The herald., 1897-08-29

hold of his hair, Belfast; pull straight
up, you two; pull fair!"
We pulled fair. We pulled Belfast
out with a jerk, and dropped him with
disgust. In a sitting posture, purple
faced, he sobbed despairingly, "How can
hold on to is bloomin' short wool?"
Suddenly Jimmy's head and shoulders
appeared. We flew at him with brutal
impatience, we tore the shirt off his
back, we tugged at his ears, we painted
over him; and all at once he came away
in our hands as though somebody had
let go his legs
We staggered away from the door,
and alarmed by a sudden roll, fell down
in bunch. There was nothing to hang
on to but a long brass hook used some
times to keep back an open door.
Wamibo held on to it and we held on to
Wamibo, clutching our Jimmy. He
had completely collapsed now.
Something had to be done. We had
to get him aft. A rope was tied slack
under his armpits, and reaching up at
the risk Of our lives, we hung him on
the foresheet elect. We then started on
our perilous journey over the main
deck, dragging along with care, that
Now and then we had to hang him up
on handy Delaying pin. to draw
breath and reform the line. Had the
pin broken he would have irretrievably
gone into the Southern Ocean. He had
to take his chance of that; and after
awhile, becoming apparently aware Of
it, he groaned slightly, and with great
effort whispered a few words. He was
reproaching us with our carelessness in
letting him run such risks.
"Now, after I got myself out from
there he breathed out weakly.
There was his cabin. And he got
himself out. We had nothing to do with
it apparently. No matter! We went on
and let him take his chances, simply be-
cause we could not help it; for though
at that time we hated him more than
ever-more than anything under heav
en--we did not want to lose him. So we
passed him carefully from hand to
hand.
And he swung from one enemy to an
other, showing about as much life as
an old bolster would do. We reached
the poop ladder at last, and it being
comparatively safe place, we lay for
moment in an exhausted heap to rest
little. He began to mutter. We were
always incurably anxious to hear what
he had to say. This time he mumbled
peevishly, "It took you some time to
come. l began to think the whole smart
lot of you had been washed overheard.
What kept you back?" The secret and
ardent desire of our hearts was the de-
sire to beat him viciously with our fists
about the head; and we handled him as
tenderly as though he had been made
of glass.
The return on the poop was like the
return of wanderers after many years
amongst people marked by the DESC
lation of time. We fastened up James
Wait in "a safe place Mr.. Baker
scrambled along to lend hand.
The sun was setting. A sun enor
nous. unclouded and red declining low
as If bending down to look into their
faces The wind whstled across long
sunbeams that, resplendent and cold,
struck full on the diated pupils of star
ing eyes. without making them wink.
The wisps of hair and the tangled
boards were gray with the salt of the
sea. The faces We're earthly, and the
dark patches under the eyes extended
to the ears smudgd into the hollows of
sunken cheeks. To leeward on the
edge of the horizon, black seas leaped
up toward the glowing SUM- 1t sank
slowly round and blazing. and the
crests of waves splashed on the edge of
the luminous circle.
In the gathering grayness of twilight
bulky form was seen rising aft. and
began marching on all fours with the
movements of some big cautious beast.
1t was Mr.. Baker passing along the
line of men.
He went from one to another grunt-
ing. "Ough! See her through it yet"
and unexpectedly, with loud angry out
bursts blew up Knowles for cutting off
a long piece from the fall of the re-
lieving tackle. "Ough! Ashamed of
yourself relieving tackle. Don't you
know better! Ough! Able seaman!
Ought"
The lame man was crushed. He NUT
tered. "Get som'thinlS for lashing for
myself, SIR"
cough! Lashing yourself. Are you
tinker or sailor? That tackle more
use to the ship than your ugly carcass.
Ough! Keep it; Keep it. now you've
done it,"