The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-05-20
u week, and he never closes his eyes.

week, aud he never closes his eyes. /
am sure OF it,"
did not quite know what to think,
for it certainly was very strange and
unCanny for q man who looked as
healthy as Joe to get on without any
rest. turned to Silver and looked at
him.
"Yes, Jack" said Silver, queerly,
'mad, by heavens, That's il, sure
enough You watch him when I'm at
tho wheel sometime, and you will sec l
speak the truth, don't like being in
the ship with him. The fellows in the
other watch have uicRnamed him
Snakes for some reasons, aud | tell you
he is snakes to me. There will be trou-
BILE with him yet ii he doesn't go to
sleep"
For the next few days l watched
Snakes us closely as could without let,
ing MIN see what | was after, and |
came to the same conclusion as Bob
had. The man was certainly cracked
moro than little, and perhaps quite
mad. Thia led me to he easier with
him when he yarned in the second dog
watch, and did not laugh at his piling
it on. For thought one OF these days
he might knife man instead OF drying
up and going away.
Just about this time, however, some-
thing happened to take our attention
from the subject, for tho captain, who
had been more or less drunk ever since
leaving San Francisco, had u bad lit OF
the jim.jams, as sailors call ID. rs, lie
only lasted two days after they took
him. He died on a Saturday night, and
on Sunday morning we passed him out
OF one OF the main-deck ports with n
lump OF old iron at his heels, instead Of
shot.
The mate now took command and
sent for me,
~ hear you have an English second
mates certificate" he said, "is that SO"
AS 1t was true got it out OF my chest
and showed 1t him.
"Then," said he, ~ shall put you on
as second mate, for Mr., jackson, tho
second mate, Ia not navigator, and l
shall want you help me navigate the
vessel"
So l shifted my chest ait, though l
didn't much care about taking the OBJ.
For no man likes to 90 from the fore'sle
to the cabin in the same ship. Yet in
this case 1t couldn't be helped. -
AS il turned out perhaps it was as
we'll, Tor in spite OF the horrible warn
ing OF tho old mans death the new cap
tain began to 90 on the same course,
only not so fast at first, aud in conse-
quence soon had to navigate the ves-
sci myself. And then there came more
trouble.
Some ten days after We had dropped
Captain White into the sea, when it
was de ad calm, and just before six
bells in the first watch, heard the
sound Of some one running along the
decks with bare feet. Then there was
scream from the fore'sle head and a
splash in the water. Silver was at the
wheel, and l was standing few feet
from him.
"It's Snakes, it's Snakes" said Bob,
and could hear terror in his voice;
there's murder going on, knew this,
l was afraid Of it."
And thinking there must be some.
thing in what he said, l jumped down
into the cabin for revolver, at the
same time shouting to the captain and
Mr.. Jackson to rouse out, In another
instant Jackson was on deck with his
pistol, but the skipper was asleep,
drunk, and did not stir.
Whom / got up tho companion l
found tho two men Of the watch (for
now the carpenter stood his watch) aft
in the poop, looking very pale and
scared as they stood by tho wheel with
the light from the pinnacle shining in
their faces.
"Whats upP" said. al will know"
The carpenter answered:
ave heard screech on the fore'sle
Just now, sir, and In going to see, we
found no one there. The lookout man
was gone. There 10 no one about the
decks, but the door Of the port fore'sle
is shut, and some ono is grooming in.
side"
'LeFs 60 forrard," said I; "take axes
from the rack at the mizSen and look
smart"
Just as l came down on the quarter.
deck, the sky, which had been over
cast. began TO clear, and through rift
tho moon sent down q flood OF light that
made everything about the decks US
clearly visible rs in day time, except
where there were shadows. We went
very carefully, but saw nothing, and
when wo came to the fore'sle door it
was shut aud locked,
"Break it open," l said, and jumped
upon the top.galant fore'sle while they
were at it. On the starboard side, close
TO the rail, there was q dark patch on
the white decks. 1t was blood, and
there was q splash of 1t on tho painted
rail. This was murder, 1t could be
nothing else. Yet it was, | knew, moth
ing to the horror that must be awaiting
US in the fore'sle, at which the men
were now battering.
AS got down the lock gave way, and
the splintered door flew open.
Bring lamp aud Matches" said
Jackson, for inside it was, aftor the
moonlight, as black as VOLTS throat.
When we entered we heard no moro
groans, for the threo men lying on the
floor could never groan again. They
were all dead, two in their hunks, and
one on the floor. 1t was the knife had
done 1t there, and that knife must have
been that Of Snakes, for he was not one
Of thom.
The place was like shambles, for
there were even spla0hes OF blood on
the deck overhead, and on the bulk
heads, while 1t lay in n pool in one cor
ner running lazily back and forth with
the slow motion OF the ship. A warm,
sickly odor almost overpowered us even
before we looked at the .contorted faces
OF the three dead men who seemed to
grin, and going outside sat down on q
spare spar. For fclt very faint.
After looking round the ship in vain
for the murderer We came to tho con-
cIusion that he must have Jumped over
| bnnrl nftar killiny thn lnnk nnk man