The Saint Paul globe., 1900-03-26
Tbe Ships Ndvenflgre.
BY W. CLARK RUSSELL Copyright. 1899 VS. Mcclure COY

aloft like some new spring or spirit of
life. The cocks in the coops abaft the
galley chimed in with constant defy.ng
growing, about as melodious as the noise
of a broken winded barrel organ. The
pigs under the longboat grunted in SYM
pathy with sounds which reminded them
of the trough and the haystack and the
near village.
Whilst all this harmless sailors pleas
ure was going forward ON the ships fore
castle, the captain of the vessel came out
of the cabin, and when he stepped upon
the deck he stood "a moment with his
hand resting upon the companion-hood
looking forward and listening to the mu-
sic.
He was a man of about forty-fiVc to
fifty years of age, and his name was
William Layard. He scarcely wore the
appearance of a sailor. The lower per
ton Of his face was hddenein hair, which
was of a dark brown, streaked with gray,
and his hair was long. His nose was a
fine, well-bred aquiline, his brow square,
his eyebrows shaggy, and his dark eyes
burnt with brightness in the shadow cast
by their caves He wore a soft black hat,
which sat securely upon his head, and
was clothed in monkey jacket and blue
cloth trousers. No discerning eye but
would have dwelt a little upon HIM in
speculation. His face showed marks Of
breeding, but there was something else IL
him, too, that would have de aimed tie
gaze-a faint, an almost delusive express
sion of triumph, Of an inward eXaitation
which was almost dissembled, and sub ly
revealed in the mouth that SO delicately
diffuSed IT that only a keeE eye would
have witnessed il.
Hardy was making the voyage with him
for the first time, and though hey had
been together for some days, whilst they
had frequently conversed in the docks,
he did not understand him, he had not
got IN any way near to him. But, as
gentleman himself, he felt the pl essence of
the gentleman in Capt. Layard, and had
picked up from his own lips that he had
been educated at one of the great public
schools, had begun the sea life in the
royal navy as midshipman. but. for some
reason left unexplained, had gu tied the
white for the red flag, and had been in
command five years, after serving, of
course, as second and third mate, always
trading to the Australian and New Zea
land ports in ships like the New York,
which did not carry passengers.
Hardy had also gathered that he
was a widower, who had mar
ried a woman of good birth, the
Hon. Miss , no need to name her,
by whom he had the little boy Johnny,
who was the darling of his heart, and
since his wife's death, in the last four
voyages to the Pacific. Our friend Hardy
had also made another discovery; that
the captain, even before the start, show
ed disposition to treat him as COM
panon rather than as a mate. This was
so unusual in sea captains-it is still un-
usual-that Hardy's speculations as to
Capt. Layard's character were considera-
bly, sharpened by it.
70 cn6 on
The sailors stood about hot and amused,
and the dog, with his tongue out, looked
eagerly from one face to another. The
ship was STILL there was no stopping fall
of water alongside to disturb the calm
respirations of the canvass; the cap a II,
with his hand upon the compan nioE-h od,
continued to gaze forward, and Hardy,
standing at the miZzen-rigging, watched
him askant Then, through the s,reni y
Of the breathing, sun-dushed aiY, all the
way from the forward, nearly the whole
length of the ship, came the clear, high
note of little Johnny's voice
"'Dicky, play tSalIyr-Ccme Up, and
Diclzy, rendered Jealous by the captains
presence on deck, instantly put his ME
to his lips. The drum ratified, the sal s
re-echoed the Jolly air, the feet of the
men began to shake, the dog raced and
waltzed in stately measures as before,
the whole forecaStle was again il motion,
and the ship, with her taut rigging, VI
brant with the shrilIing CT the fife ana
the roll of the drum, noated onwards
over the long, languid undu at!ors OF the
deep, which were scarlet westWards With
the splendor of the dying day that was
crumbling towards the sea line in masses
of burning light.
Capt. Layard STEPPED across the deck ID
Mr.. Hardy.
That boy plays the drum with a pro-
fessional hand" said he. He got the art
himself, for nobody taught him. 1t Is a
good drum-good enough for soldiers to
march to-
''I never head better drumming, SIR
answered Hardy.
"Where did Sailor learn to waltz?' said
the captain, and he watched the dog.
How quickly Johnny has made friends
with the crew"
Amy crew of Engiishmen would cher
ish and pet him, and perish for such a
beautiful, manly little fellow" exclaimed
Hardy with enthusiasm and admiration
| in his voice.
Hes always kept my crew contented,'
said Capt. Layard, smiling. Several men
| have sailed with me every voyage ever
! since | took Johnny to sea, learning that
| he was coming again.
| He looked at the sail to windward that
| leaned like a black feather in the Grim
| son air, then glanced over the ships side
| to judge her pace, and stood for some
time near Hardy listening to the music
and watching the men dancing. He said,
with an abruptness that again surprised
Hardy as it had before even startled him
| during the run down channel:
"Have you ever studied the nervous
| system?'
mo, sir,' answered Hardy.
"a man is formed of two Sides" con-
! tinued the captain, "and each side has a
| nervous system of its own. They are
Independent, and strange things happen
In consequence. l remember when l was
chief mate of a ship called the Tartar
that I stood aft close to the man at the
| wheel, who exclaimed on a sudden, i
! don't know what's wrong with me, but
there's two meanings agoing on in my
| head What's that? / asked. This here
| side, said he, lifting his right hand from
| the spoke and putting it to his forehead,
| is a talking one sense which amt sense,
! because tother sides talking in a diff
| ferent way and here he touched his
| left brow and ans confusion,' and then
he began to mutter to himself 1 thought
| he was Ill, and, calling another man to
| the relief, sent him forward and follow
ed with some brandy, which put his head
to rights. 1 spoke of this matter to a
| doctor when l got ashore, and he explain
| ey the dual system of nerves, and told
me that overworked brains would occa-
| sionally chatter inconsequentially in each
| lobe
How shall man act when his brain
comes to a misunderstanding in that
fashion," asked Hardy, gazing with crit
| ical interest at the captains refined but
singular face.
| II take brandy replied Capt. Layard
|