Evening star., 1904-01-23

Woulunt De mere tnDW-youd have gone
ashore with the man who came out to get
you. 1t was slick game that you worked
on the captain and that police inspector;
but you couldn't have worked 1t ON me. You
can't work any game on me- Remember
that. You can't work any game on me!
fou'H stay on deck where you belong il
tell you to- and if you come down here
again to bother this poor, old sick man, I'll
have you put in irons, by G.! And now
you understand how we stand"
Parton could guess without much hard
thinking what his object was in keep
Ing him out of the cabin. That he really
feared that Parton's presence might do
harm to the captain was of course, too alb
That he was anxious to have the whole
ship know what Partpn's standing was with
the new commander was certain. That he
was taking advantage of the situation to
provide an uninterrupted opportunity for
searching the cabin for the jewels was
probable. The captains fears had been
prophetic, and If he should ever see his dia-
monds again 1t might be wholly owing to
the old mans foresight.
His afternoon on deck was very unpleas-
ant. To add to his discomfort light rain
began to fall at about sunset time. This
forced matters to an issue in his mind.
The captain had lent him vast yellow oil
skin coat which smelled horribly of fish.
1t was hanging in his berth. He made up
his mind that he would get it or have his
trouble then. He was keyed up to a pitch
which would have carried him to any length
OF assault and battery upon the person OF
the new commander of the ship when he
went below to get the coat. But, greatly to
his surprise, the mate made no objections
He met Parton with as near pleasant
smile as his face was capable of, and told
him, with his finger on his lips, that the
taken what he wanted from his little state
room the mate went with him to the deck.
Parton tried to avoid his company by going
to the after rail, but the mate walked with
hi nl 1aon OF QC vi
the best of friends. He was evidently Ill at
ease. Finally he spoke.
Pm sorry that l spoke that way to you
today" he said awkwardly, but I was SO
upset by the captains illness that / didn't
quite realize what 1 was doing or saying.
It's big responsibility to have the COM
mand of another mans ship showed onto
your shoulders out here to sea, and-it made
me nervous. Not that I'm afraid that l
can't take the old hooker into port all right
i can do that, guess, about as well as
he could; but tit amt pleasant II
hope you'll excuse me, Mr.-Mr. P-arter"
Parton said nothing for moment. The
mates face was, if possible. little more
disagreeable in its expression of apology
than it had been in that of aggression, and
he did not like the hesitation before the pro-
nunciation of the assumed name. Still his
common sense told him that 1t would be
better to get along without an open rupture
if he could.
Il don't blame you for feeling sore about
IL, dUueu tIle Hdte UelOIe iloii opohS
at all, but you'll admit that things was
a little more than usual worrying, and that,
perhaps, l had an excuse for being hus-
tered"
"Oh, I fancy that it will be all right"
said Parton with no cordality in his voice.
and as if he were accepting a disagreeable
but necessary situation as well as he could
be expected to. Il presume that we shall
be able to get along until we get into port
without coming to blows"
1t was evidently the mates desire to take
this remark as if it were jocularly meant,
for he smiled as he said:
II guess 50. OF course, you will keep
your own quarters"
Then he held out his hand.
Shall we shake and call bygones by
gones?" he said.f I.
Parton shook hands with him and said
that he supposed that they might as well.
He was anxious to change the subject and
he was anxious to ask about the captain.
How is he now?" he, asked.
Just about the same said the mate.
There doesn't seem to be much change.
It's the strangest thing 1 ever heard of.
When we first got him down here he was
busy with that funny cuss word of his,
you know. Only. apparently, he couldn't
remember all of IT All he could say, was:
BY John Quincy .Ad-.. He couldn't seem
to say the 'ams.sc a:ss,,
.Well, he kept saying that over until he
went into the sleep hes in now, only every
once in an hour or two. he'd lose syllable
I a.
That was, the last ne said before he went
to sleep" -o.f5a - "a e.
Has he any fe3er?" asked Parton. II
don't know very much about Illness but l
know that fever is bad sign"
You can see him. II you like, and try II
you can tell. don't know anything about
such things" said the mate.
That Brown was badly frightened was
revealed by the color of his face and his
evident nervousness. Parton figured that he
had begun to wonder If. when the ship
reached port, there might not be something
about the course which he had taken which
would be regarded unfavorably by the
courts While a vessel is a her officers
are supreme in her command, but that Dy
no means relieves them from responsibility
for wrong doing after they have reached
shore
Parton went to the captains bunk and
pulled back the curtains. The old man lay
silent and without movement HIS face
showed that strange pallor which is so un-
canny in thes countenances of men who
have been in health deeply bronzed by the
sun and weather. The eyes were only part
ly closed and strip of yelloWish white
showed. The hands were not cl1nched Dut
the arms were spread straight along the
sides of the body outside of the coverlet,
with the fingers held wide apart and rigid
The pulse ran slowly and unsteadlly al, as
nearly as Parton could count with his
watch in his hand. about sixty. The old
mans lips continually moved, notwith-
standing the apparent stupor in which he
law. and Parton, STOPPING over, could dis
tinpuish above the creaking of the Lyddy's
timbers and the soft swish of the waters
along her sides the words muttered over
and over again:
"B' John ouin-! b John Quin-! b
John Quin!'
He bathed the old mans hands and arms
in hot water and gave him whisky, al
though it was difficult to make him take it.
When the mate admitted to him that prac-
ticalIy nothing had been done before, he
had to shut his lips tight in order to pre-
vent himself from bursting out into
stream of reproaches
Not long afterward Parton looked up
from the captains side to find that the
mate had gone on deck. few moments
aftar this he went to his own little cabin.
He had scarcely expected to find 1t in the
condition in which it was, but at the same
time he was not greatly surprised when
he found evidences that it had been thor
ouehly and hastily overhauled. The Sc
curity which the mate had felt in this out
rage was shown by the fact that he had not
even attempted to rearrange the bed so
that traces of his trespasS would be hidden.
Several days passed after this with small
change in the situation, except for brief
neriod of incoherent consciousness for the
captain on the second day after the stroke,
but his struggles to make himself under
stood were fruitleSs. The mate was uni
formly friendly in a strained and watchful
I1.l IL. ~ ,A1.,,p