Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-05-05

say tne schoOnerS 4aIne lSF
"The Boca del Dragon" replied.
| "And who are you, mateyp
Gan English sailor, who has been cast
away on an island of ice,nI answered, talk
ing very shortly, that the replies might fol-
| low the questions before the swell sank him.
"Ay, ay,n says he that's very well, but
when was you cast away, bullyf
gave him the date.
That's not a month ago" cried he
"It's long enough, whatever the time"
said l.
Here the crew fell a-talking, turning from
| one another to stare at me, and the negroes
| eyes showed as big as saucers in the dismay
Of their regard
"See here, master,n sung ont the long
man, "if you hant been cast away more'n a
| month, how come you clothed as men went
dressed century sim, heyf
The reason of their misgivings flashed
upon me. 1t was not SO much the schooner
as my appearance. The truth was my
clothes having been wetted, l had ever mnce
been wearing such thick garments as | met
with in the cabin, keeping my legs warm
with jack boots, and had become so used to
the garb that | forgot had it on You will
Judge, then, that / must have presented a
figure very nicely calculated to excite the
wonder and apprehension of a body of men
whose superstitious instincts were already
sufficiently fiwttered by the appearance of
the schooner, when tell you that, in addi-
ten to the jack boots and a great fur cap,
my costume was formed of a red plush
waistcoat laced with silver, purple brooches,
a coat OF frieze with yellow braiding and
huge cuffs, and the cloak that had taken
from the body Of Mendoza.
Captain" cried |, 'if so be you are the
captain, in the name of God and humanity
come aboard, siri' Here had to wait till
he reappeared. "My story is an extraordi-
nary one. You have nothing to fear. am
plain English sailor; my ship was the
Laughing Mary, bound in ballast from Cal
lao to the cape." Here had to wait again.
pray, sir, come aboard; there is nothing TO
to fear am alone, in grievous distress and
in want of help. Pray come, STRIP
There was so little of the goblin in this APP
peal that it resolved him The crew hung in
the wind, but he addressed them pcrempto-
rily. | heard him damn them for set OF
ours, and tell them that ii they put him
aboard they might lie Off till he was ready
to return, where they would be safe, as the
devil could not swim; and presently they
buckled to their oars again, and the boat
came alongside. The long man, watching
his chance, sprang with great agility into
the chains and stepped on deck. | ran up to
him and seized his hand with both mine
"Sir," cried |, speaking with difficulty, so
great was the tlmult of my spirits and she
joy and gratitude that swelled my heart, II
thank you thousand times over for this
visit | am in the most helpless condition
that can be Imagined l am not astonished
that you should have been startled by the
appearance of this vessel and by the figure |
make in these clothes; but, sir, you will be
much more amazed when you have heard my |
story"
He eyed me steadfastly examining me very |
earnestly from my boots to my cap, and then |
cast glance around him before he made any |
reply to my address. He had the gauntpess,
sallowness of complexion, and deliberateness |
of manner peculiar to the people of New Eng |
land; and though he was a very ugly, lank, |
uncouth man, protest he was as fair in my |
sight as if he had been the ambrosial angel |
described by Milton.
swell, cook my gizzard" he exclaimed, |
presently, through his nose, and after another |
good look at me and along the decks and up |
aloft, "if this amt miraculous tewl burned |
if we didn't take this hooker for some ghost |
ship riz from the sea, in charge of norman
rugged out to fit her age N'are all alone,
air your
"All Alone" said l.
"Broach me every barrel aboard if ever / |
zee SIGH a vessel, he cried, his astonishment
rising with the searching glances he directed |
nloft and allow. "How old be she!"
''She was cast away in lI53,n said l.
'Well, I'm duInedl She's frose hard, sir
reel l reckon she'll want hot sun to thaw
her. Split me, mister, if she amt worth
sailing home IA show box"
l interrupted his CALCULATIONS by asking
him to step below, where We could sit warm
while i related my story; and asked him to
invite his boats crew into the cabin that l
might regale them with bowl of such liquor |
as, ventured to say, had never passed their
lips in this life. On this he went to tho side, |
and, hailing the men, ordered all but one to
come aboard and drink to the health OF the
lonesome sailor they had come across. The
word ''drink" acted like a charm; they in
stantly hauled upon the painter and brought
the boat 10 the chains and tumbled over the
SIDE one of the negroes remaining ia her.
They fell together in body, and surveyed
me and the ship with q hundred marks OF
establishment
"My lads" said |, "my rig is strange one,
but III explain all shortly. The clothes 1
was cast away in are below, and I'll show
you them. Pm NO specter, but as real as
you; though l have gone through so much
that if l am not a ghost, it is no fault of old
Ocean, but owing to the mercy of God. My
name is Paul Rodney, and Pm native of
London. You, sir" says l, addressing the
long man, "are, presume, the master of the
Susan Tuckerfn
''At your sarvice-Josiah Tucker is my
name, and that ship is my wife, Susan"
"Capt. Tucker, and you, men, will you
please step belowf'' says /. "The weather
promises fair; have much to tell, and there
is that in the cabin which will give you pa
thence to hear me-"
descended the companion stairs, and they
all followed, making the interior that had
been SO long silent ring with their heavy
tread, while from time to time gruR, hoarse
whisper broke from one of them. But su-
perstition lay strong upon their imagination,
and they were awed and quiet. The day |
light came down the hatch, but for all that
the cabin was darksome.
/ waited till the last man had entered and {
then said Before we settle down to a bowl |
and yarn, captain, should like to show
you this ship It'll save me a deal of de-
scription and explanation if you will be
pleased to take a view"
LEAD on, mister, :" said he; 'but we shall
have to snap our eyelids and raise fire in that
burned if |, for one, can SEQ in the
larkn
i fetched three or four lanterns, and light
ng the candles distributed them among the
men, and then in a procession, headed by the
captain and me, We made the rounds. had
lalf cleared the arms room, but there were
Weapons enough left, and they stared at them
ike yokels in booth. 1 showed them the
,ook house and the forecastle, where the deck
vas still Uttered with clothes and chests and
and after carrying them aft to
he cabins gave them a sight of the hold. l
lever saw men more amazed. They filled the
-essel with their EXPLANATIONS. They never
n - L I