Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-08-17

was Inere any WltIln reach. was IOChSu
| in the cabin with man in delirium ire
MEMS There was no chance whatever of
breaking away from him by force. On land
and with plenty of room ! might be a
match for him, for he was twice my age
| but here, in the narrow space to which
was unused and he perfectly accustomed,
and with this awful rocking and pitching
| of the vessel, TO which [ was unused and
/ he perfectly accustomed, could have no
chance against him.
Many years ago, when / was boy of
nine and in perfect health, gave up, with
as little notice, all hope Of living an hour.
| was fishing in the sea with a hand line
from rock, and fell into deep water, no
succor being in view l could not swim at
! the time. / remember distinctly that |
| did not cry nor call out before | sank.
Even when | rose did not call out.
did not think of my approaching death,
/ though | believed firmly that there was
no chance OF rescue, and / could not by
myself get back to the rock. | began
treading the water, keeping my arms well
down by my sides. | felt no pity for my
/ self or my people; no fear of approaching
death. / looked around the little bay and
! thought with wonder that / had never be-
! fore noticed how bright the sunlight could
! be on field and cliff and rock and sea and
cloud. | thought of nothing but that
sharp clear, sllvery brightness. / have
I never, in all my life before or since, seen
so much light as on that July evening,
! years and years ago, when my chin was
| level with the smooth sea which believed
would in less than an hour be my shroud.
/ A chance fisherman saw and saved me
! then.
Now, in the cabin Of the Queen Anne,
when gave up all thought of ever again
seeing land, seeing anything but this cabin
and this man, remember my first thought
on completing my survey of my environ
ments was that the cabin needed very badly
to be painted.
There, sitting before me. was this maniac
who at any moment might become homi-
! cidal. / was about to play game for my
| life, but had lost all concern in the stake.
| | felt no stronger interest in the result
! than | felt over an ordinary game of chess
! with an opponent of whose strength knew
nothing. To myself now this is perfectly
I inexplicable.
When l had completed my survey of the
| cabin, fixed my eyes on st. Clair. Appa-
rently he had forgotten my presence. His
head was sunk upon his chest, his long gray
beard lay fiat upon his jersey he was ST.
lently, thoughtfully stropping his jacknife
on his sleeve. If | could get possession of
that knife l should feel much easier.
That's a fine knife, Captain Where
did you buy it, in Layton or Newcastle ?"
"No. / didn't buy it this voyage. It's
as sharp as razor. Pm trying to rub the
blood stains off it"
"Blood stains" I said with a laugh.
'Have you been filling the harness eask Z?
May l look at it ~
"You may not. This knife is not for
looking at It's for feeling. It's for cut
ting weasands. That's how served Philip
Maple, the mate, when he refused to follow
the snakes down the hatch there | cut
his weasand this way" He sawed at his
own throat with the back of the blade. He
pointed with his other hand to small
hatch in the floor of the cabin, between
the table and the stove "And | showed
him down therc!"
shuddered. Could tobe possible he
had done the thing of which he spoke
There were, | could see, stains on the steel,
but there are stains on all such knives car
ried by sailors. "Whos the maker Let
me look /"
mo, you don't" he cried with laugh,
raising his face toward mine. He shut the
knife, rolled up his jersey, and dropped it
into his capacious trousers pocket. "You
want TO get hold of it and condemn it-not
for me p
l felt / had gained something by the
disappearance of that Misunderstanding
weapon. ! thought to myself, "If / see
him put his hand near that pocket again |
will spring on him and risk all in hand
to-hand struggle"
st. Clair threw himself back on the
locker, rested both hands on the edge of
the table, and stared at me- He was very
broad and powerful-looking. His ewes
were prominent, wild and bloodshot. His
face was now deadly pale, except the nose,
which burned a red copper color. Al
though his eyes rested fxedly on me they
did not seem to see me. They were look
ing through me, behind me, beyond me.
The thumbs of his thick, short, dirty
hands were under the leaf of the table,
and ! knew by the whitening of the flesh
on the inner side of the fore-fngers that
he was cluthing the leaf with great force.
| had never up to this seen man in. his
condition, but l had read and heard some
! thing of delirium tremens. i knew that
when suffering from an acute attack his
! disease would lend him strength, and that
he would not be responsible for his ac-
| tlons. He began speaking of his own ac-
cord:
"Philip Maple was fool. l said to
him as plain as plain could be that |
would send him below for his long watch
if he didn't follow the snakes down that
scuttle; he wouldn't, and then | cut away
all the standing rigging of his head and
turned him into my own bunk in my own
stateroom. He's laying to there now,
waiting for the last trumpet" He shook
himself, rose with shout, and STOPPING
down, seized hold of ring in the hatch,
and pulled up the hatch. The vessel at
this moment rolled terribly and he fell
sprawling on the floor of the cabin.
For few minutes he fioundered about,
the vessel pitching and rolling fearfully
the while. l dare not stir | could not
keep my feet if | moved. 1t took me all
my strength and address to retain my
place at the table. Presently the motion
Of the vessel moderated, and Captain St.
Clair with horrible oath sat up and
glared wildly around,
Il have been Captain and owner of the
Queen Anne for ten years" he said in
horse whisper, "and she never rolled liked
that before. Never But we won't mind
Bless you, we don't mind; for we're home
ward bound, my boys. We're homeward
bound She'll go right over the next roll,
FL take nv OATH"
! He did not attempt to rise, but sat white
with terror on the floor close by his state
room, at the other side of the open scuttle,
1 in the corner where he had fallen. The
vessel became comparatively steady. Now
was my opportunity. If | sprang on him
as he lay, he could offer but little resist
ance ] should have the advantages of the