The morning call., 1893-05-21

TOD SAID. II DuSG SPEAK TO tue UeOpie iltllos
But I'll you all cussed here before Will
whittle.
"Take courage. dear cobrades ad be dot afraid,
Dor slip this occasiod TO follow your trade:
By codscleDce is clear ad by spirits are caro,
Ad thus go off without prayer-b book psarb."
Thed follow the practice OF clever Tor Pltch,
Who hung like zero ad deyer would Hitch
On his finishing this song the prize
fighter beloved in a loud voice ot thunder:
Chorus, pals all! chorus, pals all!' and
the drunken IN Oh. in every variety of note,
till the chorus was no more than an ear-
splitting, discordant, bowling OF some 200
throatS, repeated:
Then follow the practice of clever Tom Pinch.
Who hung like hero and never would finch.
The convicts vastly enjoyed their own
singing; they shrieked. cheered, whIstled.
hammered and roared and roared again
with laughter and applause. While
looked | saw man fall dead-drunk from
his chair right under the lskylight and
lay like log on the deck. This was the
lean, gray man who had talked OF the
devils that swan in a rum cask. thought
of that day when Mr.. Barney Aaron sat
with other prisoners under the skyllght
and lifted up his voice IN song OF devo-
tion and the doctors stern face of approval
came before me.
Some men on the main deck laughed
loudly and talked uproariously; they
were convicts going to the galley for hot
water to mix fresh pals of rum with. The
moonshine lay white on the planks, and
you could see the buckets swaying in the
fellows hands as they lurched, laughing
and talking, toward the galley about
whose open door hovered the sheen OF
lamp burning within.
81 hope they'll not end at this said
Tom. standing at my side and speaking TO
Mr.. Bates. ''If they don't get more drunk
they'll fall to fighting aud bethink them of
the soldiers weapons under the poop and
iurn the cabin into shambles."
THE drink takes effect quickly" said
Mr.. Bates.
"Many Of them haven't tasted a drop for
years." exclaimed Tom.
The people below fell silent again. A
loud, clear voice that did not seem in liquor
began to sing. l guessed from the direc
ton in which the convicts' heads were
turned that the singer was the hare-lipped
man. We came away from the skylight
and stood near the wheel. which viii held.
This wind is taking off, said Mr. Bates.
Tom looked aloft ana then rodnd the
sea. He started, peered a little eagerly,
and pointing exclaimed: rs that vessel
yonder in the flow of the moonlight"
Will, who had keen eyes, looked and
said, Yes, sir"
The mate fetched the glass from the com
ranionway and gave it to Tom, who said,
''It's ii little brig, l think"
The mate pointed the telescop and when
he was uOUe Will IL aSkou ieaF6 10 look
he steadied the glass and l quite clearly
saw the vessel; she lay exactly under the
moon in the full stream of the silver light,
where the first of it smOte the dark edge of
the sea and flowed across the ocean.
How is she headngH" said Tom.
'She seems to be standing SOUTH" an
swersd the mate.
"Would she not receive us?" said l.
1--WE can't board anything in these
clOthes," exclaimed Tom.
"She don't seem to be travelling" ex-
claimed the mate. ''She hangs steady
about her. The heats drying up the
breeze"
Suppose she should have the doctor,
soldiers and the rest of them on board"
said viii.
Butler" exclaimed Mr.. Bates with
energy. II swear YOU have nothing to fear.
You are innoeent-you have saved life
you have Witnesses"
Tom stamped on the deck and turned
his back with a gesture that was like say
ing he had settled that question in pre-
viOus talks with the mate.
They were again bowling out chorus
III the cuddY; the tobacco smoke rose like
steam into the moonshine through both
open skylights; shouts for drink and for
ppe-lights were ncessant. Tom, hearing
a sound of scufflng coming from the main
deck. went to the rail and stood looking:
H6 TGbuTHtu anu Sdlu. a dozen OF them
have staggered out for air, | suppose the
freshness has proved too strong and every
man dropped as though knocked on the
| head. There they lie. dead-drun on the
decks"
That vessel sits without life." said the
mate, looking at the sea under the moor.
I've been watching her. She's either
hove-to or there's something wSong."
Our own langud motion had drawn the
little craft out of the brilliant reflection.
She now hung on the margin OF it, scarce
distingu guishable but for the faint light her
sails made. supposed she was about five
miles distant; certainly she had not seemed
to move to the extent of her own length
since we caught sight o her.
Our own canvas was now following in.
The white cloths came to the mast softly
and shook the dew upon them on the deck.
The sea was grown CLASSY under the moon,
and round about were ce-like windings of
tremorless water. The breeze was falling
fast, and the heat that came in sort o.
fold like succession of SwelS out of the
gathering calm was heightened 10 every
sense by vast play of shooting stars over
our mastheads. Tom stepped to the sky
light to observe the time; it was something
after TO-
The uproar was at its height again be-
low. A hundred voices seemed to be sing
ing a hundred different songs at once. In
the midst of this half dozen figures came
lnIU Tile cum duluuWdy. L Uey all talked
as they plowed up the steps, showing one
an other in their drunken scramble to keep
steady. The first of them fell over tie
coaming and lay laughing and cursing; the
n Xt tripped over him, but recovered him-
self with a menthful of oaths and with
stroke of his foot rolled the PROSTATE man
aside. The fellow laughed like one chok-
lug, then lay motIonless, and before the
others had come up he was snoring.
One of these men was Barney Aaron.
He stood in the companionway, holding
on and looking about him with his figure
stoored.
Here's Butler" exclaimed man, talk
ing brokenly and hiccoughing. Come pe-
|. low, my rooster. Aint ye longer one of
us. old drummer? Come and drink.
Don't make it all greediness downstairs.
Take your whack, my lobscouser. and cts
hear you sing"
He extended his hand; Tom putt aside,
but without temper.
Il have drunk enough Ican't stand the
heat down there. and | can't be there and
ere to-; and the ship wants watching.
Aaron. you sing good song''
The prize-fighter came out of the COM
panion and stood In front of Tom, slightly
swaying his body.
Its bit of cnb david" he exclaimed.
My wife wouldn't like to hear of it. |
cad fadcy her." he said, directing his
moist eyes at the moon, ssayng 'Bardey,
'ow could yer as public bad?' By
adswer would be exceedingly sipple:
'Biriab, it was id bid-acead ad there's dot
codger abugst the whole blazig boilig of