The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-09-21
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. dsy.s s~sms, her ferctopmass gore, bef
ysrss spllu,sd. hsr salls ip rags, and si'h
sour frss ~ ester 10 her sc~ef hold, the
old hssa Esagrrs three weeks ov'rdas ~hn
cargo ~ rice from Calcutta, cams isfen'
/, hcsyi ' trto the io~@ hsrbof through
,hs sos ~ Msy afternoon
Al hes wheel steod tho captain, and amid
shin t~o we' riea ssdes we're pumpias
assps,s,sly. Bfa birs aside pslnt-ooau,
tugs srd qusrsntin. steamer, hssdlsn OF
he hosr.e warnings screcehed from half
4, \ metal shroa,s. che msde straight for
the crescent n Hospital Rank, and there
rsn hard aud fat agra nd.
Al she ssitied she made bed IN herself
10 The soft nut, 20 that when the Tide left
her she stood nesr upright.
Duripg the mkt week her rst-ridd'ed
es, 20 vas I,sh,sred ont Than her own
er, ~elgtei its fate 10 council, ard their
verdict was, strip and burn = FOR i've
ds,s more the s~aruias v,sgers worked
havoc With knife and hstchet and marl'ne'
spike, until, on Fridav afisrnoor, the d'css
~ere Uttered 9Th facd for the iank-shop
and the oskum factory, and the three mants
rose bare Of their familiar traceryof rope
and spsr,
Al three O'Clock on that very Friday
Emerson Hndy, Just turned twenty-five,
licensed engineer Of the gssoIihs-laurc rch be-
longing to Smith a. cutcifis, the arm that
owned the bark. had finished cleaning up
his boat after short trip, and bad moored
i securely Of the foot Of the landing stairs
The machinery needed some repairs, 90 for
two or three days his craft would be out
OF commission.
He had not tn. slightest objection, there
fore, when hIs employers asked him to act
a. wa,chmAn for q single night In place Of
the caiored steward, who had for the past
ten days stood guard over the vessel, bu'
who had that morning sailed oD fruit-shiI
bound for Jamaica. Smith A Cutclifie knew
we'll that the bark was safe from harboI
thieves 80 long 40 the engineer had charge
oft
II was already dusk, and q dense for
blsnketed the bay, when the tug orion, OF
wsy out to watch all night for incoming
vessels, steamed up close to the Empress u
set Hardy on board. He scrambled up th'
low side, and was on deck 10 moment,
Don't let the rats eat you up, Emerson
called out the pilot, as the tug swung away
III give you call In t. Q morning on TN
WAY 10, tosee II you're all there,
Hardy flang back 3 Jest in reply. Th'
first things be did after the Orion had van
ished Ia the mist and its distant puflinf
died down to an asthmatic whisper were tt
lipht his lantern and load his revolver
Then he Strengthened up and looked abou'
him.
The bark was entirely dismantled. Hel
ragged sails were bundled up; the cordag'
| lay along the deck In coils and lines ex
tending from the cabin top forward. II
short, the vessel had been stripped OF every
thing Of value In pi eparation for the fna
trips Of the lighter. The only spot abov'
decks not covered with debris WAS the roo
Of the forcastle.
with the advance Of night the fog grew
thicker. Back and forth paced the enRin
eer. He consulted his watch; 1t was eigh
o'clock. he came to stop near the end o
the cabin, where the ships bell hung ton
gueless.
The fancy came to him to strike tn
hours upon II, ~ II he we're keeping watcl
during an ocean voyage; It would break tn
monotony Of bis night. With rusty irol
msrlinespike. picked up from the deck, h
beat out eight clear, silvery notes from th
ses-mellowed brass.
| The night wore on. Every thirty min
u,es Hardy paused near the binnacle, ap'
the bell pealed out its warning beneath h'
vigorous arm one stroke at half past eight
two at nine, and 80 on.
| But the hours moved slowly. He VA
jus. on the edge Of the channel, and up Z
midnight there WAS plenty OF passing
passer gel. boats, freighters, tugs TOWN.
lines Of barges be could hear and tell ther
all, although the fog hid them from view
Toward twelve O'Clock they thnned out
and IL would have been lonely enough 0
the deserted hulk but for the rats.
The were present In scores, great, gray
leapipg, bewhiskered fellows, ecurryin
about decks ard qnsrreling with one 81
other. no balf.tsme, incfi~nsise house an
, msls, but savage, impudent butes, bor
and bred on sbipbosrd
II For want OF anything better to do, Hard
watched them Finally he grew tired, aD
1 midnight, after eight strokes on the bel
vent down into the cabin. In the middl
Of the floor stood huge rat. The watch
|, man shouted at II. The beast merely iii
cd Ito head lrquiringly without = sign 9
4 fear, and then trotted leisureiy Into 10
captains stAteroom.
Il Hardy stretched himself out 10 dilapid
sted hAircloth armchair, the sole remainip
article OF furniture, vet bis lantern dow
near BY, ard tried 70 fancy himself 10 CON
mapd Of the bark on foreign voyage d
los, con nsciousness for time, but Vas sue
denly reused by . sharp pain 10 We righ
hand. aptiaging up, be hang from hir
aI,h shudder Of disgust rat which, en-
oodsned by his siIen.e. bad Iesped inso hl
Hap and bitten the knuckle OF biz msdd'
finger.
lie looked At his watch. II was near
two O'Clock, the time when mans hie io'
les are sid to b. At their lowest eoo. Owe
the decks above. Hardy could bear number
vess seei rsttesstg std rciDg, while 70
air vas rensby shrill. continuous 'qaesl'
| fall A.