The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-02-10

We're found in their berths. one on the
s~tarDoard. and the other on the port
side OF the cabin. But what of that?
| buried them off the point Of Santa
Cruz, and there they sleep sound
enough, believe me, each with a couple
OF old shot at his heels. Here is the
Key OF the companion hatch, and take
my revolver with you, for picaros are
pretty common h~ereabouts.'
'Thanks, Hislop,' said |; but how
am | TO get on boardn!'
Ecuil over to her in the punt tina
IS Moored beside the quay. When on
board make yourself quite at home, for
the agent and | left plenty of grog, beef,
biscuits and tobacco in the cabin. On
the morrow I'll overhaul you, in the
forenoon watch. Till then, good-by;'
n before | could say anything more
oid Jack was gone, and | found my
sell alone on the stone mole, with the
Key CT the polacca's companion in my
hand.
There seemed nothing fer me but
to accept the temporary home thus Of
Tered; SO, in the hope that it might lead
~ bIlLtl, / StCDJtu lllO the
hight punt, cast loose the painter, and
after a few minutes vigorous sculling
found myself on the lonely deck of the
silent polacca.
Her V was unbent; most of
the running rigging had also been
taken Of her and slowed away-sO her
tall and taper spars stood markedly I'D
from the straight flush deck. with a
sharp rake aft.
"Ihick banks OF dark-blue clouds
were coming heavily up from the Gulf
or Florida. The air was hot and sui
phurols; some drops OF rain, warm |
and broad as doubloons, began to
splash upon the deck and to make |
circles on the sea; while at the far
edge OF the horizon a narrow streak Of
bright moonlight, against which the
waves were seen chasing each other,
gittered through the flying scud, the
bottom OF which was uplifted in the
offinS, like a dark curtain that was bat
tered and rent.
linen a flash Of red lightning, tip
ping the waves with fire, shOne, but to
be replaced By instant darkness, and all
became black chaos to seward. save
where a pale-green beacon burned
steadily at Santa Cruz, on the western
side of the bay.
"Ghese signs prOgnOsticatcd a rough
night, but ! was glad to perceive that
the DOlacca was we'll moored at stem
and stern; SO l unlocked the compan-
ion door and descended. not without a
ch,,l1np ;r{D +ho J.-1 ,.-1 z.11 =.
where the dead men had been found,
and where all was silence and gloom.
Il struck a lucifer match: my teeth
Chartered; and while cropping about for
a candle, to make myself comfortable
for the night, / began to wish ! had re-
manned on shore.
Il found a ship-lantern with the fag-
end Of a candle in it. and this, when
lighted, enabled me to take a survey
of the cabin; which stood on the table
and when looking about, found my
eyes wander SO necessarily to the side
berths in which the dead Spaniards
had been found, that at last | almost
fancied their pale sharp protiles and
rigid figures were visible in the flick
ering light Of the candle.
"'Come,' said I, Sam Weston-this
will never do Are you a man, Or have
you become a child again?'
"AnOther application-a long one,
too-to the rum jar, and | wrapped
some bunting, a rug and a pea-jacket
that lay on the locker, round me, and
lay down on the cabin floor to sleep;
and scarcely had I stretched myself
there when the candle fiared I'D, and,
after casting some strange kaleido-
scOpic figures On the beams overhead.
through the perforated lantern-top--
went out!
Il was in total darkness now, but
more awake han ever.
Il felt as if in a great floating coffin.
but heard no sound except the gurgle
OF the sea under the counter, or the
splash of the stern warp, as it whip
ped the water occasionally.
Il kept my eyes closed resolutely,
and determined, p%erforce, to sleep, and
not to wake till morning; but still
could not help thinking of the two poor
fellows who had died in the berths
Of that cold, dark, and silent cabin. and
had been tossed 10 and fro SO long
upon the sea before they received
Christian burial.
Which had died first-the man in
the l%arboard, or he in the starboard
berth? Why We're they thus aban-
doned? What had they said to each
other? What messages had they sent
to wife, to father, or mother? What
tale of love to repeat-of guilt to re-
Veal-messages given by the dead to
the dead, and never delivered!
These thoughts crowded upon me
till / almost imagined the dead men
lay there still, and that they might
rise up and give their last messages to
me.
Then I heard a sound in the f%orehold.
It made my blood curdle! Was it