The herald., 1897-08-22

of Jlmmy's? We hesitated between
pity and mistrust while, on the Slight
est provocation, he shook before our
eyes the bones of his bothersome and
| infamous skeleton. He was for ever
| trotting him out. He would talk of that
coming death as though it had been al
ready there, as if it had been walking
the deck outside, as if it would present.
ly come in to sleep in the only empty
bunk; as if it had sat by his side at ev-
cry meal. 1t interfered daily with our
occupations with our leisure, with our
amusements. We had no songs and no
music in the evening, because Jimmy
1--WE all lovingly called him Jimmy, to
conceal our hate of his accomplice) had
managed, with that prospective decease
of his, to disturb even Archies mental
| balance. Archie was the owner of the
concertina.
Our singers became mute because
Jimmy was a dying man. For the same
reason no chap-as Knowles remarked
could drive in a nail to hang his few
| poor rags upon," without being made
aware of the enormity he committed in
disturbing Jimmy's interminable last
moments. At night, instead of the cheer
full yell, Turn out! Do you hear there?
Turn out!' the watches We're called man
by man, in whispers, so as not to inter-
fere with Jimmy's possibly last slum-
| Der on earth. True, he was always
| awake, and managed as we sneaked out
on deck, to plant in our backs some cut
| ting remark that, for the moment,
made us feel as if we had been brutes,
and afterward made us suspect our
selves of being fools. We spoke in low
tones within that foc'sle as though it
/ had been a church. We ate our meals
| in silence and dread, for Jimmy was
capricious with his food, and rallied Bit
| terly at the salt meat, at the biscuits,
at the tea, as at articles unfit for hui
man consumption-let alone for a dying
man!
| He would say: Cant you find bet
| ter slice of meat for a sick man who's
trying to get home to be cured-or bur-
led. But there! If I had a chance, you
| fellows would do away with it. You
would poison me. Look at what you
have given mel"
| We served him in his bed with rage
and humility, as though we had been
the base courtiers of hated prince;
and he rewarded us by his unconciliat
ing criticism. He had found the secret
| of keeping for ever on the run the
| fundamental imbecility of mankind.
He had the secret of life. that con-
founded dying man, and he became
master of every moment of our exist
ence. We grew desperate, and remain
| ed submissive. Emotional little Belfast
was for ever on the verge of assault or
on the verge of tears. One evening he
confided to Archie. For a hapenny
would knock his ugly black head off
/ the bloody dodger!'' And the straight
| forward Archie pretended to be shock
| ed! Such was the Internal spell which
| that casual Liverpool niger had cast
upon our guileless manhood!
| But the same night Belfast stole from
the galley the officers Sunday fruit-pie.
| to tempt the fastidious appetite of Jim
| my. He endangered not only his long
| friendship with the cook but also-as it
appeared-his eternal welfare. The
cook was overwhelmed with grief. He
did not know the culprit, but he knew
| that wickedness flourished. He knew
that Satan was abroad amongst those
men, whom he looked upon as in some
way under his spiritual care. Whenever
he saw three or four of us standing to-
gether he would leave his stove. to run
out and preach. We fled from him.
Soon, unofficialy. the information was
spread about that should there be an
other case of stealing, our marmalade
Gan extra allowance: half q pound per
MANI would be stopped. Mr.. Baker
ceased to heap jocular abuse upon his
favorites, and grunted suspiciously at
all. The captains cold eyes, high up on
the poop, glittered mistrustful, as he
surveyed us trooping in a small mob
from halyards to braces for the usual
evening pull at all the ropes. Such steal
ing in merchant ship is difficult to
check. and may be taken as declara-
tion by men of their dislike for their
officers 1t is a bad symptom. 1t may
end in God knows what trouble. The
"Narcissus" was still a peaceful ship,
but mutual confidence was shaken.