San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-01-17

commission. railing IL, sir, when we
arrive in London, will take very
early opportunity of what sailors call
'squaring the yards with you"
Saying which he lounged out of sight
into the shadows about the galley.
Old Benson's lungs pumped with an
engines power with passion. The mate
a few feet distant heard him blowing
like grampus. But what could he do?
Prudence not to be neutralized by tenn
per was one of his several useful naval
qualities. Surprising he locked Captain
Trollope up, laid him in irons, as his
present rage dictated. The news would
spread on the ships arrival The papers
would comment with their usual i'm
pertinent freedom on the subject. Cap
tain Benson would be known as the
skipper who olapped his passengers in
irons for yenturing to take the air of a
hot night A man who knew Benson
well once said of him to another, ''There
is not much sentiment in Benson :"
"Yes, plenty" answered the other,
"but they call it fifty per-centiment.
The old skipper hoped to sail the seas
a few years longer and to add to his
dividends, which were already not in
considerable, and so after blowing at
| tho rail for few minutes he threw his
cigar away and went to his cabin.
Seven bells were struck at that mo-
ment-half past IL. Johnson and Han
key were beside the skylight. No other
passengers were on deck. The man at
the wheel stood solitary aft. The two
men lighted their pipes when the cap
tain went below, and the mate said
nothing, for why should he stop men
from smoking when the ladies had gone
to bed?
The shadowy figure of Captain Troll
lope came and went on the quarter deck
within sight of the mate, who watched
him as if he feared he was going to
blow up the vessel. Not till eight bells
did that tall shape disappear. Mr.. Mat
thews, with some relief of mind, then
saw it stalk into the cuddy and close its
own cabin door upon itself johnson
and Hankey had by this time smoked
their pipes out and vanished. The girl
had not shown herself One or another
had found an excuse to listen tiptoe
fashion at her door. Once Hankey did
so; Shannon, too, and Caldwell, all
under the pretense of drawing water
| from a filter abreast of Miss Mansel's
berth, but no sound lad been heard, and
it was then felt and understood by the
conspirators who were sober that the
girl, for good reasons she would doubt
less be able to explain, had resolved not
to communicate what she had overheard
till the morning.
1t was now Mr.. Poole's turn to take
charge of the ship. He arrived prompt
ly, and when the mate was gone sent
lazy glance at the sea- and to thoroughly
awaken himself for the four hours duty
fell to pacing the deck. There had been
some hustle forward at eight bells when
such of the watch below as were in the
forecastle turned out, but all was quiet
again.
Scarcely was it O'Clock in the morn
ing when a most dismal, melancholy
waiting was heard proceeding from the
sea, apparently right ahead. 1t was
something like the cry of the jackal as
it sneaks to the rivers edge for a meal
of black meat, but startling and amaz-
ing because so sudden, so uncommon, so
unexpected and wild and beastlike.
Whats that?" said Mr.. Poole aloud
to himself, and when that strange cry
was repeated a minute after, clearly pro-
ceeding as before from the sea right
ahead, he yelled out again, Whats
that?" loud and shrill.
The lookout man leaped to his feet
and sprang into the head to look over
the bows. The watch tumbled OH to
their legs and ran confusedly to the
forecastle. Again sounded the melan-
choly, long drawn, heart subduing,
wailing noise, and Mr.. Poole, wild with
impatience and excitement unable to
obtain reply from the men, jumped ON
the quarter deck and rushed forward.
Thus were the principal decks for a
space rendered vacant. The helmsman
was far aft Nothing happening on the
quarter deck would be visible to him.
"What is it?" cried the second mate,
thrusting in among the men and look
ing over the bows.
81 don't see nothing" said a gruff
voice. what the blazes is it or was
it?"
"Ain't that like raft out there?"
exclaimed another.
Raft in your eye" grumbled Tom.
There's another man gone mad and
another soul gone lost. 3"
Again it sounded, always ahead, yet
faint and seemingly in the air. What is
one to compare that melancholy, af-
frighting note to? Probably the Afri-
can explorer may hear something like it
when the cathedral gloom of the mighty
forest has blackened into midnight.
Seems to be drawing ahead Of u.s."
said man in a hoarse whisper Of fear
and awe.
where's the gale blowed us tor"
said another. "Smite my eyes if the
Red sea amt aboard.
UHoId vOur iaxy - cripS tho SECOND