The times., 1897-08-08
PART /


ralIg q double stroke IL was 8 o'clock
MIR hasler. speaking up 10 the man above
him. asked, Are all the hands aboard
Knowles
The man liinped Gown the ladder, then
sad, deliberately: Il think SO. sir. All
cur old chaps are there, and q lot OF new
men hAs come. They must all be there
TEL the buatswain TO send ali hands
aft werx ,m Mr. Baker, land tel! one OF
the youngsters TO bring good lamp 'iere
want TO muster our crowd. y
The main deck was dark aft, but hall way
fraa forgaId, through the open doors OF
the forrca stIe, Two streaks Of brilliant
light cut tie shadow of The quiet nichs
that lay upon the ship A hum OF voices
was heard there, while port aTsd starhoard,
in the illuminated doorNvayS, silhouettes
OF moving men appeared for moment,
very black, without relief, like 1igures
cut out or sheet tin
The slip was ready for sea. The CAP
tain was ashore, whore he had been en-
gaging SoIne new hands 10 make Gp his
rull crew, and, Tie work OF the day over,
the slips officers had kept out of the way,
glad OF "A little breathing time. Soon after
dark the Few liberty men and the new hands
began 10 errive in shore boats, rowed by
white4lad ASstics, who clamored fierce
ly for payment before coming alongside the
gangway ladder. The resplendent and be-
starred peace OF :he East was torn into
squaiid tatters by bowls OF rage and
shrieks OF Lament. raised over claims rang
iag from five annas TO half a rupee: anu
every soul afloat in Bombay harbor became
aware that tile neg hands were Joining the
Narcissgs.
Gradually the distracting noise had sub
sided.
In tie foTecastIe the newcomers, upright
and swaving among corded boxes ana
baadles OF bedding, made friends with
the cid hands. WHO sat one above another
ln the two tiers OF bunks gazing al their
futare Shipmstes with glancss critical but
friendly The two foEecastle lamps were
turned up high, and shed an intense, hard
glare; slfare-eoing hard hats Were pushed
far on the lacks OF heads or rolled about
on the derE amongst the chain cables,
white collars. andone, stuck out on each
side OF red faces; big arms in white sleeves
EestIcalatea; the growing voices num-
med steady among bursts or laughter
and hoarse calls.
A littIe fellow called CTaik an q nicknamed
Belfast, abused the snip violently, To-
Tnancing On principle, just to give the new
han ds something TO think over. Archie, sit
ting aslaut on his sea chest, kent his knees
out OF the way, and pushed tire needle
steadily through a white patch in a pair
Of blue trousers. A Russian Finn, wearing a
yellow shirt with pink stripes, stared
upward, Cireamy-e ved. from under a mop of
4,
smooth, baby faces two Scaadina-ians-
helped each otner to spread their bedding.
Old Sullivan tie oldest able seaman in the
slip, sat spart on the deck right under the
lamps, stripped to the waist, tattoOed like
q oannibal chief all over .ilis powerful chest
and enormous biceps Between the blue and
red patterns his white skin glearue.I like
satin; his bare back was proppeG against
the heelof the bowsprit. aud he held book
at arms length before his big. sunburnt
face.
With his sPectacles snda venerable white
beard, he Tesemblcd q earned and saw
age patFia rch, the incaTna a ton of la Tba
rian wisdom. serene in the blaSphemous
turmoil Of the world. lie was mten sely
absorbed. and a. he turned the pages an
expression 81 grave surprise would pass
over his rugged features. He was read
Ing Pelham"
Sullivan, VINO had sailed 10 the south
ward since the age OF twelve who in
the LAST fOrty-five years had lived (as
we had calculated from his papers) NJ
more Than Forty months ashorc-old SuIi
van. who boasied, with the mid compoSure
of long wears well spent. that generally from
the day he was paid off fTom one ship til
the day he shipped in snotherhe seldom was
IN a condition to distinguish ia ylieht-oid
Sullivan sat unmoved in the clash OF
voices and cries. spelling through .'Pel
ham" with slow labor, and lost in an
absorption profound enough TO resemble
q trance.
He breathed regularly. Every time b,
turned the book in his enormous and black
ened hands the muscles Of his big whit,
arms rolled slightly under the smooth skin
Hidden by the white moustache, his lip,
moved in inward whisper. His bleare(
eyes Eazed fIxedly from behind the glitter
OF black trimmed glasses.
Opposite to him, and on a level witt
his face, the ships cat sat on barre
OF the windlass in the pose of crouch
ing chimera, blinking its green eyes a
its old friend. 1t seemed to mediate I
leap on 10 the old man'slap over the BEN
back of the ordinary seaman who sat a
SulIivan's feet. Young Charley was leai
and long -necke6- The ridge OF his back bon,
made \ chain of small hills under the old
shirt. His face OF a street boy-a face pre-
cociOus saGacioUs, and iTonic, with deep
downward folds on each side OF the thin
wide mouth hung low over his bony knees
He was learning to make lanyard kno
with bit OF an old rope. Small drops o.
perSpration stood out ON his buiging fore
head; he shifted strongly from time Z
time, giancing out Of the corners OF hi
restless eyes at the old seaman, who tool
no notice OF the puzzling youngster NUT
tenne at his work.
The noise increased Little ReIfas s
seemed. In the heavy heat OF the fore
castle, to boil with facetious fury. Hi
eyes danced; In the crimson of his face
comical as a mask, the mouth vawne,
black, with strange grimaces. Facins
him helf-undreSed man held his sides
and, throwing his head back, laughed witt
wet eyelashes. Others stared with ainaze,
eyes Men sitting doubled up in the uppe
hunks ssloked short pipes. swinging bar
brown fee; above the heads OF those no
sprawliHg below on sea-chests, listened
smiling stupidity or scornfully. Archie
with compressed lips drew himself in
seemed 10 shrink Into a smaller space, an,
sewed steadily. industrious and dumb.
Belfasr sh-ieked like an inspired Der
wish: $50, I seez to him, boys, seez ]
'Beggin yer pardon, sorr,' seez TO tha
second mate OF that steamer-sbeggin
your-rr pardon. sorr, the Board OF Trad