The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-07-30

CHAPTER ].
DO you call this gale
No; I cell 1t a hurricane
do you know where we are?"
mot now, d,d at noon. but It is as
dark as pocket. There was light
upon the horizon to the southwest
while ago. If it was q vessel. which
doubt. 1t has gone to the bottom and
II 1t was a lighthouse ] believe that the
whole top of it has been blown OH!
Have you any sail set?
mot a sail. No sail would stand II
for a minute. You do not feel the full
force of the wind as we are running
before IT. We can do nothing else but
rum
What do you expect will happen"
One Of two things"
'Well?.
We will run before It til 1t stops. Or"
"Or what7"
III land happens to be In our way
You can imagine the restE
The speaker shrugged his shoulders
slightly, but the grim, determined as
pect OF his face did not change a par
ticle.
You seem to have no fear of the con-
sequences!"
'Fearl I have lived beyond the age
Of fear. For thirty years have been at
sea. In that time I have seen many
dangers, had many narrow escapes, done
the best could and tried to be honest.
Fear Is we'll enough for women. boys and
landsmen. but for old sailors 1T Is not
only useless, 1t Is dangerous.
''You are a fatalist, Captain Rivers!''
"I suppose that l am, young man. But
I also believe in doing all that you can
to prevent accidents. When you arc
caught without any warming. as we
have been to-day by q hurricane. which
hardly gives sign until 1t is upon you
In almost full force. what can you do but
take in all sail and run for 1t under
bare poles? That is what have done.
Now I must wait and see What VIII hap
pen next When II happens III make
the next novel; I have time.
what do you mem by that?.
"Just this. We may run out OF It, as
I have said, and we may bring up on
reef, or an island. or something OF that
sort. and then we will have to see what
can be done, If there Is enough left OF
us to do anything with. There IS always
a chance that there will be enough left
to make kindling wood Of"
The young man shuddered slightly as
he sat under the dim light Of the cabin
lamp, which swayed to and fro with the
hcaving and rolling Of the vessel as she
drove before the gale.
Rivers looked keenly at him from un-
der his shaggy eyebrows.
you've never seen much bad weather
at sea. I take It, Mr.. jennings" he said
finally.
mo; I have never been to sea except
in my voyage out, and this with you"
do you mind my asking you a peri
sonal question:"
mot in the least: reserve the right
not to answer 1t, however,"
The skipper gave short laugh.
quite so. But think that you will
in this case, as It can do no <Hossible
harm. You are not sailor. nor have
you been-that, of course. can easily
see. though you take easily to the life.
You have upon your left arm, just above
the elbow, mark that sailors are given
to- and not landsmen, as rule. You
are tattooed.f
'Af. you have seen that" said the
other with smile.
II saw it when you were dressing on
deck the other morning, after your bath.
It is a peculiar mark, griffin, think
that they call 1t, do they not?''
Eyes. A griffin, holding In its mouth
an arrow. It is a crest"
"a what?"
"a crest. Part Of coat-of-arms."
$50! And may ask how you happen
to have 1t upon your arm? It is not
common for men of your class to DO
tattooed."
my class? What do you mean by my
class?'
you are what is commonly called a
gentleman. You have done little or no
work during your life"
How do you knoW?'
LET me look at your hands"
Jennings did as requested without a
moments hesitation. Rivers took one
of them and held 1t palm up.
How do 1 know?" he asked. Look
at that skin. Unless you are a writer or
an artist, you have not done much. and
] do not think that you are either Of
those"
mo. 7 am not"
~ thought So. Now, will you toll mo
why you have that mark upon your
nrm?"
II will tell you in part. It is a means
OF Identification. MY father lost bro
Their in battle Most Of the bodies in the
detachment to which my uncle belonged
were horribly mutilated and stripped OF
all clothing. Ills body was never found.
My father, to whom my uncle's death
made a great difference, could not for a
long time prove under the law that his
brother was dead. SO he determined that
such case should not happen as far as
he was concerned. Each of his children
has some mark tattooed upon their bod
les. This happens to be nine. These
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