The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-11-20

hemlocki An drinki Wull, naow he
Jest couldl What changed him9 Did
you ever notice that right hand OF hisn?
That's it. If you kin git him to talkin,
Jest ak him abaout it. He'll tell ye a
story-yes, he willp
had noticed SAndy's right hand the
first time saw him, for it was certain to
attract the gaze and wonder of any one
whose eyes fell uponit. 1t was black, as
II scorched and scared to a crisp, and it
had withered TO the wrist apparently.
To look upon It gave me the shivers.
It was some little time before / could
win the fisherman s confidence so he would
talk with me freely, but 1 usually man
aged to saunter past his hut down by the
beach almost every day, and would often
find him grinding "throw bait" or mend
ing nets, upon which would stop and
chat with him. He was as pious when
turning the crank of the throw bait" ma
chine as when kneeling in church, and
more than once heard him sternly re-
buke boys and men who were using pro-
fame language.
One day / ventured to ask him about
his hand. His leathery face twitched
strangely, and he finally stopped his work
20 tell me tho story concerning the with
cred member.
ttThere amt no long yarn hitchcd to
It," he slowly began. ''It wasn't born on
me that air way, not by a heap sight.
Till was "a year old had two Jest as
good hands as yourn bean better" he
added IA he somewhat contemptuously
surveyed the size OF mine "I had n fist
that could knock over an OK, an had n
nasty way of usin it on anybody didn't
take no shine 10. An i kerried n knife an
q pistol sometimes. was marster wicked
In them daysl Why, sometimes i ulster
even think it'd be fun TO kill mani
81 was jest as good fisherman i'm them
days az / be naow, an better, for / could
handle that air right paw handler. You
see hain't much use of that fin. we
uster 20 daown TO Matinicas for deep water
fish, an usually sailed in Cap'n Dow's
sloop. The cap'n could swear bad as
sould, and with Jim File an Brad Moore
fer crew we was knowed as the to'sshest
gang around.
'Ihad been through good many blows
an come aout all right, an didn't al'late
I was born 90 be draowned, when, one day
ss we was making from Matinicas for
Vinal Haven, they came up the awfulest
elyclone or blizzard, or something never
saw. II jest blowed great guns. the rain
came daown in buckets, an the lightnin
played all over the water. Thunderl
never heard anything like 81
"Null, aour canvas was all blown aout
an nour rudder ripped away in less then
no time. an II didn't seem we'd last three
minutes longer. Cap'n Dow fell on his
knees an begun 20 pray and so did t'others;
but Jest swore en- cursed God till / was
black in the face.
"'Stop, Sandyl' screamed the cap'n.
Don't swear at Godp
"'Godp | laughed. i don't b'lieve
thar is any Godl II there is, hope he'll
vither this air right hnndg an held Il
night mp over my head.
"Then there was the awfulcst flash Of
Ight1in nm roar Of tkundcr, and ! fell
dnown ez IL I was dead on the deck. They
said that storm passed on in lOss than
minute, an tho sun came aout Capn Dow
ewore there was q twisiin streak Of fire
ken right daown m struck my hand
When they picked me up. q was scorched
IN witbercd jet rs you see ID naow
Vas sick for two weeks, an from that day
20 this I've never doubted the cxistcnce
Of an Alniehiy Cod"
did not wonder at his picfy. ! think
the experience would have converted any
mAn-