The morning call., 1893-03-12
CHAPTER XIX

SHE WAS QUESTIONED BY THE DOCTOR.
Twas kept waiting. l knew not why, and
used my leisure to gaze about me. l was
without fear; | had scraped with a stout
heart through the worst part. and cared
little for what might follow. | had made
uD my mind to RvOw my sex IL they should
send me into the fOTecastle TO live. | was
very sure | should be unable to keen my
secret among that body of rough bias
pheming, joking sailors. Nor should | be
equal 60 the work of a seaman-I mean an
ordinary seaman or boy. II made me dizzy
to look al0ft and think of climbing those
towering heights.
While l thus thought l used my eyes and
examined the snip. Opposite the main hatch.
within the cOnvicts' inclOsure. stood tall
box, something like seulry- box; over it a
bucket was hung by an iron bar, and there
was short length of rope attached TO the
bucket | supposed the box was sort of
shower-bat for the prisoners. The main
hatch was the only visible means of entering
and leaving the prison quarters. 1t was ex-
traordinarlly protected; first with heavy
gratings with manhole for the passage Of
one body. than by strong railing of GA k
stanchlOns OF a triangular shape thickly
studded with iron nails (the tops or heads
OF these stanchions | could just see as they
sank like the vertical wires Of a cage from
the sides of the hatch down to the lower
deck; then by strong bulkheaded passage
or corridor with door at the end, as men,
toned when spoke of the sentinel station ed
there. | saw two galleys; the forward one
| guessed was for the ships use, the after
for the cOnvicts; for in this galley / had
observed a mans in felOn's dress. A huge
long boat lay slowed in chocks athwartships,
just forward Of the ships galley.
But what sort Of a picture o such details
as these submit TO you? They are names,
they are sounds signifying nothing. Yet to
me they entered like the very spirit of
prison life into the cleaning fabric of the
snip, s0lling, debasing, so havoring her that
there was no magic in the pure freshness
Oh the ocean wind to purge her into sweet
ness. Marvellous that human sin should
subtly enter aud find expression in timber
ana nemp and canvas. in brick and mortar
in old sheer huikS, in handsome prison
plles-lt matters not what-wresting all
suggestions to its own Inspirations 7 had
noticed how the sOrdd Influence and de-
grading quality of human wickedness had
worked in diSmantled huks making mora
hideous that which was already hideous
with telon carpentry; and now here was
all beauty in this buoyant and bounding
picture OF ship in full sail, leaning from
the shining breeze, pouring into her wake
the snow OF the crested and dssOIying
surge, dimmed and defiled and saddened by
her erraDd and cargo, by the aspect of her
decks and by the noise of men marching in
irons.
All this while the doctor stood at the
break of the poop with his hands upon the
rail watching the cOnviets exercising. and
sometimes nodding in time when the fiddler
changed his tune the captain likewise
watched the convlcts from the head of the
weather pOOp ladder, the two officers pa-
trolled the weather deck, and both OF them
constantly looked at me when their walk
brought them with their faces forward :
the second mate was near the wheel. and
tie two sentries with shouldered muskets
and shining bayOnels crossed and recrossed
each other at little distance from where
stond.
BY and by the boatswain and a soldier
with stripes upon his arm came along the
narrow gangway from the forecastle. They
arrived on the quarterback. and the soldier,
looking up, sauted.
Step up, sergeant, and you, Mr.. Bo'sun.
If you please" said the doctor. "Well.''
SAID he." when they had mounted the lad
der. what have you found where the lads
been hiding?"