The Bessemer indicator., 1893-09-16

W 1hilaueiphthnf, particularly the
younger ones, says Times writer.
hadn't been aboard her two hours
when | got 1t straight that had best
give wide sheer to Mr. AndfeRs,
tho mate, for he'd give man double
duty for nothing at all, sock him in
the brig for half as much and, when
his hellishness took that bent, lam
him about with fists or feet or even
Delaying pins or anything his hand
came to. There were some pretty
black spots in his history. my mates
told me, aud one wns of d man he'd
laid out several years before on the
John 4. Burton brig by knocking him
down and splitting his skull against
ring-bolt. The poor devil had co'no
athwart the ugly mnto'5 hawse by
being dumb about orders. Andrews
was tried and got Off through lack of
evidence against him, but you ear,
run up against u californian to-day
who ever heard OF the case but
whntll tell you the mates u mur-
derer.
was ut the wheel one night in the
irst watch. The air wes warm and
springy and She moon and stars
were oN pretty bright except for
few scudding clouds with their bel
lies full of shower. About half an
hour after fo.r bells, just as | was
trying to whistle and think of some
thing pleasant, the pucker came out
OF my lips and my heart ploppcd
down like u sounding-lead when |
heard screams. They we're close by,
like they were under the vessels
counter and, mixed with them, was
another sound like drowning
man gurgling in his throat and trying
to get cut words that went the
wrong way.
The noises stopped all of a Sudden
and when l raised my head my eyes
looked into the eyes Of man | knew
was not OF onr crew, though he was
dressed like a common sailor with u
brown Tam O'Shanter on his head
and red shirt on. His position
was tho queer thing though.
couldn't sec his feet and legs and his
arms seemed pressed close to his sides,
but the upper half Of his body stuck
out from behind the mizzenmast Mt an
angle of almost forty-five degrees.
lie had blue eyes. straggly, uncurried
looking whiskers, and very broad
shoulders. I'd pick him anywhere
for II North Scotsman. He was look
ing straight at mo with sad. pitiful
expression and | stood looking back
till i read in his eyes that he would
give the world to speak, but for some
reason couldn't But even then
wasn't satisfied there wasn't some
hokey-pokey going on, SO | put the
wheel in beckots and went forward to
get Dan Blake, mate of my watch. to
take it fer a few minutes while
squintcd about As / went forward
the figure swung slowly round the
mast. keeping its eyes upon me till
turned my back on it to speak to Dan.
got him TO take the wheel on an ex-
cuse and climbed the rigging for a
squint down tho mizzenmast but
when squinted the thing was gone
and neither it nor the noises came
again.
First thing next day / had to slush
down the forctopmast. and, in going
up the rigging. / clumsily upset u
pint or so of oil on the freshly holy
stoned deck. The mate bore down
on me in jify, cursing and damn
ing while l cleaned the mess up. He
kept it up as climbed the rigging
again. and yelled: "You cursed
young son of someone, If you do that
again Ill brain ye."
I'm pretty patient but this was too
much for me, and, almost before !
could think what l was doing, |
turned my bucket upside down and
dumped the whole business on the
clean deck below. He went clear
crazy with rage and started up the
opposite ratlines after me.
Hold on, Mr.. Andrews | said.
"You needn't come up. I'm coming
down"
When got down he was frothing
like a mad dog and camo at me with
an iron belayiag-pin. There was
deadly murder iu his soul as surely
as it was in his oyes, and | knew it
and didn't care IA waited for him
with five inches ol my clasp knife to
stick through his cowardly heart, for
mine was like a flint for that word
about my mother. On he came till
he was well within n fathom OF me
and was just leaning to spring on
him and give him the steel, when
we both suddenly stopped short.
Why he stopped | don't exactly
know. Why | did was because
large, invisible hand at the end of
very strong arm put its fiat palm
against my breast and held me. brace
as did with all my strength against
it, could feel the heel OF it, the
ball of the thumb and every out
spread finger-but woe nothing.
| stopped striving against 1t when
saw the change in Andrews face.
He had turned white as death with
the body sweat starting out all over.
He was looking my way, but not at
me-apparently over my right shoul-
der-with such look OF fearful
horror as hope to never see again
on human face. Slowly his arm
came down, the pin dropped from
his fingers and he backed away. with
his staring look still over his shoul-
der, in such an awful agony of terror
that actually pitied the man who.
only a minute gone, hud it in heart
to kill me. Finally he got to the
companionway, down which he
stumbled or fell. and that was the
last | saw of him on beard or since.
Three weeks ago, on the city river
front, ran against mahogany
faced, turtle backed Scotch sailor
man, who. i discovered, had been
with Andrews aboard the John +.
Burton.
"Did you know the man the mate
killed." l asked him.
"Ay, / mind him WELL" said he.
NJ f,l,,,,, NI,nnwo11a hrou1-