Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-17
The water.
CHAPTER XVII.
WPIECES OE EIGHTH


from my perch on the cross-trees l
had nothing below me but the sur
face of the bay. Hands, who was not
so far up, was. in consequence, nearer
TO the ship, and fell between me and
the bulwarks. He rose once to the
surface in lather Of foam and blood
and then sunk ngain for good. AS the
water settled ] could see him lying
huddled together on the clean, bright
sand in the shadow of the vessels
sides. A fish or two whipped past his
body. Sometimes. by the quvering OF
the water, he appeared to move a little,
as II he were trying to rise. But he
was dead enough, for all That, being
both shot and drowned, and was food
for fish In the very place where he had
designed my slaughter.
was no sooner certain Of this than
i began to feel sick, faint and terri
fed. The hot blood was running over
my back md chest The dirk, where it
had pinned my shoulder to the mast,
seemed to burn like hot iron; yet
It was not so much these real suffer
ings that distressed me, for these, it
seemed to me, l could bear without a
murmur; it was the horror had upon
my mind of falling from the cross
trees into that still green water, beside
the body of the cockswain.
I clung with both hands till my nails
nched, and l shut my eyes as il to
cover up the peril. Gradually my mind
came back again, my pulse quieted
down to moro natural time, and
was once more in possession of myself.
1t was my first thought to pluck
forth the dirk; but either it stuck too
hard OF my nerve failed me, and 1 de-
sisted with a violent shuddcr. Oddly
enough that very shudder did the bust
ness. The knife, in fact, had come the
nearest in the world to missing me
altogether; it held me by n mere pinch
Of skin, and this the shudder tore away
The blood ran down the faster, to be
sure; but I was my own master again
and only tackled to the mast by my
coat and shirt.
These last broke through with a
sudden jerk and then regained the decl,
by the starboard shrouds. For moth
ing in the world would have again ven
tured, shaken as I was, upon the over
hanging port shrouds, from which Is
rael had SO lately fallen.
I went below and did what I could
for my wound; It panied me great
deal and still bled freely; but it was
neither deep nor dangerous, nor did i.
greatly gall me when l used my arm.
Then I looked around me, and as the
ship was now, in sense, my own, l
began to think of clearing it from its
last passenger-the dead man, O'Brien.
He had pitched, as have said, against
the bulwarks, where he lay like some
horrible. ungainly sort of puppet; life
hze, indeed, but how different from
iife's color or life's comeliness! In that
position I could easily have my way
with him, and az the habit of tragical
adventures had worn of almost all my
terror for the dead, took him by the
waist as il he had been a sack Of bran
and, with one good heave, tumbled him
overheard. He went In with a soundin &
plunge, the red cap came off and re-
manned floating on the surface, and as
soon as the splash subsidized could see
him and Israel lying side by side, both
wavering with the tremulous movement
Of the water O'Brien, though still
quite young man, was very bald
There he lay, with that bald head
across the knees of the man who had
killed him and the quick fishes steering
10 and fro over both.
was now alone upon the ship; the
tide had just turned. The sun was
within so few degrees of setting TINT
already the shadow Of the pines upon
the western shore began to reach right
across the anchorage and fall in pat
terms on the deck. The evening breeze
had sprung up, and though 1t was wei
warded off by the hill with the two
peaks upon the east, the cordage had be.
gun to sing little softly to itself and
the idle sails to rattle to and fro.
began TO see danger to the ship
The jibs l speedily doused and brought
tumbling to the deck; but the mainsai
was harder matter. OF course, wher
the schooner canted over the boom had
swung cupboard and the cap of it and
foot or two of sail hung even under
water. l thought this made it still more
dangerous; yet the strain was so heavy
that l half feared to NEEDLE. At las,
I got my knife and cut the halyardy
The peak dropped instantly, q grca'
belly Of loose canvas foated broad upor
the water, and since, pull as liked,
could not bulge the downhaul, tina
was the extent of what could accom-
plish. For the rest, the "Hispaniola'
must trust to luck, like myself.
By this time the whole anchorage hat
fallen into shadow-the last rays, l re
member, falling through a glade OF the
wood and shining, bright as jewels. or
the fowery mantle of the wreck. i
began to be chill, the tide was rapidly
feeting seward, the schooner settling
more and more on her beam-ends.
l scrambled forward and looked over
1t seemed shallow enough and, holding
the cut hawser in both hands for las
security. let myself drop softly over
board. The water scarcely reached my
waist, the sand was firm and covered
with ripple marks, and I waded ashor,
in great spirits, leaving the "TIispani
ola" ON her side, with her mainsail trail
ing wide upon the surface of the bay
Absu$ the same time the sun went fair
ly down and the breeze whistled low II
the dusk among the tossing pines.
At least, and at last, / was off tn,
sea, nor had returned thence empty
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