Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-01-05
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FLOATING BODY.

CHAPTER XIV.
THE FLOATING BODY.
In these same seas in which the Queen
was sailing, in the year, in the month,
nay in the week in which that bark had
been seized, q motherIy, lubberly old
black brig was Tapping and rolling
along at the gray Of day. She stole out
in all her fat and homely proportions as
the light grew, Frightening upon her
and sheeting the sea to Ter tall black
beam in n 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 q stout, short man,
with an Incompatible leering blue eye
His eyes leered, but he knew it not, and
the erect was good when his business
was solemn. He had tho 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 a weather
bronzed monkey jacket, and his head
was protected by a round hat of colonial
invention. His trousers, tight at the
hips. fell like the mouth of a church
bell to his feet, which were cased in
shoes decorated with bows. A sea dog,
Rubicund with the grog blossom, but a
bit OF q sea dandy. too, for perhaps no
man afloat in that year of our salvation
would have deliberately bought himself
apair OF shoes with bows and gone to sea
to stand fine weather watches in them.
As Mr.. Hardy took q 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 a hearty figure of a
stouter bulk than Mr.. Hardy, dressed
in naval cap, q suit of dungaree and
q check shirt.
This person was Commander Boil.
dock, r. NJ, a man with huge face. Of
scarlet flesh, in the midst Of which spar
kled two good humored gray eyes. His
hesd was disproportioned. 1t belonged
to giant. His mouth, his teeth, his
ears, whatever grew above li.s ,..lc;..,
hiliputianized the rest CT 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
bis drop, and indeed this very morn ing
you might swear TIA. he had brought it
with him cut OF cis .l5in, since the in
slant his immense face, brilliant with
sweat, showed itself above the compau.
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 q survey of the man
at the little wheel, and, stepping owe,
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
"What's that out there, sir:'' inter
Tupted Mr.. Hardy, peering and leering
ON sudden over the edge Of the tall rail
nj the sea on the weather bow, where
the water was flowing with a 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 q breath-whisky or no
whisky, Boldock rolled the vision of a
hawk in his sockets-and fell a.dodgine
it under the sharp Of his hand.
r"Why," says he after minute OF
two, II do believe-I do believe
then breaking of, "Mr. Hardy, be 60
good as to hand me the glass.
The mate unshipped heavy, long,
bean telescope of its brackets under the
companion hood and bore it with both
hands to the commander, who laid it
lilo . piece Of artillery upon the rail
and put his eye to it. a. though sighting
some object he meant to destroy. He
locked, pulled, removed his eye and
did il, looked again and then cried
ont: - Se
"Why, BY heavens Mr.. Hardy, it's
tie BODY q woman. and white WON
~n0 And a1,o avsg,oava IN r. 0ao0od Wh.k