San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-02-21

rag of cloth save fore topmast staysail,
which looked to be very i'll set. She
was bark, and Boldock thought he
saw spot of color at her gaff end. But
she was then four or five miles of, and
her figure was lost in the shadow cast
by the clouds which hung over her.
''See what you can make of her, Mr..
Hardy" said the commander.
The quaint sea dandy, with his leer
and his shoes and bows, made a plunge
for the companion cover and swung in
to it as the commander swung out He
peered and peered. While he looked the
sun shone little brightly and lighted
up the ocean In the direction Of the
bark. Mr.. Hardy continued to gaze;
then, starting with cry Of surprise, he
exclaimed:
II beg your pardon, sir. but ! caught
sight of the hull Of that ship just then,
and if she's not the Queen then I'm
Prince Albert, sir. -
"Let me look again." said the COM
mander hoarsely.
Long and thirstily did he stare. His
table of red face, with one eye screwed
up, hung immovable at the telescope.
The sun continued to throw his morn
ing brightness on the ocean, and the
color of the blue between the clouds
was growing purer. After little the
commander looked round at Mr.. Hardy,
with an expression of passing suffoca-
tion in the cast and color of his features
They stared at each other.
Upon my word" exclaimed Boil
dock in that sort Of voice which he
would use in church, 81 believe you are
right. / caught the length Of the hull
distinctly when it was hove high-a
bark painted green, answering unques-
tionably to the burden Of the Queen.
Why should it not be she?" he roared
out, overmastered by excitement. "She
should be somewhere hereabouts. We're
inside of days sail of Halloran is.
land. Step below, Mr.. Hardy, and give
my compliments to Mr. Matthews and
ask him to come on deck.
While Hardy was gone Boldock kept
his telescope upon the distant bark,
which sometimes sprang her spars into
the lenses, and once or twice strip Of
greenish hull. The sunshine frightened
her flag. 1t was red, but Boldock could
not make out whether it was distress
signal. Now arrived Mr.. Matthews,
who had kept watch from till 8, and,
having breakfasted. had turned in for
snooze.
keep in the companionway, said
the commander, standing outside, land
take this telescope and look at yondar
vessel and tell me what you think Of
her. I"
awake. He had tumbled out of his bunk
with seaman's hurry. After great
deal of maneuvering with the unwieldy
telescope he caught the object. A grin
of amazement that worked the flesh
about his lips into a hunchback's wrin-
kles widencd his mouth. He looked
again, and then in tones firm with con-
yiction he said to the commander,
"That bark down there, sir, is the
Queen"
'Blow my sweet windP' murmured
the commander, with look of stupefac-
tion. 1t is always the wrong weather
at sea. Why doesn't some air come
along?"
'Most undoubtedly the Queen" re.
peated Mr.. Matthews, who continued
to seesaw with the long brass tubes a.
they rested on the edge Of the cover,
himcalf stnndinO insida
FORWARD, therep' bawled the com.
mander.
"Sir," answered q voice.
"Send the Queens men aft.
AYE, aye, sir. "
The five of them presently arrived,
staggering and lurching like drunken
seamen ON the slope of the deck as they
walked.
Here said Boldock to the first OF
them, who happened to be Tom, "gei
you inside that hatch, my man, and
look through that telescope and tell me
what ship that is.
The instant Tom caught her he howl
ed out, with his eyes still at the glass,
"Blowed if she amt the Queen" All
allowance was to be made for great ex
element. If that ship was the Queen,
the mems clothes were on board of her,
their certificates of discharge, seven
pounds of tobacco belonging to them
were in their chests and few pounds
in money.
"Out you come" said the command
er. Next man."
One after another the five stepped in
to the hatch, and after lodging and
ducking and moving and sweeping
with the immense telescope declared
that the bark yonder was the Queen.
They then went forward and looked at
her in little crowd upon the forecas.
tie.
The heavens were clearing, the hori-
zon opening, the atmosphere brighten
ing, the colors and lines of the bark
stealing out clearer and sharper.
eff she's not the Queen" said Mr..
Matthews. this briggs not the Welles-
ley"