The herald., 1897-08-15

with vexation. "You holy fool! I don't
want you to die," he howled, looking
up with furious. quivering face and ten
der eyes. And he would go away,
stamping, splitting aside, disgusted and
worried; while the other. stepping out,
saucepan in hand, hot, begrimed, and
placid, watched with a superior, cock
sure smile the back of his queer little
man" reeling in a rage. They were
great friends.
Mr.. Baker, lounging over the after
hatch, shifted the humid night in the
company of the second mate. "Those
West India niggers run fine and large
some of them. Don't they? A fine
big man that, Mr.. Creighton. Feel him
on rope. Hey? Ough! 1 will take
him into my watch, 1 think"
The second mate, a fair, gentlemanly
young fellow, with resolute face and
splendid physique. observed quietly
that it was just about what he expect
ed. There could be felt in his tone just
a little bitterness which Mr.. Baker,
very kindly, set himself to argue away.
Come, come, young man." he said,
grunting between the words. Come!
Don't be too greedy You had that big
Finn in your watch all the voyage.
will do what's fair. You may have
those two young Scandlnavians, and
I get the niger, and will take that
Ough that cheeky costermonger chap
in a black frockcoat. I'll make him
-Ough!-make him toe the mark, or
my name isn't Baker. Ough! Ough!
Ought"
He grunted thrice-ferocously He
H. 20
his words and at the end of sentences.
1t was a fine, effective grunt that went
well with his menacing utterance, with
his heavy, bull-necked frame, his jerky,
rolling gait, with his big, scanned face,
his steady eyes, and sardonic mouth.
But it's effect had been long ago dis
counted by the men.
Now he was giving his last orders.
"Ough! You, Knowles! Call all hands
at four. I want to heave short before
the tug comes. Look out for the cap
tain. 1 am going to lay down in my
clothes. Ough! Call me when you see
the boat coming. Ough! Ough! The
old man is sure to have something to
say when he comes aboard" he remark
ed to Creighton. "Well, good night. A
long day before us tomorrow. Better
turn in now. Ough! Ough.
Upon the dark deck a band of light
flashed, then a door banged, and Mr..
Baker was gone into his neat cabin.
Young Creighton stood leaning over the
rail, and looked dreamily into the night
fof the East. And he saw in it long
country lane, a lane of waving leaves
and dancing sunshine. He saw stir
ring boughs of old trees outspread and
framing in their arch, the tender, the
| caressing blueness of an English sky.
And through the arch a girl in clear
dress, smiling under a sunshade, SEEM
| ed to be stepping out of the tender sky
| At the other end of the ship the fore
castle, with only one lamp burning now,
was going to sleep in a dim emptiness
| traversed by loud breathings, by sud-
den short sighs. The double row of
berths yawned black, like graves ten
anted by uneasy corpses. Sullivan-the
old man suffered much from prickly
heat-stood cooling his back in the door
way, with his arms crossed on his bare
and adorned chest. The niger, half
undressed, was busy casting adrift the
lashing of his box, and spreading his
bedding in an upper berth. He moved
about in his socks, tall and noiseless
with a pair of braces beating about his
heels. Amongst the shadows of STAN
chions and bowsprit, Donkin munched
piece of hard ships bread sitting on
the deck with upturned feet and rest
less eyes; he held the biscuit up be-
| fore his face in the whole fist, and snap
ped his jaws at it with a raging face.
Crumbs fell batwnan hie catopreod legs.
Then he got up.
where's our water cask?" he asked
in a contained voice.
Sullivan, without word, pointed with
big hand that held short shoulder
ing pipe. Donkin bent over the casl1,
drank out of the tin, splashing the wa
ter, turned round and noticed the mig
ger looking at him over the shoulder