El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-02

ana rom Lambourne openly expressed
his disbelief that the blood which COW
cred the clothes of the Cuban and the
thwart Of the boat ever came from the
veins OF dog, and others asserted that
he must have quarreled with an I'M
fortunate shipmate and killed him, or
had, perhaps, assassinated him in his
sleep for the horrible purpose of pro-
longing his own assistance.
Amid these unpleasant surmises as
to his character and position, in a few
days the Spaniard joined the crew in
working the ship, and proved himself
to be steady, Industrious and able
Nseaman, and as three of our hands were
on the sick list, his services were the
more valuable.
|. ON remarking this to Tom Lam
bourne:
cit is all very true, SIR" he replied:
"'but 1 don't like seaman who can
not look his shipmate right in the
face"
You are physiognomist,'' I sug-
gested.
Don't know what kind of a mist
that may be, Master Rodney; but this
I know-there is always something
cunning and dangerous in a fellow who
looks over your shoulder, as that Span
lard does, when he should look at your
eyes"
Antonio had an excessive dislike for
deck duty by night. He exhibited a
strange dread of being left alone, and
could scarcely be prevailed upon to
look over the vessels side, always
shrinking back as If he. expected to see
something hAdeous rise out of the sea-
Weston suggested that perhaps his re-
cent suffering had unnamed and rem
dered him nervous, but the crew
thought otherwise.
In his sleep Antonio frequently dis
turbed the men in the forecastle hunks
by his mutterings, his wild dreams,
outcries, and sonorous Spanish male
dictions.
1 was at the wheel ON a calm and
lovely night Git was the 18th of jan
uary), when we were off the beautiful
shore of Hispaniola. I remember well
that Cape SAVANNA bore west by
south, and Cape Cabron west by north.
for my task of steering was new to
me, and Weston's orders were "to keep
her full and by"-that is, as close to
the wind as possible without making
the canvas shiver.
could see the lights that glittered
In the distant villages that studded the
low but fertile peninsula Of SAVANNA.
All was still and quiet in the ship and
around it. Soothed by the solemnity of
the hour and the vast solitude of the
sea, my heart was full, and busy mem
DRY brought before me loved faces and
voices, places and scenes, that were
far away, in dear old England.
The brig was gliding through the
water rapidly, but imperceptibly, and
almost without sound; the men OF
the watch were leaning over the bull
wark to leeward, and the air, the sea
and all aloft and below seemed to
sleep in the moonlight; not a reef
point battered on the taut canvas, and
dead water astern that marked the
white wake Of the Eugene.
Suddenly a shrill and piercing cry
rang out upon the night, and Antonio
the Cuban rushed out from the fore
pressed in his black eyes; his visage
Was petle anu SudSIly, anu the peTSpIrd-
ton glittered like bead drops on his
brow. With his bare feet he
stumbled over the chain cable, which
lay coiled up on the deck, for on that
afternoon we had hauled it up and
bent it to the working anchor.
He came running aft in his shirt,
a knife in his hand, and
in fierce and then implor-
ng accents:
who says 1 did it? Who dares to |
say 500"
'Then, letting his arms drop as he |
SUNK back to his bunk, we heard him |
,roan out:
eel cuchi1lo-el cuchillo!' Ohe knife |
the knife.) e..
Hence, under such circumstances, 1t |
nay easily be supposed that among |
he crew there floated strange and |
lark surmises as to the past life of |
Antonio ell bano.
CHAPTER XIV.
Tie Water-Spout.
AS the sur increased in heat, not