Evening star., 1898-05-07

forerast to pert and the miZZen to star
board 1t would be hard to know when
she was even keel The uneven
pianking. inbcard and cut, was Scared ike
chopp:ng block, possibly from former
and intimate acquaintance with the coal
trade: lIoft were dingy gray spars, un-
scraped for years; slack hemp rigging. ul.-
tarred for years. and tan-colored sails,
-nended with patch upon patch of lighter
hued canvas. which doubled and trebled
their thickness. that seemed about to fall
apart from their own weight. She was
English built. bark-rigged. bluff in the bow,
square in the stern, unpainted and leaky-
on the whole as unkempt and Gisreputabie
looking a craft ever flew the black flag.
and with the clank of the pump marking
tire to the wailing squeak of the tiller
ropes. she waIlowed through the sea like
a log in eddying tideway.
Even the black flag at the gaff end wore
Il Elakeshift. slovenly air. 1t was a square
section OF the barks .foreroyal. painted
black around the skull-and-cross-bone de-
sign. which had been left to the original
hue of the canvas. The port holes were
equally slovenly in appearance. being cut
through between stanohions with axes in
stead of saws. and the bulwarks were fur
jier disfgured by extra holes smashed
through al the stanchiGns to take the LASH
ings of the gun breechings. But the guns
were bright and cared for, as were the uni
forms of the crew. for they had been lately
transShipped- Far from nome. with a gen.
eral cargo, this ancient old trader had been
taken in fog by Capt. Swarth and his
men an hour before their own well-found
vessel had sunk alOngside-which gave
them just time to hois. over guns and am
munition- When the fog shifted the pursu-
ing English war brig that had riddled The
pirate saw nothing but the peaceful old tub
ahead, and went on into the fog. looking
for the other
ANY port in storm. Angel" remarked
Capt Swarth. as he flashed his keen eyes
over the ricketty fabric aloft; but we'll
find better one soon- How do the boys
stand the pumping?
Mr. Angel Todd. first mate and quarter
master. filled a black pipe before answer
ing Then. between the first and second
deep pufs, he said: "Growlin'-dammum-'
AT the work."
"Yep-and the grub. And they say the
tween-deck and forecastle smells o. bed
bugs and bilge water-and they want their
grog- An uEsodly witness soorneth judg-
ment; and the mouth of the wicked devour-
eth iniquiiy. Mr.. Todd had been edu-
Gated for the Methodist pulpit but going
out as a missionary. he had fallen into un-
sodly ways himself on the slave coast and
taken to the sea. where he was more sue
cessful- Many of his old phrasings clung
10 him.
Well drawled the captain. men get
fastidious and high-toned in this business
can't blame them. but We've got to make
the coast. and if We don't pick up some
thing en- the way We must. careen and stop
growi about
S'pose the brig follows us in?'
Hope she Will" said Capt Swarth with
plea asa1t smile and a tightening of his
eyes hope she WILL and give me a chance
Her majestic widowship owes me brig.
and tnats fine one Mr.. Todd had never
been known to smile. but at this speech
he lifted one eyebrow ard turned his sat
urnine face full at his superior inquiry
written upon every line of It, Capt Swarth
was nusing. however. and said no more:
80 tne mate. Knowing better than to at
tempt probing his mind swung his long
nSure down the poop ladder and went
iorward TO harass the men-which in their
. opinion. was all he was good for
according to his mood Mr. Todd's speech
was choicest English. the cosmopolitan
technical slang of the sea- mingled with
wonderful profanity. But one habit of his
tariy Gays he never d-opped-he wore. in
Ihe hottest weather. and in storm and bat
lie the black frock and choker of the
clerical profession. Standing now. with
one foot on the fore hatch waving his Iono-
arms ard obiurgating the scowIing men at
the pumps. he might easily have seemed
10 any enc beyond the reach of his lam
guase. 10 he a clergyman exhorting them
Capt Swarth watched him with an amused
look on his sunburned face and muttered
GOOD man. every inch of him bur he
rant handle men," Then he called him
aft.
Angel" he said, I'VE made a mistake
in cutting the ports: we can't catch any
ihinS ahoit that sees them. SO we'u have
10 pass Tor peaceable craft until we can
drift close enough to board somei hing
think the bris'n be back this way. too
Get out some old farpauIins and cover nm
the ports Paint them, If you can, the
color of the sizes. and you might coil some
lines over the rail. as though to dry Then
you can break out cargo and strike the
guns down the main hatch"
Three days later with Capo OR Docha
a Dlack line to the westward, a round shot
across her bows brought the old vessel
minus the black emblem now. and out
warmly respectsbl ble-up to the wind with
maintopsail aback. while Capt Swarth and
a dozen of his meE-equally respectable In
the nondescript rig of the merchant sailor
watched the approach of an English brig
of-war. Mr. Todd ard the rest of the crew
were below matches with the guns.
The brig came down the wind like a
graceful bird-a splendid craft. black shiny
and shipshape. five guns to a side. brass
bound officers on her quarterback blue
jSckets darting about her white deck and
up aloft homewardbouHd pennant trail
ing from her main truck and at her gaff
end a British ensign as large as her main
royal Capt. Swarth laZily hoisted the En-
Slish flag TO the barks gait. and, as the
brig rounded TO on his weather BEAM he
pointed TO il; but his dark eyes sparkled
enviously ds he viewed the craft whose
governments protection ne appealed to.
trumpet. what bark is that? Capt.
Swarth swung himself into the mizzen
rigging and answered through his hands
with an excellent cockney accent: ''Tryde
Wind. o l-unnon. Cappen Quirk. fifty
woon dyes out fro Leeverpool. bound to
Canoa. gen raj cargo
You were not heading for the Horn"
Hi m leakin' badly. Him a goin' to
myke the coast to careen. Dye happen
TO know a good poce?'
An officer left the group ard returned
with what Capt SwaTth knew was a chart
which few of them studied. while their
captain nailed again:
See anything more of that pirate brig
the other day?''
What. When-a peerate? Be 'e peer
ate?' answered Capt. Swarth. in agltated
tones BE that you a-chasin' of i'm? Nav
hi seed nothink of i'm arter the fog shut
i'm out"
Thu captain conferred with his officers a
moment, then called:
We are going in to careen ourselves
That fellow struck on the water line
We ara homeward bound, ani Rios too far
to run back Follow us in; but il you lose
sight OF Us. it's a small bay latitude o. 81
~. south. rocks to the north, low land to
the south. good water at the entrance and
u fine beach. Look out for the brig It,s