Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-02-24
CHAPTER XIV.

report like gun. The schooner trem-
hled TO her keel under the reverse; but
next moment, the other sails still
drawing, the jib tapped back again,
and hung idle.
This had nearly tossed me off into
the sea; and now lost no time, crawled
back along the bowsprit, and tumbled
head-foremost on the deck.
was on the lee side of the forecastle,
and the mainsail, which was still draw
ing, concealed from me q certain por-
ton of the after-deck. Not soul was
to be seen. The planks, which had not
been swabbed since the mutiny, bore
the print of many feet; and an empty
bottle, broken by the neck, tumbled to
and fro like live thing in the scuppers.
Suddenly the "Hispaniola" came
right into the wind. The jibs behind
me cracked aloud; the rudder slammed
to; the whole ship gave sickening
heave and shudder, and at the same
moment the main-boom swung in
board, the sheet groaniag in the blocks,
and showed me the lee after-deck.
There were the two watchmen, sure
enough; red-cap on his back, as stiff as
a handspike, with his arms stretched
out like those of a crucifix, and his
teeth showing through his open lips;
Israel Hands propped against the bull
warks, his chin on his chest, his hands
lying open before him on the deck, his
face as white, under its tan, as a tai
low candle.
For awhile the ship kept bucking and
siding like a vicious horse, the sails
filling, now on one tack, now on an
other, and the boom swinging to and
fro till the mast groaned aloud under
the strain. Now and again, too, there
would come a cloud of light spray over
the bulwark, and heavy blow of the
ships bows against the swell-so much
heavier weather was made of it by this
great rugged ship than by my home
made, lop-sided coracle, now gone to
the bottom of the sea.
At every jump of the schooner, red
cap slipped to and fro; but-what was
ghastly to behold-neither his attitude
nor his fixed fredericksburg grin was
any way disturbed by this rough usage.
At every jump, too, Hands appeared
still more to sink into himself and set
tie down upon the deck, his feet sliding
ever the further out, and the whole
body canting toward the stern, so that
his face became, little by little, hid
from me; and at last could see moth
ing beyond his ear and the frayed ring
let of one whisker.
At the same time, I observed, around
both of them, splashes of dark blood
upon the planks, and began to feel sure
that they had killed each other in their
.AAirACn ssAosA4.
While I was thus looking and won
dering, in a calm moment, when the
ship was still, Israel Hands turned part
ly round, and, with low moan, writhed
himself back to the position in which
1 had seen him first. The moan, which
told of pain and deadly weakness, and
the way in which his jaw hung open,
went right to my heart. But when
remembered the talk I had overheard
from the apple barrel, all pity left me.
walked aft until reached the main
mast.
"Come aboard, Mr.. Hands," L said,
ironically.
He rolled his eyes round heavily; but
he was too far gone to express surprise.
All he could do was to utter one word:
Brandy"
1t occurred to me there was no time
to lose; and, dodging the boom us 1t
once more lurched across the deck,
slipped aft, and down the companion
stairs into the cabin.
1t was such a scene of confusion as
you can hardly fancy. All the lockfast
places had been broken open in quest OF
the chart. The floor was thick with
mud, where ruffians had sat down to
drink or consult after wading In the
marshes round their camp. The bulk
heads, all painted in clear white, and
beaded round with gilt, bore pattern
of dirty hands. Dozens of empty bot
ties clinked together in corners to the
rolling of the ship. One of the doctors
medical books lay open on the table.
half of the leaves gutted out, I suppose,
for pipe-lights. In the midst of all this
the lamp still cast smoky glow, OBJ
scure and brown as umber.
1 went into the cellar; all the barrels
were gone, and of the bottles a most
surprising number had been drunk out
and thrown away. Certainly, since the
mstiny began, not q man of them could
ever have been sober.
Foraging about, found bottle with
some brandy left, for Hands; and for
myself 1 routed out some biscuit, some
picked fruits, great bunch of raisins,
and n piece of cheese. With these !
came on deck, put down my own stock
behind the rudder-head. and well out of
the cockswain's reach, went forward
to the water-breaker, and had n good
deep drink of water, and then, and not
till then, gave Hands the brandy.
He must have drunk gill before he
took the bottle from his mouth.
"Ay," said he, "by thunder, but l
wanted some o. thatl"
I had sat down already in my own
corner and began to eat.
Much hurt?" asked him.
He grunted, or. rather, I might say he
barked.
"If that doctor was aboard" he said,
"I'd be right tenoughin q couple of turns;
but don't have no manner Of luck, you
see, and that's what's the matter with
me. AS for that swab. he's good and
dead, he is," he added. indicating the
man with the red cap. "He warn't no
seaman, anyhow. And where mought
YOU have come from"
WELL" said I, 1--WE come aboard to
take possession of this ship, Mr.. Hands;
and you'll please regard me as your
captain until further notice"
He looked at me sourly enough, but
said nothing. Some Of the color had
come back into his cheeks, though he
still looked very sick and still contin-
ued to slip out and settle down as the
ship banged about.
by the by" I continued, II can't
have these colors, Mr.. Hands; and by
your leave I'll strike 'em. Better none
than these"
And, again dotging the boom, I ran to
the color lines, hauled down their
cursed black flag, and chucked 1t over
board.
"God save the kng!" said I, waving
my cap; land there's an end TO Capt.
Silver"
He watched me keenly and slyly. his