San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-24


and sheeting the sea to her tall black
beam in pale tremble Of mackerel
CLEANS and bright slate out of the far
northeast. No beauty was she, yet as
good as line of battle ship for drift
ing boat to fall in with, and this thought
was in the mind of the mate, Mr.. Har-
dy, as he stood at the starboard rail
abreast of the little pinnacle box and
with folded arms surveyed the scene of
ocean slowly opening to its most DESC
late recesses.
Mr.. Hardy was stout, short man,
with an Incompatible leering blue eye.
His eyes leered, but he knew it not, and
the effect was good when his business
was solemn. He had the face of the
born comedian, arch, dry, the whole
fabric of the lineaments set slightly
awry; he was burned up by the sun,
and his nose was so coated with adhe-
sive membrane that as the light broad
ened the feature cleaned toward the
rising sun as though it were sheathed
in purse or coating Of finely wrought
mail He was wrapped up in weather
bronzed monkey jacket, and his head
was protected by round hat of colonial
invention. His trousers, tight at the
hips, fell like the mouth of church
bell to his feet, which were cased in
shoes decorated with bows. A sea dog
Rubiound with the grog blossom, but
bit of sea dandy, too, for perhaps no
man afloat in that year Of our salvation
would have deliberately bought himself
pair of shoes with bows and gone to sea
to stand fine weather watches in them.
AS Mr.. Hardy took step forward to
obtain critical view of the fore royal,
whose halyards, he was thinking, want
ed another small pull now that daylight
disclosed the brig, there emerged stoop-
ing through the shabby companion hood
Just before the gun hearty figure of q
stouter bulk than Mr.. Hardy, dressed
in naval cap, suit of dungaree and
a check shirt.
This person was Commander Boil
dock, r. N, man with huge face, Of
scarlet flesh, in the midst of which SPAR
killed. two good humored gray eyes. His
head was disproportioned. 1t belonged
to a giant His mouth, his teeth, his
ears, whatever grew above his throat
| lilliputianized the rest of him. His
friends feared that he had water ON the
brain. The i'll natured, however, called
it whisky and water 1t was sure you
saw by his hue at once that he loved
his drop, and indeed this very morning
you might swear that he had brought it
with him out of his cabin, since the in
slant his immense face, brilliant with
sweat, showed itself above the compan-
ion way faint scent of rum entered the
light breeze and blew over the rail to
leeward
When he was ON deck, he returned
Mr. Hardy's salute, then looked aloft
at the spread of sail, then round upon
the sea, then took a survey of the man
at the little wheel, and, stepping over
to Mr.. Hardy, exclaimed in hoarse,
deep voice that seemed to perpetually
complain, with an odd note of remon-
STRANGE:
"Light airs, light airs. Nothing but
light airs in these heavens.
whats that out there, sir?" inter-
rupted Mr.. Hardy, peering and leering
ON a sudden over the edge Of the tall rail
at the sea ON the weather bow, where
the water was flowing with look Of
blue silk shot with the morning lights.
The commander went to the rail and
likewise peered and stared. He caught
the object in a breath-whisky or no
whisky, Boldock rolled the vision of
hawk in his socketsr-and fell a-dodging
it under the sharp of his hand.
why" says he after minute or
two, 81 do believe-I do believe
then breaking off, ''Mr. Hardy, be so
good as to hand me the glass. -
The mate unshipped a heavy, long,
brass telescope off its brackets under .he
companion hood and bore it with both
hands to the commander, who laid it
like piece of artillery upon the rail
and put his eye to it, as though sighting
some object he meant to destroy. He
looked, pulled, removed his eye and
dried it, looked again and then cried
out:
"Why, by heavens, Mr. Hardy, it's
the body Of a woman, and white wom-
AMI And she appears to be gagged. What
can that be over her MOUTH" He looked
again. Her hair is floating out from
her head like ink from galleyed cuttle-
fish. Look for yourself. "
| And while Mr.. Hardy was looking
Commander Boldock told the man at
the wheel to put his helm over so as to
bring the object almost directly ahead.
''Eh, Mr.. Hardy" he exclaimed in
his deep sea voice, isn't she woman
,, Isn't she white? Don't she look aiiveY
"She positively breathes. But it's the
motion of the sea, answered Mr.. Har-
/, , DIV. keeping his eye glued to the glass.
"we'lI make little call yonder and
ask few questions, " said the COM
mander. "Let the men knock on wash
. ing down. Stand by, to back your MAIN
topsaiI, and swing that starboard boat
there over the side