Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-25

"LI1y nauing ner vino, nnally rounded TO,
boat was lowered from her side, and I
cannot tell you the feeling with which Fred
ana ms companion watched its approach, as
u dashed over the cresting seas, impelled by
nVe pairs OF strong arms.
In another moment the two wore drained
very unceremoniously over the boats gunwale,
and none too soon, for the White Wing sank in
an instant, after they had pulled away from
her.
CLOSE shave, shipmatesl' said the seaman
in command of the boat, heavily ybult man,
with gray hair and Scared face, to which re.
mark Fred and his companion mentally
agreed; but they were too thoroughly worn
out to make any connected reply.
In very short time they were transferred
to the, schooner's deck the boat was hoisted
up and iashed, the vessel got under way, and
Fred, with Mr.. Brown, in double bunk in
the forecasctle, wrapped in warm gray blank.
ct, slept the sleep of complete exhaustion for
twelve hours.
When Fred finally turned out, he found
that, besides his sleeping companion, there
seemed to be no Cne in the forecastle; and,
what was more singular, there was no bedding
in any OF the bunks--no sea chests or clothing.
Very much perpexed he went on deck,
where he stood looking about him, and what
he saw increased his astonishment.
lhe sun was setting in a clear sky, and all
sail having been put on the schooner, she was
plowing her way through the heavy seas with
hohJ iOh anu pluibt. DuI Wudt ulu tulS
mean?
Instead of crew divided into watches and
at work about deck under the supervision Of
an officer, all hands were sitting on the quar-.
ter, very much at their ease, smoking, laughing
and chatting with the greatest freedom imagin.
able.
The heavily-built man with a SCARED face,
Familiarity addressed as Cap" or Briggs"
according to the fancy of the speaker, seemed
to be acting as sort Of commander, or leader,
Fnr h0 ll-AI honl o..I f.wf l. rfAa
with a binocuar glass in his hand, and occa.
sionally glanced into the compass, or made a
suggestion as to trimming the sails; but his or.
derJ were not obeyed with the alacrity nya-
riably seen on shipboard.
Indeed, quite often, no immediate heed was
given to them, the person addressed taking his
time in obeying, or trying to 'shirk" the need
ed duty upon some other one.
Hadn't you better coil up the peak hal.
yards, Doc?" Fred heard Captain Briggs mild.
ferocious beard and mustache, who wore
misunderstanding souch hat, and was dress.
ed in faded red flannel shirt and dilapidated
blue trousers, tucked into a pair of sea boots.
Joe will do it. Cap" was the cool answer,
in a strong German accent; 81 have just now
to light my pipe"
But Joe, a longlegged, youngish-looking
man, with a blonde mustache, defiantly an
swered that he'd be blowed if he did anything
of the sort-he'd done nothing but coil up hal
take his turn.
But Bob, a powerfully young fellow,
with a nervous affection of one eyelid, which
gave him the appearance of perpetually wink
ing at one, was shaving himself Just then, so
he couldn't attend to it, and he briefly recon-
mended that Ned-a small man with bald
head, wearing spectacles, and dressed some
thing like Ralph Rackstraw-take the duty
upon himself.
To which Ned made answer that he didn't
ship to. coil up halyards-in fact he'd gone out
of the business he thought that such jobs be.
longed as matter of course to Jimmy, there.
But as the brown-bearded man thus desig.
mated had gone to sleep, with his head on a
coil of rope, the remark fell to the deck.
And as the only other member of the crew
was sitting comfortably on the rudder head,
steering, Mr.. Briggs, muttering something in
an undertone, coiled up the halyards himself
Fred couldn't, tell what to make of it all,
and as, through the open. cabin doors, he
caught glimpse of q stand of arms stacked
around the mainmast he began to feel an un-
easy presentiment that something was wrong
In a very uncomfortable frame of mind he
re-entered the forecastle, vaguely wondering
holes, the size Of pistol bullet, which pierced
the forecastle door at irregular intervals
"I think" said Mr. Vandyke Brown, who
had been standing by the little open bulls.
eve in the after end of the forecastle, chat
not to put too fine point upon tour gall
liant crew are in the gentlemanly line Of bust.
ness once followed by one
"'Captain Kidd,
As he sailed-as he sailed'"
And he chanted the old refrain in rather
musical voice, with all the GOODNESS imaginable
Rut Mr.. Brown, who had been somewhat of a
bohemian wanderer in his day, prded himself
on his GOODNESS. He had schooled himself pref.
tv thoroughly, and whatever his real feelings
might be, he seldom, or never, showed any.
thing like fear or mental disquietude.
ssISira tes-in the year of our Lord einhteen