The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-06-02
CHAPTER I.

the surface Of the tepid ocean. The
stiffness of the atmosphere was phe-
nomenal. even in the ATTITUDES where
great calm reigns from month to month
1t is almost impossible to present to
northern eyes this picture of southern
sea cleaning beneath sun which had
known no cloud for weeks; impossible to
portray the brilliant monotony OF it all
with any degree of reality. The sun
rises day by day, week in and week out,
unclouded from the straight horizon
sails right overhead, and at last sinks
westward undimmed by thinnest vapor
Month after month, year after year, aye
century after century, this days WORK
Is performed. The scorching orb OF light
rises at the same monotonous hour and
sets, just as he did when this world was
one vast ocean, with but one ship sail
Ing on it.
Firm the dark, mysterious depths OF
the ocean, wavering ripples mounting
In radiation to the surface, broke at
times the blue uniformity of its bosom.
Occasionally a delicate nautilus noated
along before some unappreciabie breath,
presently to fold its sails and disappear.
Long Hailers Of seaweed floating idly
almost seemed to be endowed with a
sinuous life and movement
No bird in the air, no fish In the sea!
Nothing to break the awful silence! A
wreck might float and drift here or there
upon these aimiess waters for years to-
gether and never be found.
But Chance, the tickle, ruled that two
vessels should break the monotony OF
sea and sky on this particular afternoon.
One, mighty structure, with tall taper
ing masts, perfect in itself, an ideal
merchantmen. The other, small. Of ex-
Quisite yacht-like form, and with every
outward sign of a great speed obtaina-
BILE.
There was obviously something emiss
with the larger vessel. Instead Of white
sails aloft on every spar. bare poles
and slack ropes stood markedly against
the blue ether.
In contrast, the other carried every
foot Of canvas. Carried it literally; for
the white cloth hung mostly idle, only
at times Tapping softly to breath of
air that was not felt on deck. Since
fly, though very slowly, decreasing the
distance between them, and now there
were signs of activity on her deck, as
though boat were about to be lowered.
Across the silent waters trilled the call
of a boatswain's whistle. The vessel
was plainly a man-ofwar. As a matter
of fact, she was one of the quick-sailing
schooners built and designed by the Brit
ish government for the suppression of
the slave trade on the west coast of At
RIGA.
Every knob of brass cleaned in the
sun, every inch Of deck was holy-stoned
as white as milk. Aloft no rope was
frayed, no Selling adrift. 1t was easy
to see that this trim vessel carried
large crew under strict discipline.
And now the melodious song of sailors
hauling together f1oated through the
glittering air to the great vessel of the
dead. No answering cry was heard
no expectant faces peered over the
black bulwarks. The signal flags, "Do
you want helpY" hung unnoticed. The
scene was suggestive of that fable tell
ing Of a mouse proffering aid to a lion;
the huge, still merchantmen could have
taken the slave catcher upon its broad
decks.
Presently a boat left the smaller ves-
sci and skinned over the water. impell-
ed by sharp, regular strokes. The sound
Of the oars alone broke the silence Of
Nature.
In the stern of the boat sat square
shouldered little man, whose brown face
and glistening chestnut beard, pleasant
ly suggestive of Clearly refinement, COM
bined with readiness Of resource. His
pleasant eyes were scarcely hazel. and
yet could not be described as gray, be-
cause the two colors were mixed. AS
the boat approached the great mer-
chairman, this officer formed his two
hands into a circle and raised his prac-
ticed voice:
"Ahoy-there
There was no reply; and moment or
two later the small boat swung in be-
meath the high bulwarks. There was a
rope hanging almost to the water, and
with quick jerk the young fellow scram-
bled up the ships side like a monkey.
Three of the boats crew prepared to fol-
low him.
He sat for a moment balanced on the
blistered rail, and then leaped lightly on
to the deck. Between the planks the pitch
had oozed up and glistened like jet, in
some places the seasoned wood had warp
ed. He stood for moment alone amid
the tangled ropes, and there were beads
OF perspiration on his brown forehead. It
Is no pleasant duty to board a derelict
ship, for somewhere or other there will
probably be an unpleasant sight, such as
Is remembered through the remainder Of
the beholder's life.
There was something crude and hard
In the entire picture. In the merciless.
almost shadowless light of a midday sun
every detail stood out in hard outline.
The perfect ship. with its forlorn. bedrag-
gled deck; the clean spars towering nm
Into the heavens, with their loose cord
age, their clumsily furled sails: and unon
the moss-grown deck this square-shoulder-
ed little oficer-trim, seaman-like
prompt, amid the universal slackness-
the sun cleaning ON his white can and
gilt buttons. '1a
While he stood for a moment hesitat-
Ing. ne heard strange, unknown .onnd
1t was more like the rattle in a choking
mans throat than anything else that he
could think OF. He turned QUICKLY. and
stood gazing upon the saddest .;oh+ ha