The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-19

was falling fast, there was no mistak-
ing it's meaning in spite of the beauti-
full sunset. The mainsail was double
reefed soon after dark, while the skip
per went below for an hours rest. The
uneasy sea, however, kept him awake,
and he lay with his head against the
bullohead listening for sounds on deck.
In the forecastle Billy moved about
among the chests and dunnage, mutter-
ing now and then as though thinking
hard upon some problem. John came
below at last leaving Anderson at the
wheel. Then began a conversation
which soon dwindled to low drone.
Suddenly the captain started up. The
hoarse croak of the raven sounded loud
above the complaining timbers of the
little ship.
whats the matter with Billy? He's
all right" came the uncanny cry.
The captain listened for a moment
Then he heard a smothered oath. There
was a fiuttering of wings and the voice
called forth.
Poor old Jim. poor old jim"
"Youse killed him. came the COM
plainin voice of John.
AN serve him bloomin right"
snarled Billy "but listen to me. We
kin jest as we'll take the boat tonight
as any time. 1t amt goin' to blow
any worse because I'm here to take
charge"
There was some animated muttering
and protesting on the part of John,
but Billy soon broke in again, his voice
now raised into hoarse whisper and
vibrating with passion.
Now youse see here, Johnny. don't
want no objectin'. I've been in lingo
too long fer any nonsense. You got to
do as / says an this boat must be ours
if we wants to go clear. You know
me. Why, hang it, am to be talked
to by sech as you an that niger, heyo
Look ahere, Johnny, now listen to me
I've been through enough to turn
any man against anything. Just look
at me, Johnny. My God, man, youse
kin understand?
The little vessel gave heavy lurch.
There was a rattle of pans from the
galley A pause. Then droning over
head as the wind came through the rig
ging, during which the vessel swung
heavily to leeward on the northeast
swell. Billy began again in a hoarse
voice.
"Youse know something, Johnny, an
kin understand plain langwidge. Youse
know we must get clear of everything
behind us if we wants anything in this
life. There's no use talkin of goin'
back or servin' time. or anything like
that. we must start out fresh in a
new country with a clear record. see?
Jest look how the thing was with me,
an youse kin tell it is no use any 9TH
er way.
There was brought up to have
most things an taught mighty little
Anything were good enough fer me as
far as learnin' goes. An when / had
that little fracas wild de feller-that ac-
cident which / was to serve fer-a
mighty small thing which could have
been STAYED off by friends-if I'd had
any. Why, what happens? No one
knows me. Not a soul knows me on
the street. No. sir. not a one. OF all
says the time of day, an here / am
not dom a thing moren anyone else
would a done wild de same
way O. happenin'. comes
home an lays low fer a time, tryin' to
live 1T down. 1t was only a fracas the
other teller got the worst of, but
Johnny, never knowed Christian peo-
pie was so cruel. The more religious
they are the more lowdown an mean
they be to a Teller who's done some
thin and gets down. Why, them fell
lers what prays the most an breaches
about the forgiveness O. sins, an the |
resurrection o. the body are the worst |
of all. They looks at me like l was
a plague They never takes up wild |
a guy what's down, not they. They on
ly wants to have some rich folks pay |
'em for talkin' big an good Which |
shows to my way o. thinkin' that a |
guy what breaches a thing never be- |
lieveS the thing hissilf-else why should |
he act the opposite. Forgive moth |
in. They fellers wouldn't forgive me, |
nor give a chanst fer me to try an |
do the right thing. No, not them. Why |
should them fellers treat me like a |
hot
too hard? No, because 1 was down. 1t |
was that, fer didn't mean no wrong. |
There's only one way out of It, an
that's to take to the sea. Then youSe |
don't leave any tracks
There was a moments pause, and |
Billy began again in a. lower tone full |
of a strange sadness.
There's my people, all respectable
an goin' to church. an sayin' how
an lot o. trash like that Then they /
comes home an says how bad 1 am,
an fer me brother Jim not to go wild |
me too much. Then-yes, then, all the |
decent girls are warned agin meme |
a Teller what hit a Teller too hard in
a fair fight. My gal tries to see me
oncet, an I'm hustled away as not
oein. mt to see her. They all keeps
away from me an I'm set down as a
bad man-an' then the father says I
care fer likker-Gord, is 1t any won
der? Likker does associate wild me.
It's the only thing as does, now--an'
yet, Johnny, T. No, our chanst Is
right here. Wen take this ship, an"
A sudden lurch of the little vessel cut
off further hearing on the part of the
captain Then the man at the wheel
bawled out for all hands.
The captain heard the singing wind
In the rigging deepen its note and felt
the lurch. Then he came bounding on
deck in time to see the whitening ocean
to the northward whirling it's spume
the night as If followed with
the gale. There was a squirt of spray
as 1t struck the vesesl and the water
few in hts face. He sprang blindly to
the wheel and rolled it up while she
paid off under the close-reefed mainsafl
and bonneted jib. The wind had come
at last and with it the great northeast
sea which had told of its magnitude
when 1t sent the heaving swell before.
With her mainsail stralning away
and the foam surging white under her
fore-foot. she tore her way into the ]