Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-05-10
CHAPTER XXNI.
ISRAEL HANDS.

The wind, serving us to a desire,
now hauled into the west. We could
run so much the easier from the north
west corner OF the island TO the mouth
of the North Inlet. only, as we had no
power to anchor, and dared not beach
her till the tide had flowed a good deal
further, time hung on our hands. The
cockSwain told me how to lay the ship
to; after a good many trials / succeed
ed, and we both sat in silence, over an
other meal.
"Cap'n," said he, at length, with that
same uncomfortable smile, here's my
cid shipmate, O'BTien; s'pose you was
70 hcave him overheard. l amt par
ti'ciar as q rule, and j don't take no
blame for settling his hash; but l don't
reckon him ornamental, now, do your"
I'm not strong enough, M l don't
like the job; and there he lies, for me"
said /.
This here's an unlucky ship-the
Hispaniola,' jim" he went on, blink
ing. There's n power of. men been
killed in this 'Hispaniola'- n sight o.
poor seamen dead and gone since you
and me took ship to Bristol. l never
seen such dirty luck. not !. There was
this here O'Brien, now-he's dead, Amt
he? Well, now, I'm no scholar, and
you're a lad as q read and figure;
and, to put it straight, do you take 1t
as a lead nan is dead for good, or do
he come alive again?'
You can kill the body, Mr.. Hands,
but not the spirit; you must know that
already Il replied. "O'Brien, there, is
in another world, IN may be watching
us"
"Ah!'' says he. We'll, that's unfort'-
nate-appears as If killing parties was
"A waste OF time. H~owsomever, sper-
rits don't reckon for much, by what
I've seen. I'll chance IT with the sper-
rits, Jim. And now, you've spoken up
free. and I'll take it kin If you'd step
down into that there cabin and get me
a-well, a-shiver my timbers! / can't
hit the name ont; well, you get me a
bottle Of wine, Jim-this here brandy's
too strong for my head"
Now the ~cockswain's hesitation
seemed TO be unnatural; and as for the
notion of his preferring wine to
brandy, l entirely disbelieved 1t. The
whole story was a pretext. lie wanted
me to leave the deck--so much was
plain; but with what purpose / could
in no way imagine. His eyes never
met mine; they kept wandering to
and fro, up and down, now with a
look to the sky, now with a fitting
glance upon the dead O'Brien. All the
time he kept smiling, and putting his
tongue out in the most guilty, embar-
raised manner, so that n child could
have old he was ben on some decep-
ton. / was prompt with my answer
however, for L saw where my advant-
age lay; and that with a fellow Sc
densely stupid / could easily conceaI
my suspicious to the end.
Some wine?' l said. Far better
Will you have white or red?"
'Well / reckon it's about the blessed
same to me, shipmate," he replied; sc
it's strong, and plenty Of It,, what's tn
odds?"
"All right" 1 answered. I'll brins
you port, Mr.. Hands. But Ill ave t
dig for it,"
With that I scuttled down the com
panion with all the noise | could
/, slipped off my shoes, ran quietly alons
] the spared gallery, mounted the FORE
castle ladder, and popped my head on
, OF the fore companion. l knew h
) would not expect to see me there; ye
1 took every precaution possible; am
} certainly the worst OF my suspicion
I; proved too true.