The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-02-23
And One Unknown

Erck somewieca at oHn of the ~ nth
American por s-Rio. most likely-he
fal sneaked n bo4rc at dusk, All
c~sr : ratlike to lii. s,sIttty o. the coal
bunk And now, dag scd into the light
or day-or, ash V, shci lsht as pene-
trated into the grimy darkness-he
stood and grinned like a detected
schoolboy at the little knot Of firemen
who had ferreted him out of his re-
treat.
Old Peters, the boatswain, who had
gone below to investigate, pushed his
cap far back on his head, and combed
his grizzled beard with a meditative
stroke of the hand as he regarded the
stowaway. What should they do with
him? The immortal Mr.. Dick, If he had
been present, would have decided
promptly and emphatically. Wash
him!" For he certainly needed it. The
layer of tan which had spread over his
scraggy face was capped by an addi-
tional film Of coal CRIME. r the
whites Of the fellows eyes. as he
looked around him with an affected.
easy, devil-may-care expression, were
the only distinguishable marks in his
features.
'Tve 'arf a mind to turn the 'ose on
i'm" said the b~oatswain, as he regard
ed the object of interest that stood
mute before him. But eventually he
decided to take his quarry along to the
captain just as ne had been discovered.
He was dragged up on deck-no. not
dra gged exactly. for there was some
indefinable touch of distinction about
the m~an-despite his grotesque APP
pearance that made itself felt to his
ly. almost respectfully, into the cap
tain's presence.
The interview turned principally upon
the unknown's ability to work his pas
sage. now that there was no means or
getting rid of him until they touched
at one of the West Indian ports. On
that point the stowaway, speaking for
the first time and with eagerness. gave
an amule assurance. He knew all
about machinery, he said, n IL they
wanted an extra hand in the engine
room, why, he was ready to turn TO
with oil can or shovel that instant.
His name?
mo. that's my own concern-no-
body else's. / am a Welshman," he
said, quietly. MY people are well
known In Cardiff. Perhaps / could tell
a tale IL l liked. Perhaps 1 couldn't.
1t doesn't matter to anybody. And he
looked at the captain with eyes that
meant he had said all he intended to
say on these points.
1t so happened that they were short
handed enough in the engine room h a
run. and the captain turned him over
to the burly. growing Scotch engineer.
who did not seem to regard him with
any great favor. "Taffy." as he was
called, disappeared below. and sue
ceeded within an hour in completely
reversing the engineers opinion. The
latter, who stood by to watch him.
could see with half an eye that the
man was quite at home among the
t%hrobbing, pulsing engines. and turned
away with the growing comment.
He'll do"
They had a few passengers aboard
that trip. and in the dusk of the even
ing. when Taffy stole up for a mouth
ful of fresh air, he noticed a dainty.
little childish figure go skipping along
the deck. He stood there, with his
grimy head poked out into the softly
changing twilight, watching her. Every
t;~1o rLa f,,rpol aud ckfnnpH mast
him his notable yes followed her. And
as he gazed wisfully after the merry,
innocent little creature the apple" In
his bare throat moved as if with a
gulp.
Ay, perhaps he could have told a
tale If he had chosen.
Every evening after that he slipped
away from the engine room at the
same hour, and looked a~nxiously out
along the deck. The child was nearly
always there. Sometimes she smiled
up at the greasy. watching face as she
went past, and Taffy carried that smile
below with him. wrapped up in some
odd corner of his heart.
The steamer had run in st. Pierre,
and was lying snugged up close to the
shelving beach. They were to sail
again next day. and 1t was a busy
night on board. Cargo had to be I'M
loaded. and fresh freight shipped from
the barges alongside. !,
Taffy. being an "odd man." had been
put on the donkey engine, which he
worked steadily throughout the even
ing. Many a time. while waiting for
the word to 'heave," his eye turned
restlessly to the distant summit OF
Mount Pelee. towering high up there
In the darkling heavens. The huge
mountain was growing and rumbling
~ominously, and there was a strange,
~lifeless iull in the air. like that which
betokens an approaching thunder clap.
1t was far into the night before he
was released from his post and free to
turn In for a few hours. Heavy-eyed
and weary. he tumbled into his bunk.
on1 xx.oC soon ogf aclQan