St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1906-07-14

tlnct There was Q long silence, and
looked hard into the gloom. She had
gone mmy was standing there sway
Ing in the night like an unstayed mast
and led him forrads, his head hang
Ing down and sagging like he wa1
asleep.
THE next day 1t came on heavy
from the northwest. Jimmy was sent
aloft to put an extra gasket around
the bunt of the cro' jack where it had
been blown out by the gale. Some.
thing went wrong with the foot-rope.
Looked like clear case of cutting,
tor 1t was all right when we furled the
sail few hours before.
Jimmy fell with the dull wal!op
that generally means death, and he
landed right across the cabin skylight.
It was a long fall and he was STILL
Morrell was watching his ship and
saw the fall. He started for Jimmy
Just then the woman below, rushed on
deck and flung herself upon the poor
fellow. l reached his head and start
ed to raise him. The woman was Sob
bling and calling for him to speak just
once more to her; and, man, it was
terrible to hear her what she said.
'Morrel stood looking on, and then
burst into laugh.
So that's him, is It? Ho! no! no!
So that's the fellow?' And he went to
the dying man.
She was upon him before he knew
1t. striking him bow that sent him
Keeling. Then he went mad and had
his pistol out firing and carsing like q
maniac. It was all over in minute"
Here Chips stopped awhile and cut
some fresh plug for his pipe.
Before the morning watch, had
talked Heligoland over, and he talked
to Dutchman named Langter. An
derson finally joined. but Jacques was
afraid to go without his watch behind
him. There were just four Of us start
ed aft out of that crew Of 20 men.
"Heligoland took the starboard side
and took the port, both getting into
the mizzen channels when the watch
was called. The rest were to rush
when they heard firing.
THE second mate bawled for his
watch to clew w the mizzen lower
topsail, as it was now snoring away
worse than ever and the short seas
were coming aboa-d us. This was our
signal. sa-.ss La 4
I'VE crawled along the deck straks
outside the rail, holding OH like death
with our finger tips. Morrell was near
est to me. When we were near enough
to get behind our men, He.igoland
gave cry and jumped over. I fol-
lowed. The next second I had broken
my knife short off in the b,ackest-
hearted captain that ever cursed
ships deck. He jumped back and ran
forward, l after him, trying to close
before he could get out his pistol. He
lodged about the mizzen and fired as
he swung. The shot hit me there on
the arm and split it to the elbow. Then
something flung out Of the darkness to
leeward and there was a dull smash.
That was all. Heligoland stood leaning
upon his handspike while I picked up
the pistol.
The day dawned upon a storm-torn
ocean. all grey-white, and a hove-to
ship staggering off to the southwark
with her lower topsails streaming In
ribbons from her jackstays. As the
blow wore down toward evening we
could hear the pileous cries Of dying
woman calling for her husband"
Chips waited for few minutes and
pulled hard at his pipe. Then he went
on in low voice could hardly hear:
I'VE buried Jimmy and his wife the
next day. Old jacobs sewed them up
together and weighted them. All
hands uncovered as they went to lee
ward. l didn't know any service, and
there wasn't any such thing as Bible
aboard. ''Good-by. Jimmy said-and
let him co."
There was a long silence. Gantline
stood up and then sat down again. He
seemed to want to ask a question, but
would not. Chips watched him.
"Yes," he went on, I'VE got five
years apiece for that Five long years
behind the bars. where the memory |
of the blue water and the hope
would get out again kept me from 60
ing mad. Is it likely I'd forget the |
Morning Light?"