The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-05-14

hisland where there's grub a-going In fruit
trees and beasesses Of fish what crawls
upon the beach, all which tLere'll lie snme
here as heard of. Where water triekles
sweet an cold ana the weather it ain't too
not. There, upon thar hisland. we can
coucoct and consart, and them what
p.eases can be took off by passing vessels.
The others will be adding as did them
mailneers OF the Bounty, whose capt'n he
was named Bligh, We moors this ship and
keeps her handy. Females amt ever fur
TO look for. In this ere ship wives can be
brought from places which ain't too far off
from where the color wont be wrong. the
Ugh seas being vide of choice. That's bin
my notion all through the fired piece"
who's next?" shouted Aaron, impa-
tiently.
One of the remaining crew of the ship,
Sailor with cast eye and head of hair
so exactly resembling oakum that no con-
Wet could look at 1t without finding some-
thing personal and a sort OF reflection in it !;
this man, who sat high-perched above the
heads of the throng on the quarterback
winch, snapped his fingers at the poop and
asked leave TO address the gents.
What dye want to say?' shouted the
hare-lipped mau, who, l gathered, ranked
next to Aaron as the PRINCIPAL ringleader.
Gents all. cried the fellow. imam an
boy Eve followed the seas for two and
twenty wear, and in that time I've sailed all
about the world, and there's scarce furrin
part as l haven't visited. No. il [ was
you, speaking with Captain Buffers good
leave, what I'd do. this: Round the Horn
rother side of South AmeriKay there Les
what's called the Narth Pacific Ocean.
From the Sandwich Islands. right away to
this side the Philippines, including of the
Ladr0nes aud the Caroline Islands, it's all
chock-l-block with the sort of little coun-
tries ye oughter visit. Beautiful women
q Z mi off 70 h. fnr
the anchors let go. A lovely cordial drink
they manufactures GU. of cocoanut Juice.
There's no call for clothes. The natives
are friendly disposei Them as amt are
easily knocked over the head. White men
like yourselves live in them islands. If l
was you, gents, I'd get Captain Butler to
steer the ship into the Narth Pacific, touch
and discharge score of We, touch and dis
charge another score. touch and touch
again till this here multitude was broke
uu. That's my notion. gents. and your
chance, and I'll ask Captain Butler what
be thinks"
It'll de-" exclaimed Tom. 81 would
propose nothing better"
On this there was some confusion, owing
to mum Der If the cOnvicts cheering. while
others shouted questions to the poop. The
silence upon the sea, and the ship lying as
stirless as though she were at anchor,
made this strange council of convictS some
Nudt IlOilCdl 10 my HlIllu. IL was nara 10
cast ones eye over the iakelike ocean and
real re the remote North Pacific as a part
of the world that was to be come at by the
vessel. Toms approval of the seaEan's
scheme seemed to settle the matter; many
questions, most of them ignorant and
ridiculous, were bawled; they were an
Swered from the poop, sometimes by Tom,
sometimes by Aaron and the ringleaders,
and sometimes they were answered by fel-
lows on the quarterback.
After little, and while the decks were
a-buz with the vast noise of talk, the prize
fighter asked Mr. Bates To produce chart
of the islands named by the seaman Mr.
Bates fetched chart. 1t was big sheet
with blue back, comprised a portion
only of the North Pacific and was very
clearly drawn and printed This chart
was laid upon the skylight and the cor
ners weighted; the principal eOnvicts
drew in a body to If.
stood near and overheard the talk
They called up the sailor and he pointed
TO three or four OF the islands which he
said he had visited. The hare-lipped man
asked him If British ships-of-war cruised
in these seas; he answered that here and
there small surveying vessel might be
fallen in with. but nothen TO take
notice Of" said lie, ''nothen that's
going to hurt we. It's your best
chance, gents. Many sorts of vessels
are a-Iouchng at them islands for water,
nuts, and sometimes for their entertain
menf, and often again for their convent
enee. The sailors run, specially from the
South sea men; the bully bows get 10 tow
OF the gals all a-blowing and a-growing,
fine gals some CT them are. hair down to
their heels, skin as fair as that cOYey's,
said he, pointing to n staring, open moui bed
convict; men must be had aud there y'aUe
TO offer your services. You'll have your
yarns ready IN case of questions, but down
in ri ~ So. 81 f,,s
might call active. Stick 10 this here
scheme, and there's nothing to hinder any
man as has mind TO return home from
tiuding himself arter a year or two in Lun-
non again. with dollars enough in his pocket
to keep in whites TIL something turns up"
All that this man says is very true"
exclaimed Tom. He's given us good
scheme. We're obliged TO him.
Saying this, he edged out of the crowd
about the skyiight. and, seeing me ubreasI
of the rail. came and stood beside me.
is it a good scheme?" | whispered,
without looking at him.
1T viii amuse them" he answered.
softly; Il must seem in earnest; what do
l care?"
You control them wonderfully"
Poor wretcheSW he mutiered and
s.epping to the companion took the ship's
telescope ont of its brackets and pointed il
at the three boats upon the sea. Their
naked eye by the dim, tiny CLEAN OF the
longboars sail.
They're sneaking westward" said
Tom, talking low, with his eye at the
glass. The American seabOard may give
me the chance / want. Eastward nearly
everything afoat is British-curse the
name"
By this time the convicts on the quarter
deck had got wind of the chart on the
poop aud were crowding up the ladders o
look. That all might obtain sight Aaron
bawled a recommendation to them to form
themselves into small divisions This was
done. The chiefs or riDgleaders broke IN
the mass into little gangs, and one after
another these gangs came to the skylight
and oyerhUng the chart. The casi-eyed
sailor with the hair of oakum stood by TO
answer questions and pointed out the
Islands. Some of the educated convicts
dwelt upon the chart 81 long, musing. run
ming their fingers down the meridians,
calculating distances, and so forth that the
waiting gangs hOwled at them with inl-
patience. Yet all was now as orderly ms
one could wish-far more orderly than |
had dared to expect.
As the gangs passed on from the skylisht
aft, viewing the chart and questioning the
cast-eyed man, they broke up and hung
about various parts OF the poop or returned
to the main deck. The coarse Joke, the
loud, brutal laugh was frequent, but there
was no horSe-play, none Of the former
huge, hldeous. cart-horse gamboIing,
shouting aud tipsy fighting. The heat lay
upon the people like weight; their spirits
were sobered by the extraordinary oppres-
sion OF the vast. silent, roasting calm.
Aaron" called Tom, holding the
telescope and stu standing at nv side.
''let some OF the men, those responsible for
the mess. clean the cuddy out Look
through the skylight; the decks full of
broken glass. And my advice to you and
the Others Is to arrange without delay for
the distribution of the people for the
night. You'll want cooks; those who
have been cooking so far should con-
tinue. They know what's needed, where
to seek, how to manage. Mr.. Bates. here,
Will counsel you on quantities; wish TO
see the ship cleared fore aud aft and every
thing ready for any sort of weather that
may come along. Ay, and there's more
yet; suppose an English man-of-war
heaves in sight and signals US, we must
know what to do-and be in readiness to do
1t. The pennants an old cure for dull
sight. A devlish keen eye that never
wlnks lies spliced in the fly of every man
of-war's whip. And dye see that, Aaron?"
he cried. pointing at the sea over the star
hna I'll arta