The morning call., 1893-04-16
CHAPTER xxx.
SHE Is ALARMED BY WHAT Is SAID BY THE


CHAPTER xxx.
SHE Is ALARMED BY WHAT Is SAID BY THE
OFFICERS.
The convict snip Childe Harold drove
steadily down the North Atlantic with the
trade wind, and then losing those prosper
Gus gales something north of the equator.
crept stealthlY through wide white gleam-
ing zone of calms, blurred with fainting cats
paws as Il mirror is dimmed by the breath.
No incident OF any sort broke the profound
monotony nI the routine Of shipboard life.
Captain Barrett and the subaltern killed
tAe time By firing at mark with pistols, by
cards, chess. deck quoits, fishing for sharks,
and the like. Their duties we're very triflng.
The sergeant OF the gnard seemed TO do all
the work. The discipline of the sea had the
regularity of the tick of a clock. Sights
were punclually taken, the log hove, the
watch relieved-so it went on. The crew
came and went to the sound of Bal1's pipe,
or TO the warning voice of the officer of the
watch.
Twas lookingnow very close into the sea life.
and was of opinion that it was sickening.
tedious calling The atmosphere of roma uce
which had colored my early thoughts of it,
got from NV fathers and his friends merry,
or wild, OF exciting yarns, had perished out
of my mind long before we were up to the
equator as the term Is. The captain was
burdened with enormous responsibilities;
the safety of a large, valuable ship freighted
with human lives, was dependent upon him,
and his pay was perhaps less than the
wages of the head waiter of city tavern.
The mates were at the mercy of the captain,
who could break them If he chose. send
them forward to do common sailors work.
and ruin them. They lived without friend
ship; one was superior to the other; the
captain addressed them only on matters OF
ship work and talked Familiarity with no.
body but the doctor and military officers.
There were three mates; two of them led
lives as lonely as the ships fgurehead; the
third, who was a person of no consequence.
would carry his pipe into the boatswain's
or apprentices berth and so kill time for
himself.
had not guessed that this was the life of
the deep when l used TO listen to the ocean
talk of my fathers friends at Stepney or
view the ships in the Thames and create
fairy sea, with rich skies and spry breezes
for them 10 sail over. 1t was my acquaint-
auce, however, with the forecastle side OF
the life that completely ruined my idealism.
I could not wonder that sailors should be
tile mutinous and growing dogs they are
represented when 1 peeped into the fore
castle and smelt the smells and blinked at
the gloom and beheld the damp and the
DIRT. the half-clad figures of men who had
shipped without SHIFT of clothes and whose
wage would not bring them within hail of
the slOp chest; when / saw the Jumps of
green pork or blue and iron beef carried
from the galley into the forecastle along
with the slush-thick pea soup or the dingy,
boIster-hard duff a which any famished
monErel of the London streets might hic-
cough.
is it the same everywhere at az"
once asked VIII.
No" he answered. "the crew are well
fed and well treated aboard OF us-compara-
rlyely Speaking he added with grin.
And do you like the life?" said l.
woman"
y would rather be a convict" said 1.
let ii was not always thus, you know,
my pretty Mary Jane" be exclaimed, sing
ing, When Butler was sailor You nailed
your heart to the fOremast; now he's a con
1T was not always thus, Mary Jane,
because l had never been to sea. read in
books and listened TO talk and painted on
clouds. Now | am al sea. l have watched
the life, and swear that l would rather
take eonviet's discipline along with a
conYicts chances than be q foremast
hand"
My work was light. and this was a won
deTful mercy, seeing that / had been made
cuddy servant without anybody knowing
was a girl. washed glasses, fetched
and carried dishes. cleaned knives and plates
aud so on; this was no more than house,
maids work, down even to the scrubbing
OF the deck, which was the same as wash
ing the floor Of room. Added 10 this,
slept alone in a comfortable cabin and had
nj nm an,
who masquerades as boy could need.
was nearly of WilPs height and his
clothes fitted me, and when The weather
grew very hot / wore his flannel shirts,
serge jacket buttoned up to conceal my
ngure, and white drill trousers. | also got
him 10 buy me new grass hat from one of
the sailors. and thus attiIed l looked the
smartest, saueiest young fellow that ever
stepped the decks of a ship. The captain
ard mates knew how l came by the clothes
l wore and asked no questions.
The WOolwich apparel remained in the
upper bunk; long before this l had opened
j; and inspected the contents and found
every article as had packed it, It was a
very large bundle. 1t contained NY hat
and bodice and skirt, and the under linen
and shoes l had removed when dressed
myself as a boy.
Mean while the doctor was highly satisfied
with the progress the convict school classes
were making. He would come to the table
and rub his hands, and declare with one of
his grave smiles that since such and such
date so and so-and here perhaps he would
give the Initials Of convict, or quote several
examples by their Initials only-had got the
Lords Prayer by heart and was beginning
10 pronounce words of two and even three
sylables. / am sure he was a benevolent,
good, pious man, but repulsive TO my SYM
pathies by sternness and offlcalism, and
perhf ps by the thought that Tom was under
him, IN bis power, of no more account than
Inc rest or the prisoners. many of whom
were being transported for vile and some
for diabOlieal crimes.
I'd keep my ears open TO hear IL he spoke
ot ION; but he never uttered my sweet
hearts name, nor indicated him by any
fashion of his own. Strange to relate. one
OF his favorites was now the prizefighter,
Barney Aaron. It puzzled me 10 imagine
by what acts this man Aaron had succeeded
in gaining the doctors good opinion and
confidence. Certainly during service no
man was so attentive as the prizefghter ]
see him now with his head slightly on one
slde, ms eyes liked upon the doctor, an ex-
preston OF half complacent admiration on
him as though what he heard was not only
doing him good but amazing him with the
beauty and eloquence with which it was de-
liyered. Then i gathered that Barney was
very jealous in the scboo! work [ remem-
Der the doctor telling Captain Barrett that
the tears stood In the pTizeighter's eyes
while he expressed his gratitude for the
opportunities provided by the discipline of
the convict ship for improving his under
standing and Qualifying him to think and
reason as a rational, responsible being.
Captain Barrett looked silently at the doc
tor through his eyeglass, but Immediately
the doctor had quilted the table the captain
turned to Lieutenant Chimmo and spoke in
a low voice. and then they both laughed
wildly. Indeed the subaltern beat upon
the table as though he would suffoea;e.
remember again one afternoon that !
was sent with a tray of selizpr and glasses
10 the poop. The commander of the ship
%ss seated 10 company with the doctor and
me Two military men. An awning was
stretched overhead and its shadow was
pleasant with the breath Of small breeze
on the beam, and it danced with strange
pnlslng Of lights from the diamond twink
ling Of the brilliant blue sea.
7 We .e, had by this time crossed the equator;
oeleFe our latitude was about 3 deg,
south. Sentries paced the forepart Of ihe
poop as usual; the sentry forward sheltered
himself in the gloom of a corner Of sail.
Fawnm rfuNm