Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1899-12-14

Were dead yes, true enough. They
We're found in their berths, one on the
starooard, and the other on the port
side Of the cabin. But what of that?
huried them off the point of Santa
Cruz, and there they sleep sound
enough, believe me, each with a couple
OF cold shot at his heels. Here is the
key Of the companion hatch, and take
my revolver with you. for picaros are
pretty common hereabouts.
Thanks Hislop said l but how
am ! 10 get on board?'
Soul over to her in the punt that
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 Ill overhaul you, in the
forenoon watch. TIL then, good by
and before | could say anything more
/ old Jack was gone and | found my
sell alone on the stone mole, with the
key Of the polacca's companion In my
hand
There seemed nothing for me but
to accept the temporary home thus Of
fered; so, in the hope that 1t might lead
to something better, | stepped into the
light punt cast loose the painter, and
after few minutes vigorous sculling
found myself on the lonely deck of the
silent pulacca.
Her canvass was unbent; most of
the running rigging had also been
taken of her and slowed away-so her
tall and taper spars stood nakedly up
from the straight flush deck with a
sharp rake aft.
Thick banks of k-blue clouds
were coming heavily up from the Gulf
Of Florida. The air was hot and sui
phurous; some drops of rain warm
and broad as douboons, 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
glttered through the flying scud, the
bottom of which was uplifted in the
offing, like dark curtain that was bat
tered and rent.
Then 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 seaward, save
where pale-green beacon burned
steadily at Santa Cruz. on the western
side of the bay
'These signs prognosticated a rough
night, but | was glad to perceive that
the polacca was we'll moored at stem
and stern; so | unlocked the compan-
! S,y
shudder, into the dark and cold cabin,
whore 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-
mained on shore.
II found a ship-lantern with the fag-
end of a candle in il. and this, when
lighted. enabled me to take 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 profiles and
rigid figures were visible in the flick
ering light of the candle
Come, said !, Sam Weston this
will never do Are you man, or have
you become d child again.
Another appiication-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 | stretched myself
there when the candle hared up, 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 than ever
4 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.
y kept my eyes closed resolutely,
and determined perforce, 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 to and fro so long
upon the sea before they received
Christian burial
Which had died first-the man in
the larboard, or he in the starboard
berth? Why were 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-
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 heard a sound in the forehold.
/ 1t made my blood curdle Was it
caused by rats? Perhaps they had fed
| on the dead Spaniards and now were
! come to take a nibble at me- Rats
were bad enough, but ghosts were
worse. | took a third and last pull al
the Jamaica jar; said my prayers ovei
again, with more than usual devotion
adding thereto the wish that | shoult
soon have a spanking craft OF my
own,