with sails glistening like pearl,
and bright flags streaming. And TO
our right and left vessels of different
rigs and sizes standing up or down
channel, some running, ike ourselves,
free, with streaming wakes, others
coming up close-hauled, some in ballast
high out of water, stretching their
black sides along the sea. and expos
ing to windward shining surfaces of
copper.
At half-past two o'clock in the after
noon, an sail that was required having
been made, and the decks cleared, the
hands were divided into watches, and
], having charge of the port watch,
came on deck. The starboard watch
went below, but, as the men bad not
dined, a portion Of my own watch
Joined the others in the forecastle to
get their dinner.
/ now discovered that the copper
faced man, 80 whom l have drawn at
tention, was the new cook. | heard
the men bandying jokes with him as
they went in and out of the galley, car
rying the steaming Jumps of pork and
Teeking dishes Of pea-soup into the fore
castle, whence | concluded that they
had either not yet discovered the quail
ity of the provisions, or that they were
moro easily satisfied than their prede-
cessors had been.
Among the men in my own watch
was the great, strapping fellow whom
] had likened to a life-guardsmen. l
had thought the man too big to be
handy up aloft, but was very much de-
cclvcd. for in all my life | never wit
messed such feats of activity as he per-
formed. His long legs had enabled
him to take two ratlines at time, and
he saved himself the trouble of getting
over the futtOck shrouds by very easily
making two steps from the main
shrouds to the main-yard, and from
the main-yard to the main-top. l
watched him leave the galley, carrying
IllS summing llCNo- b1lI l. ciSO ilOllCCd
before lost sight of him, that he took
a suspiciously long sniff at the steam
under his nose, and then violently ex-
perforated.
| presently noticed the cooks cop
per-face, crowned with an odd kind of
knitted cap. protruding from the gal
Key, and his small eyes gaZed intently
AT me. paced the length of the poop.
and when returned, the cooks head
was still at its post; and then his body
came out and he stood staring in my
direction.
| had to turn abruptly to hide my
mirth, for his face was ornamented
with an expression of disgust exquis-
itely comical with the wrinkled nose,
the arched, thick mouth and the
Screwed-up eyebrows.
When | again looked, he was COM
ing along the deck. swinging piece
OF very fat pork at the end of a string.
He advanced close to the poop-ladder,
at the top of which Twas standing, and
holding up the pork. said:
You see dis, Sar?"
"Yes." ! answered.
me belong to country where we
no eat pork" he exclaimed, with
great gravity, still preserving his
wrinkled nose and immensely dig
gueted expression.
What country is that?" l asked.
Hot country, sar," he answered.
''But me will eat pork on board ship"
Very proper"
but me will not eat rotten pork
on board ship or anywhere else" he
cried, excitedly.
rs that piece of pork tainted?" l
inquired.
Don't know nuffen bout tainted,
sar, he replied, but it smells kinder
strong. But not so strong as The
liquor where t'other perks was bi4ed
in. Nebber smelled de like, sar. Most
disgusting. Come and try it, sar.
Make you feel queer"
pitch the water overheard, then"
''No good. sar Me fust-rate cook.
too-but no make rotten pork sweet.
Dat beats me-"
He held up the pork, with an eX-
precision on his face as if he were
shout to Sneeze, shook his finger at it
as though it were something that could
be affected by the gesture, and flung it
overheard.
Oats my rations," said he.
Shouldn't like to eat de fish that swal-
lers it."
And, turning jaantily in his frocked
canvas breecheS, he walked of.
A few moments afterward the extra
ordinary-lOoking man with the small
face and large head and shell-shaped
back came out of the tOrecaStle, walk
ing from side to side with a springing,
jerky action of the legs, they being evil
IDENTITY moved by a force having no ref
erence to his will.
AK your pardon, sir" he said,
twirling up his thumb in the direction
of his forehead; '.but the meats infer
nal bad aboard this here vessel"
Il can't help it, answered, an
noyed to be the recipient of these COM
plants, which seemed really to justify
CoNon's charge of my being the crews
conlidant. You must talk to the cap
tain about il. "
Nicer a man among us can eat of
the pork; and the cook, is is better ac-
Quainted than us with these here mat
tiers, SAYS he'd rather be billed alive
than swaller ounce of it
The captain is the proper person TO-
complain to-"
That may be, SIR" said the man,
dropping his chin, so that by project
ing his beard. his face appeared to
withdraw and grow smaller still; "but
the boatswain says they'll not be MUCK
got by complaining to the skipper"
i can't make the ships stores bet
Der than they are" replied, moving a.
step, for Inow perceived that some of
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