The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-15
THE MALAl'S -

the fish In the drifting gulf weed noe
| tlcing tar bucket hanging near nae
swell struck the ship and my head str, /.
the bucket and dashed the tar all over m
white duck suit.
The "slop chest"-a cask containii
clothing which the seamen are allow cd [,
purchase Mt any time-being empty,
could hope for no assistance from thn
| quarter, and so there was no aIternatiy,
left me except that of wearing my "tal
daubed" suit until 1 could wash, rinse
and dry-a labor at which, to tell the
truth, / was never very expert-the CLOTHES
| I'm the washtub.
AS many of my shipmates would have
done under similar circumstances-infa fact
after the manner of mankind at large-l
bestowed number of wrathful blows and
number Of forcible expletives upon the
poor bucket, as II that was to blame and
should be punished for the accident which
was the result Of my own carelessness.
When was relieved from the masthead,
descended to the deck in no very pleasant
frame of mind, and rolling up my shirt
sleeves made my way directly to the tub
In which had left my clothes
A Malay, a man of 30, with long face
and nose and small, twinkling black
eyes, sat upon the windlass bit watching
me in such peculiar manner that stop.
ped, thinking he wished to say something
to me.
He turned aside his head, however, as
our glanoes met and looked to leeward.
He and were not on very good terms,
as had interfered on the previous day to
prevent him from pounding our little cabin
boy 8 head with a crowb bar He had 'sworn
eternal enmity" to me from that moment,
and doubted not that he would seek to
injure me before we quilted the ship.
The cabin boy entertained the same opin.
Ion.
"Look out for him." he had said
"Check Is a viper and may try to poison
you with some of those curious liquids
locked up IN his chest
"Never fear" had answered. 81 shall
keep u sharp lookout"
could not help shuddering, however
as thought Of the singular and horrible
curiosities In my onemy's chest
He had been juggler in his native coun.
try, and the trunk contained, among Other
things, several bleached skulls, number
of poisoned arrows and large bottle In
which were three or four small spotted ser.
pents.
Check" / now muttered as / moved on
toward the tnb. "what could have been
the meaning Of that curious look he gave
mes There was treacherous, malicious
sparkle in that eye of his which I did not
fancy"
So saying, l stopped over the tub AND
was about to thrust my arms in it, when
was prevented by the voice of 75ne captain.
hot
wasting all that ERE water?" no cried.
"Glad l caught you. Jest take Check and
another and the yawl and reckonoyster the
shore for seme fresh water, and don't be all
day about itp'
There was no use of my attempting to
explain that 1t was salt water that had
used for my ablutons The tanks were
empty and the skipper had evidently been
waiting to set upon somebody.
And 1 was the unhappy fellow picked
sniff out n spring.
/ had some work to get chum to 60
with me, but the lanky Malay jumped at
the offer.
We searched along shore for a good
while and yet had spied no fresh water
pouring into the bay. The season was
against u.s.
At last we came near getting aground,
thanks to the swell that was rising, when,
as had the boat hook in hand, and my
mate his oar, the Malay sitting ON the
thwart doing nothing, the latter began
whstling between his teeth.
Now, it Is all very we'll for man to take
his ease when he can, but when he won't
be satisfied with that, but whistles over II
faYrptiuolv rrpyCkpc a ,pap
So / turned round, going to "talk to
him like father" when, whish! some.
thing long and horrible darted by the side
of my head, and my mate tumbled back
astern.
That action of mine had saved my good
for nothing lifo, for the Malay had whis.
tied the snake out of the covert, and
stood In its line of motion.
AS it was, my messmate's 8 stumbling, aft
caused him to lose his balance and fall
backward into the boat
Never shall / forget the Wild horrible
cry that burst from his lips as he quickly
lifted his head from the bilge in which II
had been submerged.
He tossed his arms wildly about, started
to his feet and moment after fell with.
ing in strong convulsions.
"Why, confound you, what Is the matter
with your' exclaimed my mate, but drew
back, a cry Of terror bursting from his lips.
There lay the unfortunate Malay, with
protruding tongue, bursting eyeballs and
livid countenance, rolling over and over
and vainly striving to disengage from bis
neck deadly snake which had coiled
about it and was now darting with forked
tongue it's venomous poison into his flesh
The struggles OF tho unfortunate man
were of brief duration, and while and my
companion hacked and pounded the serpent
to pieces the death rattle sounded In the
victims throat, and with one farewell gasp
he rolled over on his back and expired.
My mate, Tom Squid, now threw his
hands around my neck.
"You have had very narrow escape"
said he, land 1 will praise tho high ad-
miral oil my life for saving you as he has
done"
$50 ought /, Tom," said 1. "It certain
ly was lucky that my turning round TO
jaw the beggar was the means of sparing
me from the doom he lured on himself"
kAh D. ht.~a .alr. IL