Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-23
CHAPTER w.

THE SLEEP TALkER
They talked over this matter of en-
bezzlement and suicide in the forecastle
as we'll as in the cabin Were you ever
In ships forecastle? Did you never
see company OF sailors dining in their
parlor?
Here is an interior with little
square hole for light and cscape called
scuttle. You may also enter it by way
of the main deck round the windlass
ends. Nearly all hands are below. The
kids full of smoking meat have been
brought along from the galley. and the
sailors are falling to- What fall to is
that. no table. no chairs, 10 conven.
fence of any sort. Hammocks bulge in
grimy bulk from the ceilings: few
hunks are shaped to the ships side ard
vanish in the darkness of 1.-THE eyes
right forward. There is not light enough
osec by. although it is neon by the cap.
tain's seXtant. SO Jack has lighted his
flare of wick and slush which confoun;ls
the vision in the recess By dance Of
shadows
Jack sits upon his chest Or in hi3
bunk. He has iabbed at the contents Of
the mess kid, and, having got his whac;,
gone away with il like dog You may
see him saving at n cube OF builCck's
heart with the tarry blade he carries for
shipboard work in his sheath, muucilirg
sullenly like an old goat, with curse
ut the leather between his teeth while
fe balances his panrikin to tie hight,
watching the blacl, rum and water sway
as though lie expected some revelation
Of tadpole. He is happy at last when he
filings tin plate ard tin p.:la:!:in down,
and, pulling out plug Of iobacco, lei
surely cuts himself pipeful,
II say, mates, sings out Bill, light
ing his pipe with 4 rope yarn at the
lamp, ''how do man feel when he's
posoned?'
Gas do" says Joe. "They spits bet
ter meat than this in LoEGon town fer
cats. Why don't they send cat $ meat to
sea? It's nothing but dawg's meat for
sailors. l allow"
Il helped 10 tilt the poor devil on t.
the grating said one OF the men, land
I'm bubbled if yen couldn't feel him
a-stiifenng just as with the eye you SEE
piece Of wood a.curling when it's Oh
fire.
Cit outr' said sulky sailor called
Jim.
"S'elp me, then, you old cuckoo, but
ought to know, for had TIE handling
Of him
"How much did LIE steal?' asked a
sailor
why, answered Tom gravely as one
who is acquainted with the meaning Of
figures, II hear it was matter of about
e250, 600"
Silence. No man had any notion of
that quantity. and mono liked to expose
his ignorance.
when l first caught sight Of that
chap. continued Tom, I guessed there
was something up. don't like "a man
who wears long whistles. I once sailed
with man with long WHISTLES, and he
tried to put his ship ashore twice while
] was on board. He managed it after l
left her. Whom 1 caught sight of him
this morning, says to myself. thinks
], If you're going to sail along with us,
thinks /. stand by, my livelies, for q
voyage of blue moons. Why" he COIL
tinued, extending his hand, Ibis chas-
ing Of us showed him up. Why didn't
he ship like the others? But he was of
that sort. I allow, who reckons tina. a
mans nakedness can be hidden by his
tarring himself all over"
What did he take that killed him:"
asked man.
Nobody know.
Reckon it slowed snugly and might
be worth mans carrying about" con-
tinue0 the sailor. Think Of an open
boat like what we passed yesterday
throat SO scorched that when you mutter
for drink you start ard look round won
dering what devil i'll the air was mock
ing of you. Wouldn't the little portable
whatever it was that saved that man
from chains and the lash come in mid
ding handy at such timer
The speaker resumed his pipe and
Sa2ed around to observe the effect pro-
duced by his powerful imagination.
"Iwish that old owl nd Delay his
jaw. He's too gailus quick with his
blue lights" sang out q querulous voice
from n hammock.
"Ill tell you what" exclaimed the
man Tom in, q mysterious voice while
the atmosphere of slush fare and DIM
daylight turned Of faint blue with
tobacco smoke. That there covey as
was took off amt the only r1mdiddles
aboard this ship
None Of the men seemed much inter.
ested.
Avoice under the scuttle exclaimed:
There's cove aboard this ship with a
face ate up by drink. He looks as de-
cayed As an old cheese, as the Jagged
side OF tho moon in the telescope. I've
some recollection of having met that
man. I've some recollection, I" contin.
ued the voice, 'of man having been
stabbed to the heart in Quarrel and Of