The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-04-02
CHAPTER XIV.
SHE DELIVERS HER LETTER AND SEES A
CONVICT PUNISHED.

SHE DELIVERS HER LETTER AND SEES A
CONVICT PUNISHED.
Next morning on coming into the cuddy
from my berth and looking through the
door l saw number of ccnycts washing
the decks down. Some were on the fore
castle some in the barricaded Enclosure and
three or four were scrubbing the quarter
deck close beside the cuddy front. Every
morning small gsrgs of the felOns helped
the sailors to wash down, while numbers
below scrubbed their own quarters out
The boatswain and his mates and the cap
.ains of the gangs superintended. hurled
the water along the decks out of the buck
cts handed to them and kept the men to
their work. 1t was very fine morning !;
| the wind was on The quarter and the second
mate overhead was calling to some hands
| aloft NhO we're rigging out booms for the
/ setting of those wide ovPrhanEing WINS Of
| canvas called studding sails.
! L Immediately observed that the con victs
| were without irons. What with the soldiers,
the prisoners. the sailors scIubbng or pre-
! pairing to run the studding sails aloft, what
| with the flashing of the sun on the wet
decks. the pendulum swing Of the straight
lined shadows of the rigging. The blowing
| of smoke from the two galley chimnpys
| combined with the sense of life in the noises
of people scrubbing the poop overhead, of
the bleatlng of sheep forward, the growing
of cocks, the grunting of sow. the claGk-
ing of the head and poop pumps, tie cease
such life and motion as forbade me for a
little while from distinguishing.
| looked eagerly for Tom. The steward
called to me sharply and angrily, alter
which was for half an~hour occupied with
| Frank in cleaning down the cuddy without
a single opportunity to turn my eyes toward
the main deck. When this odious task was
ended, Mr.. Stiles gave me piece of raw
bacon to carry to the cook for the cuddy
breakfast.
l. Al.
OF my hand in the hope that | should meet
Tom as l went or returned. A batch of
about fifty convicts, stripped to the waist
were washing themselves on the port side of
the maindeck close against the barTicadA of
the gangway alley, The doctor stood view
Ing them at little distance. Two or three
captains" walked to and fro to observe
that the men washed themselves properly
Seeing no other conviets on deck / went
along the gangway alley. and with my head
straight, but with my eyes in the corner,
mat the doctor mightnOt detect my scrutiny
l narrowly vie wed the conyicts as stepped
forward; but Tom was not of that gang
On coming, however, abreast of the pris-
oner's galley | saw my sweetheart inside.
did not notice what he was about. No
| doubt he had been told off TO help the cooks
| that morning, or maybe he was there on
| some erraDd relating to his mess. Be this
| as 1t may. saw him In an Instant and
formed my resolution in single beat of my
nCdlis COueutu, VIC DOLe OIL my cough
made him turn his head; even while our
eyes met entered the galley in which he
| stood.
Here, cook" said l, "lhe steward says
-" | started as though | had discovered
my error. 81 beg pardon for mlstakpg the
galley" said ], and in turning, as though to
leave, l purposely struck my foot against
the waning of the door, fell step back.
ward. and let fall the dish and the bacon.
The dish was of tin; had it been crockery
l shonld have let 1t fall all the same, though
the noise of the breakage might have
brought the doctor to the door. Tom
stoOpsd To pick up the bacon; our fingers
touched and slipped the letter in his hand
This was admirably done; the swiftness
| OF maneuYer renders it one of the most
memorable OF my exploits in this way.
had feared that Tom would not understand
| In time to render the trick successful. but
| the moment he felt the letter his hand
| closed upon 1t. | did not look at him or
attempt 10 breathe a syllable, though our
faces were close when we stopped. Icould
not tell You who besides Tom was in that
| galley; there were several persons, convIcts
| no doubt. men whose behavior in the hulk :
| mad warranted the doctor In giving them
| posts OF some little consequence and trust
| All had happened so quickly that | could
not say whether the others besides Tom
were clothed as feloDs or hot.
The coDvicts' galley / should explain was
| temporary deck structure, built strongly
abaft the ships galley, furnished with an
abundant cooking apparatus as you may
suppose would be needed for the feeding
oil go souls. None of the crew were suf-