New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-16

violent man. | should not feel at home In
duel, though the part were played with the moSt
domestic OF re-shOvels. much less with horrible
| thing cut of a stoke-hcle 49,
About half-past / 0, the San Miguel beginning
to roll. / took the HAT and went below. Inc
| small saloon was empty, the lamp turned down;
AS / passed the stewards pantry l looked In ana
| begged a couple of biscuits. | am fairly good
aU St IN when hn Sd "fs Sda my Wh this
provision against misfortune 1 retired 10 my
cabin, luz uriating in the knowledge that 1t was
% four berth one. and that was its sole occupant
In truth | came near to chuc>ling as l looked
round it, / lid not need certain experience
| had had of a cabin. three feet SIX inches wac
by six feet three inches long, shared with a
drunken Spaniard. TO lead me TO view with con-
tcntmcnt my present quarters lamp III glass
case lighted at once the cabin and the passage
outside and so gave assurance that 1T would
burn Ill night. On my right hand were an upper
and lower berth, and on my left the same, WIN
ample standing room between: couch occupied
the side facing me- The sliding door was supple
mented by a curtain. j could hardly believe TINT
this was all my own. What JOY to one who had
known other things, to arrange THIS ana STOW
that. and fearlessly to place in the rack sponge
and toothbrush What wonder II blessed the
firm OF Segova Quadra and Company as sank
back upon my well-hung mattress.
sleep we'll at sea. The motion suits me- Even
a Quam of sea-sicknesS does but induce "a pleasant
drowslness. | love snug berth under the port
hole. and to hear the swish and wash OF the water
racing by and the crisp plash as the vessel dips
her foreioot under, and always the complaint OF
the stout .timbers as they creak and groan Iii the
bowels Of the ship.
Cosey and warm with these sounds for
lullaby l fell asleep and dreamed that L was
again down in the cngine,,room, and sitting OPP
poste TO the other Englshman. Haven't you
something to tell me? Haven't you something to
tell meP" he was droning monotonously, wasglng
his head from side to side the while, with that
same perplexing smile on his face which had so
distressed ne waking. Haven't you something
TO tell mc?"
that if dld not satisfy him. he would 40 some
dreadful thing, though what | did not know
But could not utter the words, ana whlle was
still struggling with this horrible lmpotency, that
surpassed any waking misery, the thing Was done
| was bound hand and foot to the crank OF the
engine, and going up and down with it, NJ and
down oh. 1t was fendish cruelty! / wept and
prayed to be released. but the Villain TOOK no
heed of my prayers. He sat on, regarding my
struggle, with the same lmpdsslVc smile. In
despair strove to think what it was he wanted
what it was-and--
How the ship was rolling, Thank heaven !
was awake or half awake In my berth at any
rate and not in that horrible engnc-room But
how was This? The other Engllshman was here,
too, standing by the lamp, looking at me Or
who not smiling, yet some one, too, VINO hid
a smudged and smutty face All The wonder IN
my mind had to do with this question. lay Tor
a while in an INDECENT mood, between sleeping and
waking watching him. Then | saw him reach
across my feet to "a little shelf above the berth
AS he drew back. something that was IN his
hand-the hand that rested on the edge OF my
erth-glittered, gllttered as the light fell upon IT,
and. vide awake, sprang to sitting posture III
He was gone the instant, ana III the same
second of time / was out of bed and on the hoor
A moments hesitation. and ! dreW aside the
curtain. which was slll shaking. Inc passage
without still and empty. but opposite my
cabin and separated from IL only by the wldth
of the passage was the door oil ahotner cdplh
which was. or rather had been when l went to
bed unoccupicd. Now the curtain drawn across
the doorway was shaking, and scarcely doubted
but that the intruder was behind II. but oS
hind it also was darkness, and L was unarmed,
whereas that upon which the light had fallen IN
the mans hand WAS either knife or a pistol
No wonder that | hcsitated. or that discretion
seemed the better part of valor. 10 he sure
might call the steward and have the CABIN
searched, but | feared TO seem afraid l stood on
and presently | shVcIed The excitement was
passing away, l began to feel i'll. With last
fearful glance at the opposite caDin-had ahy
seen the curtain shake? might; 1T nor nave pea
caused by the motion of thc slnp?-l drew close
my sliding door, and climbed hastily INTO my
bunk Robber or no robbcr. must lie still
In a very short time, what with my QualmS and
my drowsiness. | fell asleep.
| slept soundly until the morning light filled
the cabin and | was aroused by the CHEEKY voice
of the steward, bidding me lcun0s dlas. lhe
ship was moving even keel again Over
head the deck was being swabbed. opened my
little window and looked out. As did so, the
nights dongs rose III my memory. But who
could think of dreams or midnight asSassns with
the trcsh sea air in his nostrils, and before his
eyes that vigDctte Of blue sea and gray rocks
gray, but sparkling, gemlike, ethereal under the
sun of Spain? Not /, for one. i was gay as
a lark hungry as hunter. SaIy'ng out before
| was dressed, satisfied myself that the opposite
cabin was empty and bare, ana came back laugh
But when / found that sonnet thing else was
empty and bare, | thought it 10 laughing matter.
| wanted a biscuit 10 stay ms appetite, until the
steward should bring my cafe conpet,
and l turned 70 the little shelf over my berth
where | had placed Them on going TO bed. There
were non, there now. Curious! had not eaten
them Then it flashed upon my mind that 1t
was with this shelf that my visitor had meddled.
After that | did not lose moment | cX-
amned my luggage and the pockets of my clothes;
The result relieved as much as IT afonSGGd me-
had carried off two captains biscuits, and moth
ing else whatever!
l passed the morning deck pulling over it.
Sleigh did not come near me; was be conscious
Of guilt, | wondered, offended at the abrupt
ness Of my lcave-takng the night before, or was
it merely that he was engaged about his work
| could not tell
About moor we came to our moorings at Ali
cante. The sky was, unclouded. The shabby
town and the barren hills that rose behind it
barren to the eye. since the vines were not IN
leaf-looked baking hot. had found tolerably
cool corner OF the Ship, and was amusing myself
with a copy of Don QuiXOe' and a dictionary,
when the engineer made his appearance.
Not going ashore ?" he said
For the twentieth time wondered what it was
in his manner voice that made everything he
said to me seem glbc. Whatever 1t was, |
hated him for it. and | gave my feelings vent by
with turning to my books again.
Il thought you travellers for pleasure wanted
to see everything he continued Maybe you
know Alicante ~
No. DON'T answered snappshly. And
in this heat / do not want to know it.'
"All right. governor, all right!' he replied.
Think il might be too hot for you perhaps
Ho! no! ho!7 And with hoarse laugh that lasted
him from stem stern. and brought the blood 10
my cheeks. he left But could see that he
did not lose sight of me. and heard him chuckling
at intervals at IFS own wit for fully half an
hour afterward Though where the joke came
in could not for the life of me determine.
rI | USl au-ayr
at time when he had gone below for a moment
found public walk in an avenue of palm-trccs
which ran close by the The pahnS were
laden with clusters of yellow dates, that at first
sight were more like dried seaweed than fruit.
KS darkness fell and with 1t GOODNESS. | sat
down here; and fell TO watching the vessels in
and little sparks Of light take their places. \
number of people were still out enjoying the air 4