Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-12-26
COPYRIGHT. 1899. ~ NJ Aur,Qa.

oIooo. he turned DIS eyes dusky, ana
almost as bland as an Africans. upon
his mate.
II guess if he was sailor" he an
swered, 'no soul was ever earved out
to him, mad or not mad
'Ain't sailors allowed souls, tben?''
ASK it of yourself, Tom," replied
Bill il q voice of mingled Indifference
and contempt.
Tom stopped in his work. The pol
ished needle he held cleaned like fire
III a flash OF westering sun striking
through the little scuttle. He looked at
his mate, with {. face awork with agita-
ton. An emotional man one could cas-
lily see he was-a sailor Of the snuffiino
sort-yet smart and skillfui.
"Am l to believe" says he, laying
| one hand not without reverence on the
dead body, THAT this poor chap diln' t
have no soul to go to God with?''
lyon can believe what you like" an
swered the other, but I'll tell YOU
what it is-the more you believe the
more you ii be warping your intellects to
the bearings this covey' S was brought
to. Let's bear hand with the lob.
'Tain't all jam. -
They stitched in silence, and VIXEN
they had made bolster shaped parcel
CT the body they carried it out in obedi-
ence to instructions and placed it upon
the fore hatch, and Tom went aft for an
ensign to cover it with.
At eight bells the cook locked I'D his
galley, and the first watch began. An
other fine night Of waters ripping in
the moonlight. The bark, with starboard
overhanging studdinS sails, floated like
ice through the moon whitened air, and
many trembling stars studded the arches
between the sails, and under the yawn
Of the fore course the lamps of heaven
shone like distant lighthouses. a sea-
man walked the deck of the little fore
castle, on the lookout. The rest of the
watch had slowed themselves away for
nap abaft the longboat and in the deep
shadows under the bulwarks. They gave
the dead body as wide a berth as they
could, and the watch below turned in,
growing that the thing should be SO
near them.
Two men came dcwn from tho poop
smoking pipes. and, going along to the
fore hatch, stopped and looked at the
body.
THAT'S much how it would have
been with me-" said Mr. Mark Dave
nire. "A toss and q bubble, and not the
memory Of q moment, by Jove, to fol-
low me.'
Better that than death in tie bush, {"
said Nh. Hankey, ''where, if the fowls
OF the air permit, you rot into grin OF
bones. There's q beastly baseness in the
disclosure Of ones narrow pipes.
should wish to lie secret, or at least
hidden, as that chap will be when he's
over the side. I'd not even that the
moon should shine upon my skeleton, -
and the mans face looked up pale be.
tween its hard black whiskers at the
planet that was softly glowing over the
port beam. They began to pace the deck
to and fro abreast of the corpse
when Is our business to be done?"
said Hankey in a quiet voice "Tro!lope
seems to hang in the wind. Is not this
the right sort Of weather? Why not
make an end this very night? Are we
waiting for the Horn?'
Davenire Kissed a cautious "iiush!"
as sailor stumbled Up out CT the
shadow OF the longboat and passed them
to mount the forecastle ladder, where
he Joined the fellow on the lookout
The ship must reach the agreed sit.
uation," said Davenire, speaking witt,
note of authority as header OR lieu
tenant. "Trollobe isn't sure. Besides,
that old Benson's not en- the watch.
Eosh! Tie cid cock starcs, and l find
him brusque as Trollope does, IS though
dlstrustful. But what, in tie name Of
holy jim, can lie suspect? Anyway,if the
jobs TO be done, it must be rushed ef.
fectualiy. There's to be 10 opposition
and 10 bloGdshed. That must be seen
to. It's not to 30 hanging"
When Is that arms chest to be dealt
within" said Harkcy.
Presently. I should have thought
you'd see that" said Daveaire dryly.
Eanl-ey wagged his head in the moon
shine
'Hark!' exclaimed Dayenire. What
are those two chaps up there arguing
about:'
The lockout man and the seaman who
had joined him came 10 stand at the
head OF the forecastle ladder. They did
not appear TO heed the presence of the
Two gentlemen. who. moving . few
PAGES forward, halted TO listen in the
shadow CT the berth in which the body
had lain. From the poop lightly fioated
the voices OF passengers in conversation,
mingled with the music Of piano in
the cUddy, FAINT with the Intervention
OF mizzennlast and cuddy front, and
you coUld hear the high tones Of vo.
0iGn singing.
Don't you make 10 mistake eaii
the voice of the seaman named Tom.
ou've never tarned 10 and thought
| over things IS have, Bill
WHY, no." answered Bill. "And
We kert MY senses, III consequence.
Hal exclaimed Tom, painting CIT
the word with TIE noise OF q heavy suo-e
Its fearful to think if a chaps heads
asoing wrong his souls bound to 60
wrorg too. What's the soul. Can you
explain it, il part Of the physical