The herald., 1897-09-05

pie, under orders to look for overload
ed ships, and he couldn't see no further
than the length of his umbreller. But
they got six weeks hard"
They listened, full of curiosity, nod
ding in the pauses their rough pensive
faces. 1t was clear, of course.
Donl<in said: "Well. six weeks hain't
much trouble. You sleep hall night in,
reg'lar, in chokey. Do it hon my 'ead."
."You are used to 1t ainch ee, Donkin ?"
asked somebody.
| Jimmy condescended to laugh. 1t
cheered up every one wonderfully. They
laughed, hooting in the crude light,
around Jimmy's bed, where, on a white
pillow, his followed black face moved
to and fro restlessly. A puff Of wind
came, made the flame of the lamp leap
and outside, high up, the sails fluttered,
while near by the block of the foresheet
struck a ringing blow on the iron bull
wark.
| A voice far off cried, "Hard-up;"
another, more faint, repeated Hard
| up" They became silent-waited ex-
pectantly. The ship leaned over gently,
and the sea seemed to wake up, muir
muring drowsily. Here's a little wind
comin'." said some one very low. Jimmy
| turned over slowly to face the breeze.
| The voice in the night cried loud and
commanding, Haul the spanker OUT
| The group before the door vanished
out of the light Donkin remained alone
with Jimmy. There was silence. Jim
my opened and shut his lips several
times as If swallowing draughts of
fresh air; Donlin moved the toes of his
bare feet and looked at them thought
fully.
"Aint you going to give them hand
with the sail?" asked Jimmy.
"No. EIif six ov 'em hain't 'nough
beef to set that blamed rotten spanker,
they hain't fit to live" answered Dom
kin in a bored, far-away voice, as
though he had been talking from the
bottom of hole.
Jimmy considered the conical, fowl
like profile with queer kind of inter-
est; but he said only, "The mate will
miss you-and there will be ructions."
Donkin got up to go. II will do for
i'm hon some dark night, see hif 1
DON'T" he said over his shoulder.
Jimmy went on quickly, you're like
poll-parrot, like screechin' poll-par-
rot" Donllin stopped and cooked his
head attentively over one shoulder. His
big ears stood out transparent and
veined, resembling the thin wings of a
bat.
"Yuss?" he said, with his back to-
ward Jimmy.
Eyes! Chatter out all you know-like
like a dirty white cockatoo."
Donkin waited. He could hear the
others breathing, long and slow; the
breathing of a man with a hundred
weight or so on the breastbone. Then
he asked calmly, "What do 1 know?"
what? What I tell you-not much.
What do you want-to talk about my
health So"
Hits boomin' himposyshun. A
bloomin, stinkin'. first-cass himposy-
shun-but hit don't tyke me hin. Not
hit"
Jimmy kept still. Donkin put his
hands in his pockets, and in one slouch-
ing stride came up to the bunk.
II talk-what's the holds. They hain't
men here-sheep they hare. A driven
lot of sheep. I 'old you hup. Wy not?
You're well hoff.''
Il AMI don't say anything about
that"
"Well, let 'em see hit. Let 'em larn
what a man can do. / ham man. I
know hall habout yer" Jimmy threw
himself further away on the pillow the
other stretched out his skinny neck,
ierked his bird face down at him as
though pecking at the eyes. IT ham a
man. I've seen the hinside of hevery
chokey in the Colonies rather n give
hup my rights"
you are Jail prop?" said Jimmy,
weakly.
You haven't the bloomin' nerve-so you
hinventyd this ere dodge" He paused;
then with marked afterthought accent
uated slowly, Yer amt sick = hare
yer?"
mo" said Jimmy firmly. Been out
of sorts now and again this year." he