The morning call., 1893-03-12
CHAPTER XvIII-rCoxrryUEDl

my nlQlGg-plate Win. by LllS ume my
sight had strengthened, and though the
broad daylight outside brought the tears 10
my eyes, the pain passed in moment or
two.
1 glanced at the deck Of the ship. but
should have not known the vessel as the
Childe Harold Strong barricades studded
with iron spikes had been erected little
way abaft the foremsst and upon the
quarterback. leaving a narrow open
space betwixt this after fencing and
the front of the cuddy. Each barricade
had a gate; at the after-Gate stood a red
coated sentry. with a loaded musket and
fixed bay0net. At the great central or
main hatch stood another sentry. In the
recess formed by the overhanging lap Of the
poopdeck was a stand of arms The barri-
cades made huge pen of the waist, main
deck aud part Of the quarterback. On the
left'or port side ran q strong barrier like a
great fen e. leaving narrow gangway be-
twixt it and the buwark This l after
ward understood was to enable the sailors
and others to go backward and forward
without constantly obliging them to pass
the sentries and enter the space baTTicaded
off for the c0nvicts.
glanced behind me rs ! walked with the
boatswain. and saw a sentry stationed at
the forecastle, and two more, each with
muskets and fixed bayone,s, paced the
break Of the poop athwartships to and fro
In a regular, pendulum, sentinel swing.
which brought them crossing each ether
always in exactly the same place. had
young, very keen eyes; all these points l
had collected before we had gone half the
ength Of the main-deck gangway. Not
convict was TO be seen. I had caught
fuHr rF IL -Trrr NO f,,
poop right aft, near the wheel, and 1 also
saw VIII on the poop standing to leeward
beside another young apprentice; and on
the other side of the deck at the head of the
poop ladder was the pficer OF the watch.
AS l advanced with the boatswain l saw
VIII look, make a step toward the brass
rail which protected the fore end of the
raised deck and stare a moment; he then
wheeled round walked 10 the side and
gazed at the white wash of passing water.
Tie ship was under great spread of can
vas; heelng over and sailing fast, and the
yeasty swirl alongside was swift and daz-
zling. I could not see the horizon over the
weather bulwarks; but to leeward it was
all open sea, green, ridginE and flecked, with
a cold b.ue SKY over the trucks and many
large white clouds sailing down into the
west Two OF three women with shawls
little square hatch under the break Of the
poop; some children were running about
near them. These women stared very hard
at me as ! passed.
"Hullo, bO'sun p called out the man who
was standing at the head Of tile poop ladder,
"What have you got there"
"A stOWaWay, sir"
"When did you fnd him."
Just now, sir"
"Where?"
"Under the forecastle."
''Step him up here"
The b0atswain made me ascend the poop
ladder. himself following. This was a deck
well remembered by me; had spent long
hour upon il with Tom and VIII when we
visited the ship in the docks. All was IN
changed here; the boats swung in their
davits; the sweep of deck went white rs
freshly peeled almond to the grating abaft
the wheel; the skylights sparkled and the
bright brass pinnacle hoods mrrored the
sun in crimson stars. On high the full
breasted canvas rose in space after space of
milky softness with a stately swaying of
the button of the truck as the ship leaned
to the sea and lifted to windward again.
The person who had ordered the boat
swain TO bring me up to the poop was. as |
atterward got to know, the second mate,
Mr.. Thomas Masters, a full-faced man,
short and strong, his nOstrls tnged with
purple, no visible throat, and a strange
leering smile upon his mouth when he
looked or spoke. win left the poop by the
other ladder; his fellow apprentice leaned
against the lee rail staring at me. The see
Ond mate turned his face in the direction of
the two men whom had observed walking
aft abreast Of the wheel.
zone Of these TWO cried out, who's that
Mr.. Master?"
"a stowaway, sir" answered the second
mate.
Both persons approached; as thew ad-
vancsd along the deck third man came up
out oil the cuduy or saloon through the COM
Dani0n and Joined them. The three stepped
up to me- One was Joseph Sutherland. the
cabtain OF the vessel; a lean man with a
slight st0Op, about 10 years Of age. His
face was thin; the skin had a look of
leather from long exposure to weather: his
eyes were a weak blue with tear in each
corner, which kept him m0pDng with a
pocket handkerchief. Yet / liked the ex.
preston Of his face; there was the heat of
a man in it.
The second person was Surgeon Russell
Elltce, r. n, the doctor who had supreme
charge of the convcts This man was
without any hair on his face, and the hair
on his head was cropped as close as mine
was OF a onYict's. He had large soft
brown eyes end brown skin, blue on the
cheeks and lip where he shaved. His mouth
was firm, with an expression that seemed
lie between scOrnfulness and self-cOm-
placency. He had manner Of thrustng
out his chest and backing his head when
he spoke, and of so holding himself when
ne StoHu OF "hlkeu as 10 stretch the inches
Of his stature TO their limits
The third person was Captain James Bar
rett OF the -th Regiment Of foot He was
the captain in charge Of the guard. He was
Of the average type Of British officers:
smart, weil-dressed, good looking. with
glass, which he put into his eye to exam
Inc me.
l ran my gaze over the faces Of these
three. not then knowing who they were.
though / guessed by their air that they were
aNtr e. =. aNsa Oh =
my end had been tTiumphantly accom-
plished l needed but look over the rail on
either hand to know that we were out upon
the wide ocean, that though England indeed
could not be very far astern, yet the land
was as far away for my purpose as If il had
been 1000leagues distant And then there was
the consideration OF my sex TO give me nerve;
these people were gentlemen; | had but to
declare myself to make sure Of tender
usage. But though | did not mean to do
TINS. and prayed heartily that no occasion
might arise to force me into il, yet the sense
OF 1t was a refuge that wonderfully sup
ported my spirits, the more particularly
now that l had observed there were women
On board, and quarters where, should the
worst come to the worst, / could live with
nv own sex.
The captain and the doctor las 1 shall
hencefOIth call Surgeon Russell-Ellice for
the sake Of brevity) eyed me all over for
some moments without questioning me. the
captain with looks of surprise and wonder
That came very nearly to commiseration,
the other with frowns and suspicion like fire
In bis gaze.
What are you doing on board my ship ?"
said Captain Sutherland
,.I,I, 81 Wish t. get to Australia, sir" said
What? Without paying? Do you know
that this is convict ship?"
YES. sir"
Il could have him brought to the gang
way for his" said the doctor. "Has he
been searched, bo'sun 2"
mo, sir"
himP' be cried.
Captain Sutherland looked on as though
ne recognized superior in the doctor. AT
this moment VIII came up on the ice ladder
and leaned beside the other apprentice.
listening and watching. The boatswain