Rock Island Argus., 1896-12-19
COPYRIGHT. 1895. sv me aurnoa.

| arms cheSt. Contents, q few cutlasseS,
refuse navy goods, few old pistols;
maybe sheaf Of short blunderbusses.
The Scotch owners don put money into
their arms Chest he added. with 9
sudden laugh.
| But this is your surmise?" said one
OF them. Otherwise the chest may be
handsomely stocked"
The gentleman gave the painter of
the boat to one Of his friends to hold
while he pulled out short pipe.
Let them be Of today's pattern and
purchase. said the man who had re.
ceived the boats painter. 1.-The cabin
portfolio is big enough to pass them
through. l suppose?
ANY ammunition7'' said the third
man. speaking with a delicate accent
and slight lisp.
well, low, I forgot to ask that
question, was the answer
"How many go to the crew." said
one of them.
''Of foremast hands, IL. They can't
muster more. The full complement is
'1S. AS fast as the chaps sign they pock-
ct months advance and desert and
the police can do nothing for the cap
tain. The second mate told me that the
Queen hauled out today merely for the
better chance of keeping the men aboard.
They have given special instructions to
the guardboat to keep q watch through
the night.
"She has just passed." said one.
"a six cared arrangement in charge
| a fol boz in, hy,x<
my boat hanging on the bark's quarter
and hailed. The second mate looked
over and said it was all right, Twas his
friend and was not to be troubled should
they fall in with me sculling ashore"
| There's no mistake, I hope" said
the gentleman who slightly lisped, las
to its being safely on board?'
Poole, when the champagne mount
ed, Dragged Of it, was the reply. CON
ly think. said the man, laying o hand
upon my arm with q silly grin, even
Anson's Jack Spaniards went ragged in
comparison with US. Bah, said 1.
It's horrible big trust, though. said
he If some Of our pier head jumpers
get the breeze of it, we may need to
polish our irons l asked him in a
dawdling, sleepy way, looking at the
. moonlight on the water as if I could
think Of nothing but the poetry of this
romantic scenei-the gentleman with
the lisp here interrupted with a laugh
"where they slowed the thing for the
best safe keeping Of il? oh, confound
it, he answered, 4 ought to know, for
l had the handling of it. It's in a
strong room. specially built, just abaft
the mainmast, in the main hold. The
wool's snugged all around it. A stupid
blunder i'll the packing said he, while
l filled his glass, for suppose spontane-
GUS combustion, the wool glowing un.
! der battened matches, and the ship liv.
ing for days, as ships do live in such a
state. and then making port. Why,
cried he. emptying his glass, it would
be all liquor. and we'd be pumping it
out along with the water q"
"She is lovely sight in this light, :"
said the man named Trcllope, his voice
softening as his eyes went to the little
bark. 1T was in such another as she
that came out at shilling month.
She could pile it to the cathead to a
song of l3 knots in a topgallant breeze.
Yet there's something yonder," said
he. with a nod of his head across the
bay, THAT could give her a tow rope
and not know it"
The three men stood viewing the
scene for some minutes in silence. The
moonlight was upon them and their
shadows were defined with such amaz.
ing sharpness that they might have been
Elk men, three sleeping at the others
feet. Trollope began to whistle, then
rounded on his heel.
"How is London looking at this mo-
ment, I wonder?" said he. "If all comes
off right, it's my home. There's no
other place in the world to live in, and
I know the world
I'm off," said the man who had
come from the bark "Shall scull you
to the steps?''
They got into the little boat, two sit
ting low in her, and she glided quiesly
up the creek where some ships were ly-
ing. As she vanished the bark's hell
struck 5-half past 10. The notes sound
ed like flute, and in minute or two
the stiffness was broken by q changing
that, to fancy listening behind closed
eyes, might have made q Sabbath morn
in England of that Australian niRht of
moon and stars.
! .
The bark Queen had been advertised
to sail from Sydney three weeks before
she finally started. Her detention had
been owing TO the captains difficulty IN
getting men, or keeping those who sign
ed the articles. She was insufficiently
manned as it was for bark of her ton.
mage in those days Of single topsails
and liberal labor
The captain grew mad with irpa-
thence. Some of the passengers seemed
to be looking about for other ships sail
ing FOR Europe. Fortunately for the
Queen all other vessels were in the like
predicament. At last the mate of this
composite bark got together wild, rag
ged and hairy crew-obiects that had
been starved ont of the goldfields.
wretches who for nights had slept like
dead soldiers on the field of glory. Then.
lest even they should tumble ashore and
| vanish while the csrsain mas oaf,no nj.