The Forrest City times., 1888-02-25
CHATTER XVI. AEL HAN D 8.

CHAPTER xxyI
 ISRAEL HANDS.
 Tho wind, serving us to a desire, now hauled Into the west We could run SO much the easier from the northeast corner ot the Island to the mouth Of the North Inlet: Only, as we had no power to anchor. and dared not beach her till the tide had flowed a good deal further, time hung on our hands. The eoxswaln told me how to lay the ship to; after good many trials l succeeded, aud we both sat in silence, over another meal.
 "Cap'n," said he, at length, with that same uncomfortable smile, "hers my old shipmate. O'Brlen; s'pose you was to heave him overheard. l ain't partic'lar as rule, and l don't take no blame for settling his hash; but 1 don't reckon him ornamental, now, do you!'
 'tlm not strong enough, and l don't Ike the job; and there he lies, for me- said ]. ! This here's an unlucky ship-tne His panIola Jim," he went or. blinking. There's power of men been killed in this Hlspaniola--a sight O poor seamen dead and gone since you and me took ship to Bristol. 1 never seen such dirty luck, not l. There was this here o Briep, now--he's dead, ain't he? Wei, now, fm no scholar, and you're lad as can read and igurei and, to put it straight do you take it as dead man IS dead for good, or do he come alive againp
 You can kill the body, Mir. Hands, but not the spirit; you must know that already, l replied. "O'Brien, there, Is in another world. and may be watching us" i "Ahr' says he Well, that's unfortunate appears as if killing parties was waste of time. Howsomever, sperrits don't reckon for much, by what I've seen. pll chance il with the sperrts. Jim. And now, you've spoke up free. and I'll take it kind if you d step down into that there cabin and get me dwell. a-shiyer my timber! l can't hit the name ont; well, you get mo bottle Of wine, Jim-thls here brandy's too strong for my head.' l Now the coxswains hesitation seemed to be unnatural; and as for the notion Of his preferring wine to brandy, l entirely disbe- leved it. The whole story was pretext. He wanted mo to leave the deck--so much was plain; but with what purpose 1 could in no way imagine. His eyes never met mine; they kept wandering to and fro, up and down. now with a look to the sky, now with q fitting glance upon the dead O Brien. All the time he kept smiling, and putting his tongue out in the most guilty, embarrassed manner, so that child could have told that he was bent on some deception. l was prompt with my answer, however. for saw where my advantage lay; and that with fellow so densely stupid, could easily con ceal my suspicious to the end
 Some wine?" l said. Far better VIII you have white or red%'
 Well, reckon it's about the blessed same to me, shipmate," he replied; 'so it's strong and plenty of 1t, what's the odds%
 All right" 1 answered. "l'll bring you port, Mir. Hands. But I'll have to dig for it. ''
 With that l scuttled down the companion with all the noise could, slipped off my shoes, ran quietly along the spared gallery mounted the forcaste ladder, and popped my head out of the fore companion. knew he would not expect to see me there: yet took every precaulon possible; and certain ly the worst of my suspicious proved too true.
 He had risen from his position to his hand; and knees; and, though his leg obviously hurt him pretty sharply when he moved for 1 could hear him stlAe a groan-yet i was at a good, rattling rate that he traliet himself across the deck In half mluut,
 
 picked, out of coil of rope, q long knife, oI rather a short dirk, discoored to the hill with blood. He looked upon it for moment thrusting forth his under jaw, tried thu point upon his hand, and then, hastily con cealing it in the bosom of his jacket, trund led back again into his old place against tn, bulwark.
 This was all that required to know. Is rH Il hax nod and if he had been at so much trouble t get rid of me, it was plain that l was mean to be the victim. What he would do after ward-whether he would crawl right acros the s,and from North Ir,et to the caml among the swamps, or whether he would fir Long Tom, trusting that his own comrade might come first to help him, was of course more than 1 could say.
 Yet felt sure that 1 could trust him i one point since in that our interests Iumpe together. and that was in the disposition e the schooner. We both desired to have he stranded safe enough, iu a sheltered place and so that, when the time came, she coul get of again with as little labor and dange as might be: and until that was done l COT sidered that my life would certainly b spared.
 While 1 was thus turning the bushes over in my mind. had not been idle wit my body. l had stolen back to the cabin slipped once more into my shoes, and lai my hand at random on q bottle of wine an ! now, with this for an excuse, made my rC appearance on the deck.
 | Hands lay as had left him, all fallen t | gether in a bundle, and with his eyelids low | cred, as though he were too weak to bear til 1 light He looked up, however, at my con ing, knocked the neck Od the bottle, like man who had done the same thing oftef and took good swig, with his favorite toai of Heres luck.' Then he lay quiet for little, and then, pulling out stick of toba' co, begged me to cut him quid. "Cut me junk O that" says he, 'for haven't no knife, and hardly strengt enough. so be as 1 had. An, Jim. Jim, reckon I've missed stays! Cut me a qui as II likely be the last lad; for I'm for IT lon home, ana no mistake"
 We'll" said 1, "l'll cut you some toba co; but If was you and thought myself : badly, 1 would go to my prayers, like Christian man."
 "whyT' said he. Now, you tell n whv.'
 | 'sWhy?'' cried. "You were asking n lust now about the dead. You've broke your trust; you've lived in sin and lies aI blood: there's q man you killed lying
 your feet this moment; and you ask me wh
 For Gods mercy, Mir. Hands. that's why" l spoke with little heat thinking of Il bloody dirk he had hidden in his pocket ar designed in his i'll thoughts to end me wit
 He, for his part, took great draught of |
 wine, and spoke with most unusual soleI
 nitv.
 'For thirty year." he said. Eve sail
 the seas, and seen good and bad, better al
 worse, fair weather and foul, provisions ru
 ming out, knives going and what not We
 now l tell you, l never seen good come
 goodness yet. Him as strikes frst is n
 fancy; dead men don't bite; them's Ii
 vlews-amen, so be it. And now you lo'
 here" he added, suddenly changing his tor
 twelve had about enough of this foolei
 The tides made good enough now. T.
 iust take my orders Cap'n Hawkins. ar
 we'll sail slap in and be done with it." All told. we had scarce TWO miles to I'll
 but the navigation was delicate, the entran
 to this northern anchorage was not only n.