The morning call., 1893-04-16

Queradlng as boy-ordered ABOUT Oy
| wretches who would be glad to clean her
| doorSteps and windows at home-and Tor
convict! But you know / AIN innocent.
whisper SOFTLY" said j, marking note
| OF bitter temper, a tone as of ferocity In his
| speech; 1t hiSsed in his feverish rapid whls-
| pers and seemed as a revelation to me OF
change of nature. "Do not gestculate. The
sentry at the head of the poop ladder seems
| to be watching US. / have settled 1t thus:
| on our arrival l will take steps 70 qualify as
a landholder and you shall come to me.
Leave me TO act and keep up your heart,
and do not say you wish was not here.
This ship will never arrive" said he.
why do you say thRt?" | whispered,
| turning to look at him, and then giving him
| my back again.
THAT'S what mean by wishing to God
| you were not here" he answered, whisper
| ing passionately, as though he could not
! contain himself. This ship will never
arrive. l could save her and l could save
| life by word. Ii l thought you were in
| danger-but not with me-not with me!
| Aaron and others have taken their oaths
| upon 1t, and they cannot do without me;
| they don't know that you are a girl-they
| must not know it; you are my dear friend
| and that Is enough. and they believe you to
| be friendly toward them and would help
| them If you could. They'll not harm you.
| I'd strangle myself sooner than utter word
| that should save this ship. Pm here for a
| crime never cOmmitted they have made
L
| have no blood upon my head-but Pil help
them in the way they want when they call
| upon me-"
| What can / dO?"
Nothing but wait"
I'D give my life to free YOU"
"Oh, your devotion breaks my healt. l
| was worthy of it once"
| when Is this thing to happen ?"
he ship Will be in the hands Of the
conyicts Tomorrow"
| | fetched n brna nd turp GOLD
And Willard wan, Tom?" l said in a
| whisper that shuddered with the icy fit.
II have stipulated for Will-they'n not
| hurt him."
How will they be able to d o it?''
Some of the crew are with them. For
| three weeks this has been secretly working
| ont I'm the oaly navigator among lhe con-
yicts and they depend upon ne" He
added after pause. during which my
breath came and went hysterically, "if you
| fear for yourself or WILL If you think this
thing should not be doue-fOr it will be at
| tempted, and if it is attempted it will be
done-go to the captain of the ship. tell him
that The convtcts backed by a portion of his
| crew have planned to seize the vessel, and
| that to save her the sen;ries must be
doubled throughout, no convicts allowed on
deck. no messmen to pass the MAIN hatch
| sentry. the prison victuals TO be passed
| through the door of the steerage bulkhead
| by the soldiers, mates, and trustworthy
| petty officers of the ship"
why should | tell him this?"
lie was silent.
Sooner than speak 1 would fling nyseh
into the sea-"
at will be a bloody business"
But II 1t gives you your libefty!"
Ihey have driven me 10 it'll" lie cried,
raising his voice, and he stamped on the
deck In the passion of the minute.
"Gangway thereW shouted the forecsstle
sentry. What are you doing at that bar
ricadeo Come out OF il.
i instantly walked forward, and while 7
walked l heard the voice Of the doctor on
the poop.
Let the people fall 10. Let the captains
rauk them on the starboard Side, where they'll
get good view"
went up the forcsstle ladder at the head
Of which stood the sentry. lie was the hus.
band OF the pretty young woman-the Dick
barracks.
rs it you?" he said "You mustn't get
yarnine with the convicts. It's against the
orders"
"YarningP" said I. III prisoner wishes
me goodnight and asks me questions about
the moon may stop to be civil. | hope"
Us against the ORDERS" said he, and
walk.
The greater part Of the crowd on the FIRE
castle stood In The bows or head Of the ship
The whole Of the crew were assembled the
soldiers wives, some Of them holding chill
dren by the hands, sweled the crowd. |
stepped to a part OF the forecastle rail
where the deck was vacant and looked ont
to sea. The hush on the ocean this side the
storm was unutterably deep, and the dis
tant tempest did not veX il though the
great masses OF vapOr had risen consider
ably and the lightning was running all over
the breast Of it in rils of fire, and the thun
der doomed along the level plain OF the sea
as though some leviathan mermen or Tltans
OF the brine were playing al bowls upon the
horizon.
looked up at the moon and behind the
shadow OF the earth touching the crystal
edge Of the satellite like a ring of smoke.
The reflection flowed gloriously under the
luminary in n spreading wake of greenish
silver whose hither extremity trembled to
The vessels side. The convict ship sleeping
upon the dark and bTeathless surface of
water. her white sails gently tanning at
long intervals to delicate motion Of the
hull; the dark figures of the convicts
grouped III mass on one side OF the main
deck their faces pale IL the night beam az
they gaZed at the moon; the crowd of sea-
men and women talking in subdued voices
in the bows OF the ship, where beyond them
scared the jibs floating like gossamer In the
moonlight from the mastheads: the dark
ocean stretching stiress and silent into the
north, staT-studded, while southwark il was
lighted up by the distant, sunbright and
violet flames Of the electric clouds; the face
OF the cold. silver moon with the shadow of
was scene so rich in poetry, so vital be-
sides with a strange bitter human signif-
cance, that at any other time would have
abandoned my whole spirit TO it, and lost
myself in contemplation.
But l could think of nothing but nv con-
versaton with Tom. the change NV Quick
ear bad detected in his nature his assurance
to me that l did not know his heart above
all his statement that before tomorrow
night the ship would be in the possession
off ofa I Ia1f aQ,nA hT I
not realize his meaning. Yet rememb bered
very well that conversation had overheard
between two sailors who talked of the con-
victs. knowing that Toni guessed they
meant Tom was the only navigator among
the prisoners.
tried to settle my spirits, but my heart
flung fever into my blood and longed to
laugh out. 10 cry out, 10 run about. As the
shadow deepened uDon the moon the crowd
upon the forecastle fell silent. looked over
the side into the dark water and beheld
fsh-shaped phantom of phosphorus sliding
slowly along close under the surface: there
was a little bubbliDg of fire about the CEN
ter OF this strange shape where the lin OF il
projected. knew what It was. yet glanced
ones or twice, only without curiosity, aud
went on thinking
Would they spare my cousin Will? Would
they spare me? How could Tom be sure?
The liberation of the convicts would be like
the disgOrging OF hell; how could Tom fore
tell what would follow the demons seizure
of the ship But cared not; let Tom but
gain his liberty and it mattered nothing to
me what followed, though my own life
should bs forfeited. By the magic of SYM
pathy the change that had noticed in him
was working in me; i felt as though devil
had entered into me even as Tom had whis-
pered that they had driven him to Ii, that in
justice and labor and punishment madden
ing to an innocent heart had made devil of
him.
was in the wav of the walk of tho fore
castle sentry. that is TO say. at the extremity
OF il. and twice he halted at my side TO look
at the moon. but never spoke. / heard the
doctor talking TO the prisoners; lie ad-
dressed them from over the rail of the
poop, and no doubt made the most Of this
solemn occasion of eclipse and the terror of
the gathering storm and the mighty scene
OF loneliness in whose heart the great ship