The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1893-01-13


Mr.. Shuar seemed to understand, for
he sat down again and put up his hand
to his brow.
"Well," he said, "hc brought me
dirty pannikin."
At that word the captain and and
Mr.. Riach all looked at each other for q
second with kind of frightened look,
and then Hoseason walked up to his
chief officer, took him by the shoulder,
led him across to his bunk and babe him
lie down and go to sleep, as you might
speak to bad child. The murderer
cried little, but he took off his sea
boots and obeyed
''Ah!' cried Mr.. Riach with q dread
full voice, rye should have interfered
long syne. It's too late now"
''Mr. Riach," said the captain, "this
nights work must never be kermit in
Dysart Tho boy went overheard, sir;
that's what the story is, and l would
give five pounds out of my pocket it was
truew He turned to the table. What
made we throw the good bottle away"
he added. "There was nae sense in that,
sir. Here, David, draw me another
They're in the bottom locker" and he
tossed me key. "Ye1l need glass
yourself, sir" he added to Riach "You
was an ugly thing to see."
So the pair sat down and hobnobbed,
and while they did so the murderer, who
had been lying and whimperins in his
berth, raised himself upon his elbow and
lon1ya1 OF fho,, onI or mo
That was the first night of my new
duties, and in the course of the next day
had got well into the run of them. |
had to serve at the meals which the cap
tain took at regular hours, sitting down
with the officer who was off duty; all
the day through l would be running
with dram to one or the other Of my
three masters, and at night slept ON a
blanket thrown on the deck boards at
the aftermost end of the roundhouse
and right in the draft of the two doors.
1t was hard and cold bed, nor was /
suffered TO sleep without INTERRUPTION,
for some one would be always coming in
from deck to get dram, and when d
fresh watch was to be set two and some
times all three would sit down and brew
bowl together. How they kept their
health l know not, any more than how l
kept my own.
And yet in other ways it was an easy
service. There was no cloth to lay; the
meals were either of oatmeal porridge
or salt junk, except twice week, when
there was duff, and though 1 was
clumsy enough, and mot being firm on
my sea legs) sometimes fell with what I
was bringing them, both Mr.. Riach and
the captain were singularly patient. l
could not but fancy they were making
up leeway with their consciences, and
that they would scarce have been so
good with me if they had not been
worse with Ransome.
was as well fed as the best of them;
even their pickles, which were the great
dainty, l was allowed my share of, and
had liked i might have been drunk
from morning to night, like Mr.. Shuan
had company, too, and good company
of its sort. Mr.. Riach, who had been to
the college, spoke to me like friend
when he was not sulking, and told me
many curious things, and some that
were informing, and even the captain,
though he kept me at the sticks end the
most part of the time, would sometimes
unbuckle bit and tell me of the fine
countries he had visited
The shadow of poor Ransome, to be
sure, lay on all four of us, and on me
and Mr.. Shuan in particular most heav-
lily. And then l had another trouble of
my own. Here l was, doing dirty work
for three men that looked down upon,
and one of whom at least should have
hung upon a gallows that was for the
present, and as for the future, l could
only see myself shaving alongside of ne
groes in the tobacco fields Mr.. Riach,
perhaps from caution, would never suf-
fer me to say another word about my
story; the captain, whom tried to APP
proach, rebuffed me like dog, and
would not hear word, and as the days
came and went my heart sank lower
and lower till was even glad of the
work, which kept me from thinking.
TO BE CONTINUED.