The times., 1897-09-05
. ssssees@e seese 10000 eeseseeese@eesse>e~s
I>M NEGRO 49, I::...........
,s.ns. cs:s,s q the Nar0iS8U8 ;


out black and dcattiike in the dazzling
light turned his heaG on the pillow. His
eyes stared at Belfast, appeaIingly and irn-
pudeal-
Il am rather weak from lying-up 80
long he said, distinctly. Belfast needed
'6euing quite well now" insisted
Wait.
yes. I noticed you getting better
.his-last month";" said Belfast, looking
down Halo! what's th.s?'' he shouted
and ran out
He was flattened directly against the
side OF the house by two men who
lurched aga,nst him A lot OF disputes
seemed TO be going OH all arounl Eon
kin Kissed, go for them-it's darki''
The CROW d ,ook a short run aft in u
body ;hen there was check Donkin
agile and tlnn, fitted past with his
righ. arm gong like a iudmiIl-and
tlien stood stnl suddenly with his aim
pointing risiely above his head The
hurting flight OF some small, heavy
ohlec. was heard; IL passed between
the heans OF the two mates, Lounded
Heavily along the deck. struck the after
l.a,ch with a ponderous and dcadened
blow
The bulky shape OF Mr.. Baker grew
distinct. Come 10 your senses, inenir
he cried, advancing 10 the arrested
crowd
Come back, Mr. Baker called the
masters quiet voice. He obeyed mwil!-
ingly.
There WAS a minute of silence, shen i
deafening hn5bub arose. Above it Archie
was heard eneI petically: IF We do oos
ageen / wull telIl'' There We're shouts
''Don'ti' firop it, ''We amt that
Eindi' The black cluster of human forms
reeled against the bulwarl,, back again
toward the hoGsc. Shadowy figures could
he seen toftering, falling, Ieaping mp
RinEbolts rang under stumbling feet.
''Drop it, Let met Nor Curse
yon hahi' Then sounds as OF SOME ones
face beng slapped; piece of iron fell
o. the deck; . short scuffle, and ONE ones
shadowy body scuttling RAPIDLY across tsi,
main hatch before the shadow OF II kick.
Throwing things good Cod grun,ed
Nh Baker. in disniay.
That was meant Tor me, said the mas
ter quietly. II felt the wind OF that thing
what vas it-an iron belayingping'
Gradually the trampng noises the con
T.
cffics coming on the poop discussed the
events Nj. Baker was bewildered aud
grunted; AR. Creighton was calmly furious:
but Capt. AIlistoaa was composed ana
thoughtful. He listened to Mr.. Baker S
growing argumeniati1n, 70 Creighton, ; IN
teri.c.ed and severe remarks, whleloaiing
down on the deck he weighed in his hand
the iron behaving pin that a moment ago
had iust missed his head-as il il hal
been the only tangible fact Of the whole
transaction. He was one OF those eonr-
nanders Nho speak little, seen. % hear
nothing, lock at no one-and snow every
thing; bear every whisper; see every fleet,
ing shadow Of their ships hf..
Has two lag officers lowered above his
lean, short figure; they talked over his
head they We're disma yed surprised and
angry, while between them the little, quieI
:nan seemed TO have found mis- taciturll
serenity IA the profound depths of large
experience. Lights Were burning in the
forece stle, nov and then d loud gust cf
iiabbling cilattei came from forward. swept
ever the decks, ana BECAME faiut, as If the
unconscious ship, slipping gently through
the great peace Of the sea, had left behind
and foi ever the foolish noise Of turbulent
Hsaal,inG. But il was renewed again and
again Gesticnlating arms, profiles Of
heads with open mouths appeared for A
moment in thei!luminated squares ana door
ways; black fists 1aued-withdrew
Yes 1T was most damnahle 10 have
such an unprovoked row sprung on one,'
assented the master. lie didn I think here
woGld t'e any further trouble Just then
a hell was struck aft, another, forward,
answered IN a deeper tone, and ,lamor
Of raging metal spread round Lhe ship
in q ciieie OF wide vibrations that ebb,.d
away INTO the ilHmea sHreabIc night Of an
empty sea. Didn't he know themi Didn't
he! in past years. Better men, too Reas
men 10 stand 5y one in a tight place. Worse
than devils, too, sometimes-downrig
horned deviIs. Pahi Tlis-n nthing A
miss is as good as a mile.
The whe-i WAS being relieved in the usual
WY Full and by said. very loud, tine
nIan goingo Full aud by" repeated the
other, catching hold of the spokes
This head wind is my troGble = excIaim-
ed the master, stamping his foot in sudden
anger. Hea wind allthe restfs nothing
He was calm again in a moment. Keep
them on The move tonight, gentlemen, lust
10 let them feel we We got hold all the time
quietly. you know. Mind you keep your
hands Off them, Creighton Tomorrow 1
VIII talk to them like a Dutch uncle. A
crazy crowd Of tinkersl Yes, tinkers, l
could count the real sailors among them
on the fingers OF one hand Nothing will
do but row-ff-you please
He went down three steps, and chang
ing his tone, spoke with his ead near the
deck: 4 shan't turn in tonight, in case of
anything; just call out if Did you see
tie eyes Of That sick nigger, Mr.. Baker?
] fancied he begged me for something
What? Past all help. One lone black
beggar among the lot Of us, and he seemed
tU lo1k through me into the very he'll
" ell, let Inn die in peace. He must have
been half man once. Keep a good look
out lie disappeared down below, ieay-
ing his mates facing one another, and MOI e
impressed than if they had seen a stone
image shed q miraculous tear of compas
sion over the incertitudes Of life and death.
ia the blue mist spreading from tlvistef!
threads that stood upright in the bowls ;,f
pines, the forecastIe appeared as vast as
tall Between the beams q heavy cloud
stagnaued, and the lamps surrounded by
hal0s burned each at the core Of a purple
glow in two iifeless flames without rays.
wreails drifted in denser wisps. Men
spTa wled about the deck, sat in negligent
poses. or, pen.ling knee, dropped wieh
one shoulder against bulkfead. Lips
moved, eyes flashed waving arms made
sadden eddies III the smoke.
stick together, hogs" roared Davies
Belfast triedtoInake himselfheard Knowles
srinned a slow, ,iazed way. A short fel
low, with a thick, clipped beard, kept nn
yelling, periodically: Who's afeard? Who's
afcard2" Another one jumped up, excited,
with fla-ing eyes: sent out a string os