The morning call., 1893-05-28

stanch. strong. clean little ship. A tiny
caboose stood just abaft the forecastle; her
lopgbOat was gone and she was without
bOat. The afterpart of her deck was filled
with long house with narrow gangwayon
either side to enable you to pass aft. This
house sparkled with little windows. 1t
was painted white and green, and short
flight of steps conducted you to the roof,
that was somewhat elegantly protected by
a brass rail. Every thing that met the eye
was fine and smart: the harness cask, for
instance, was handsome and hoped with
brass; the binnacle was as pretty a
quarterback ornament as 1 ever saw; the
the rigging was good, the sails fairly new,
and all things in their place; the keen
ewes of Tom and Mr.. Bates found nothing
amiss anywhere. Yet she had somewhat
of widowed look, as of a craft that had
been for some time drifting about with
out men. and in a short hencO0p ON the
main deck lay eight or nine dead cocks
and hens.
Tom overhung her side and said that she
was black, with gilt line running her
length. He sounded the we'll when thu
light came, and found the water exactly a.
the height at which it had stood when
they had left off pumping.
Bates" said be. well get that quarter
boat aboard presently; first let's overhaul
the vessel aud see what sort of yarn about
herself she can spin us. VIII, hold the
wheel. My lad. you look half dead. You
used not to look so when we went our
walks with Marian. You shall take rest
sock. But there's something to be done
first"
He picked up my bundle of clothes off
the deck. and / and Mr.. Bates followed
him into the deckhouse.
Here all was as bright and clean as
though the brig were fresh from the hands
of the artifcers. The sunshine streamed
through central skylight. l counted six
cabin doors-three of a side. The furni-
ture consisted of an oblong table. chairs,
couple of lamps,ea telltale compass and
other such matters. The first thing that
took our sight was large square of paper
nailed TO the table. 1t was the back of a
white chart and upon it was quantity of
writing in large, sprawling hand. Tom
twisted it round without pulling 1t from
the nail. and the mate and l stood beside
him and gazed at the giant missive. Close
to where the paper was perforated was the
drawing of a coffin. Upon the coffin lid in
relief was sketched the figure of man.
The lace of the man was undoubtedly
portrait. 1t was a rude performance, but
good. To the left was skull; to the right
crossbones. Under, ITO all concerned"
Tom read aloud:
This brig is the Old Stormy OF Liverpool,
bound to Cape Town with small general cargo.
John Wilson, master (uis PORTRAITS on The
coffin). William Nash, mate; now mInce
matt, and thanks be TO God for the smallest
Kindness shown To sailors.
We sailed olli of she Mersey. Onr ships
company was five seamen and a cook. The
provisions were middng good till we got out
Scoifed and what came next was rot and stencil
rot in the bread-bag where the worms were.
and stencil 10 the harness cask where the meat
was.
We had been promised daily allowance OF
rum; clear OF sourdngs the rum gave out. The
captain said there had been mistake in The
I,ft inn nff In r,ff at.d
But what was this to his and the mates usage
of us? To you, il 1t concerns you; the bleeding
monerel, half stripped by the mango, gone mad
and chased with pitchfOrk and brick bat, was
trnderly served compared with us forecasIle
hands.
Yet we kept all on turning to. and we en-
durej ill patience dropped dead and old Cain
stepped aboard. II happened just 10 northward
of the equator, and when il was over there were
SIX uale men left, but never thumbnail width
OF mess. No. and there'd BEEN no noise No
and swift was the job. Next thing 10 be done
was 10 get away out OF IT, Vom-uS! was the
word. Not man could measure the suns
height. SO. we've agreed 10 20. Yes, this is So
by God! And our reasons are 20; you, II
you're concerned. fnd them out, So here sit
Oh Friday night writing this down as warn
ing with IA moral in Ms tall. Tahe heed, al
you ruffian SkeepeTs and mates, how you i'll
tfeat good men. w. NJ, s. b.
Tom ceased. and we looked at one an
other.
1.-The man who wrote that never sailed
in ships forecastle," said Mr.. Bates.
WHY not" said Tom "Phere was a
university man before the mast in one of
my ships. Is it the education here that
pawls ye? L believe every word of it,
Butler, the briggs been boarded" said
Mr.. Bates, land found abandoned, and
some joker scrawled out this piece of
humor before leaving"
II believe every word of it." re peated
Tom, running his eye over this huge
a16 m 81
long would it take you to draw these
things and think and write this ont? No
man would come prepared with 1t;
where'd he get the facts? Well look for
the papers," He tried to draw the nail,
broke the sheet from it, glanced at the
other side the Portugal CoasD and rolled
it up.
The foremost berth on the port side had
been the captains. Seemingly nothing
had been touched. Some clothes hung
against the bulkhead; there was bedding
in the narrow fore and aft bunk; all the
necessary appliances for the navigation of
the vessel we're here-two good chron0me-
ters snugly slowed in hair in a locker, a
sextant ana quadrant. mathematical in
Struments. such charts the voyage might
demand, and the needful navigating books.
A little hinged table stood open in a cor
ner; upon 1t was plain writing desk with
the key in the lock, and inside parcel OF
paper and bag Of sovereigns which Tom
counted and made twenty-two
Where's the logbpok ?" said Mr.. Bates.
"Here'll be her papers," said Tom. after
opening locker.
He pulled out q tin box and read the pa
pers with the Iuickness of a man used to
such documents.
This is the brig Old Stormy" said he.
Two hundred and twelve tons-cargo con-
signed to Cape Town-a rich freight" he
added, whistlng low, "pianos, pictures,
vases. books, furniture, clocks, ornaments.
clothes aud linens
Then he read out by whom the goods had
been shipped and TO whom they were con-
signed. The name of the master was John
Wilson. of the mate William Nash, and
w. Nj. might be the seaman down as Will
liam Metcalfe.
The berth opposite had been the mates
here was found the vessels loebook, from
the last entry in which we discovered that
the Old Stormy had been abandoned about
fortnight since a few leagues north of
the equator, 80 that she had drifted in
that time TO the southwark through sew
eral degrees Of latitude. This might very
we'll have happened seeing the canvas she
WAS under. Two herths on the port side
were empty. Though equipped for use.
mean there were hunks and the other
berth furniture. On the starboard side
the two cabins abaft the mates we found
respectively fitted as storeroom and
pantry. All the provisions for cabin use
appeared to have been stored in the store
room, and the little pantry was as we'll
stocked in crockery, glass and the like as
the Chiide HaTold's before the conyicts
broke il up