The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-14

the strength which madness often con-
| fers, he got the breaker of water into the
main channel, then placed beside 1t the
stock of provisions he had slowed away
aft, and called to Julia:
I DO you see him?''
Come on deck and we will look" she
answered, for now that she stood on a
solid deck her nerve had returned.
STEADY this breaker on the rail-" he
called.
He handed it on to the rail and she
held it. He then threw the provisions on
to the deck, leapt inboard and placed the
breaker betwiXt couple of loose planks.
The moon was shining brightly, and its
| light rippled in lines of lustrous pearl.
The heave of the sea was slow and sol
emn, the wind was soft and weak, AID
| the west was still scored with stre9ks of
! crimson but night was at hand, and
some stars were trembling in the east.
She was one of those little brigs which
! are among the quaintest of the marine
| objects of the port or harbor. Her for
| ward deck from the main hatchway was
! heaped with timber cieverly slowed, with
! room for the little caboose and a narrow
alley to it from the hatch Some of the
running rigging lay loose about the decks,
! and this gave her a look of confusion.
! Otherwise, from the appearance of her
! deck cargo it was clear that she had not
been hurt by weather. deck-house
nearly filled the quarterback; there was
! Just room on either hand for man to
walk.
| The captain stood silent for a minute
| staring about him. He then muttered:
Nothing. moves;s l see nothing alive.
He may be there. e Come, for it will be
you to see him first
He went to the door of the deck-house
and Julia followed. Two windows stood
on either side the door and four windows
ran down either wall. But when they
entered the moon made so faint a light
it was difficult to see. Yet distinctive
features of the interior were visible; a
table three or four chairs, and a bulk
head abaft which might screen from the
living room two holes for the skipper and
his mate to sleep in.
Call him. whispered the captain, as
though he stood in a dead house.
Johnny" cried the girl, come to
father if you are here, Johnny!''
| She had a wonderful spirit to say this.
| She felt the horrible mockery of it and
the recoil of it's CHASTITY derisiveness upon
/ her heart, but she knew Hardy could not
be far off and would seek her. The pas
sion of life was strong in her, and she
! judged that her only chance lay in inspir-
! iting the poor mans dreadful conviction
Call him again., said the captain, and
again she called.
He advanced a step and she saw him
in the faint suffusion straining in a
! posture of desperate gaze of desperate
hearkening, as though his teeth were set
! and tho sweat of blood was on his
/ brow, and the palms of his hands were
bloody with the penetration of the finger
nails.
At that moment she heard a single
stroke of bell. She started with a cry.
with instant rejoicing, for she believed
! there were men in the vessel.
What was that? said the captain.
! "a bell!'' she exclaimed.
ooh, God, it may be Johnnyi' he shout
| ed, and he rushed through the open DOOR
! She quickly followed; she was not a
| superstitious fool, she was a girl at sea,
and as a girl might, she supposed that If
| a bell were struck upon a ships deck
| it was by a man.
| small bell was hung betwixt the fore
mast and the foremost end of the galley
or caboose, and Immediately under it lay,
| bottom up, secured to-. the deck, a small
! tub of boat. 1t was easy to understand
why the bell should have tolled 1t had
| been struck by some blight Of buntline Or
f, clewline In the sway of the brig as she
! heeled to the fold and the sharp return of
the bell jerked the tongue against the
metal side in a single stroke
But the captain was too mad to under
stand this, and Julia was a girl at sea
without eyes for bights of running gear.
She was startled, nay, sudden hor o.
of superstition visited her when 70 low
! ing the captain She stood near the hell
and saw no sign of human creature Sac
! cast looks of fear all about; one, even
one, man would protect her against the
horrible yokedom of this passage. The
/ planks had the sheen of satin in the
/ moonlight and the power of the satellite