Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-01-17
CHAPTER XIII,


away to sea, with smart breeze on our
port quarter. The ship was a queer one,
but it was soon proved that, however odd
In appearance, she was an uncommonly
swift and graceful sailor. She carried three
masts, lateen sails and a jib. The fore and
mainmasts were without tops or topgal-
lants, and of course without caps or cross
trees. The long, slender hull was jet black,
and, what was strangest of ALL the upper
deck was sharply convex, with level graf
ings running round the sides. The convex
ity, as l afterward discovered, was meant
to make ready way for water to the scrup-
pers, or in times of stress for blood, while
the gratings, by obviating the slant, made
the footing firm, O matter of Importance in
storm or action. She carried no colors, nor
did any inscription, such as ships usually
bear, give a hint of her port or nationality.
Finally, though light, she was well armed.
1.-THE vessel was the dreaded Xebec, the ter
ror of the high seas when Algerine corsairs
hourished, and still OF evil repute on the
coasts of Arabia
Every stitch of her ocherous canvas was
crowded on, and beautifully she swept
along, keeling and dipping under the belly
ing sails, the bright green water swishing
from her cleaning sides and the snowdrift
flying from her fore foot in way that
for joy. Even l felt the gladness of the
rushing, arrowy motion, though, on the
whole, the speed was more ominous than
inspiring, seeing what a doubtful dance
might end the trip.
The strain of dark uncertainty was some
what relieved by the diversion of studying
the crew, who were living epitome of the
fashions, past and current, of pretty nearly
= lNo, of rNI N1>D1
company of equal size ever displayed like
variety of costumes. Assuredly none could
be on more distant terms with tailor and
laundress. 1t was impossible to say which
gave the greater distinction-the diversity,
the dirt or the tatters.
There were Arab shirts reaching to the
ankle, Indian turbans, Syrian combaZes,
European jenkins, top boots, jerseys, hats
and frock coats, Persian gowns, breeches of
all known cuts and countries in every de-
gree of foulness, in every stage of decay and
raggedness-all jumbled together as if some
malicious artist had tried what effects of
incongrufty and grotesqueness, what out
RACES on taste and deceucy, he was capable
of achieving.
The captain, as the chief parsonage on
board, was naturally the most conspicuous
example of the ridiculous He was elab-
suggestive of the defunct missionary in
spite of its jaunty ostrich plume and tar
nished silver band; a coarse wooden shirt,
smeared like u hog in autumn; a leathern
girdle, from which depended a sword, a
brace of pistols and n crooked dagger full
of significant purple stains Turkish trou-
sers that had originally been crimson, but
were now of more hues than the maker of
Joseph's coat ever dreamed of; n pair of
red boots that must once have shed their
splendor on state assemblies and gather
ings of grandees, and sashes enough of va
rious colors to furnish regiment of eheiks.
The decorations were thickest in the rear.
Indeed when the gallant captain turned
his back it might seem he was clad in por-
Gus plasters patched with canvas stepped
in pitch, so heavy were the demonstrations of
tar, grease, paint and other adhesive sub
stances. No sense of absurdity, however,
disturbed his serene self consequence. He
paced the deck with as proud STEP as high
and keen look, as if he were an admiral of
the fleet in faultless uniform and the evil
dence of hundred victories blazing on his
breast, seldom condescending to any famil-
iarity with those about him, never with
me- huddled in my corner.
We tore along at an incredible rate and
were soon beyond sight of land, though for
a good while the smoke of the burning
brig showed our starting point. Whittier
we were bound could not guess and burst
not ask. l was free to conjecture, if !
pleased, that our course was for some happy
haven not far off, though appearances
rather suggested we were securing the sea
for prey.
BY and by we hauled our wind and began
to fetch in a backward direction. But we
no not coma yyhaI, wa bounded off
on another tack. and for the next hour or
two we tackled and changed so frequently
running close hauled as if for our lives and
dropping off as if in sheer perversity, that
| completely lost my reckoning.
1t was wonderful how that strangely
built ship behaved, how sensitive she was
to the gentlest pressure of the helm, how
clean, quick and graceful were all her
movements and how she rushed on her
course when she got her head. In spite of
rather rough seamanship, only once did
she make a mistake. Through a too hasty
huff she happened to come dead into the
winds eye, and for the space of second
she hung in irons with loose sails. She
seemed to shake herself with vexation, like
highly spirited horse thrown on its
launches without reason, turned quickly
half round, caught the wind again. and
then. with her yellow wings spread to their
utmost, went skimming along like a sea
bird.
1t was now well on in the afternoon. The
sun. though scorchingly hot, was near our
level, and the water was deepening in pur-
pie and crimson. was beginning to think
we were to have night at sea, when the
captain gave the order to put the helm
hard down. We swung round and sped on
landwarG course, sailing free and very
swift
I'VE ehall make land good hour ere
sundowi," said the captain to his chief Of
ficer, giving me the first authentic informa-
tion of the day.
By this time my faculty of curiosity had
lost its edge, but at the mention Of land
sat up to keep a lookout, and in less than
an hour we sighted the shore. Its general
character resembled that of the part we
had left earlier in the day, though | soon
saw we were not returning to the death
scene of the luckless Bird of Paradise. In
stead of a shallow beach the water ran close
to high rocks, penetrated by rugged gorges,
into which the seq flowed. No port, town
or human habitation was to be seen. But
that, all things considered, was not surpris-
ing.
We shot into a narrow opening under the
darkening brows Of lofty cliffs, and imme-
diately the sails fell together with flap.
Almost before they ceased fiuttering they
were in and furled. Then boat was low
cred, half dozen steel sinewed men got
into it and rowed, pulling the ship by
cable. Light and OF small draft, she fol-
lowed easily, and in half an hour or 80, aft
er manifold windiags, we came to rude
jetty hewn, as it appeared, out of the solid
rock. Hero we disembarked, the vessel be-
ing made fast to a rough stone pillar
As we leaped from the bulwarks to the
lodges of rock that formed the pier my
heart beat quickly with conjecture and APP
prehension, for it was plain that crisis
was at hand. To guess what it might be
was enough to make the stoutest tremble.
The black precipices, the yawning caverns
and hoarse roar OF warning waters were Of
evil suggestion, but of far darker import
than anv menaee or uolinesS If natnra xxera