Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-02-25

~ COulu INC CAlieu. SuUtdlu
- Selover at first failed to recog-
nize me. Then he burst into his shrill
cackle.
Didn't know you" he trebled. "But
you look shipshape. Come, I'll show
you your quarters"
Immediately discovered what
had suspected before-that on SO small
a schooner the mate took rank with
the men rather than the afterguard.
Cabin accommodations were of course
very limited. My own lurked in the
waist of the ship-a tiny little airless
hole.
Here's where johnson stayed" prof
fered Seloyer. you can bunk here or
you can go in the foc'sle with the men
They's more room there. Wen get
under way with the turn of the tide." "
He left me. examined the cabin.
1t was just trifie larger than its sin
gle berth, and the berth was just n
trife larger than myself. My chest
would have to be left outside. l
strongly suspected that my lungs
would have to be left outside also.
For the life Of me / could not see where
the air was to come from. With men,
tai reservation in favor of investigat-
ing the forecastle went on deck.
The Laughing Lass was one Of the
prettiest little schooners l ever saw.
Were 1t not for the lines of her bllges
and the internal arrangement of her
hold 1t might be imagined she had
been built originally as pleasure
yacht. Even the rake of her masts, n
little forward Of plumb, bore out this
impression, which a comparatively new
suit Of canvas, well stopped down,
brass stanchions forward and two lit
tie guns under tarpaulins almost con-
firmed. Her complement Of boats was
ample enough. She had two surfboats,
dingey and dory slung to the
davits. In addition another ory-the
one you picked me up in-was dashed
to the top of the deckhouse.
They'd mighty near have boat
apiece" thought and went forward.
Just outside the forecastle hatch l
paused. Some one below was singing
in a voice singularlF rich in quality.
The words and the quaintness Of the
minor air struck me Immensely and
have chung to my memory like bur
ever since:
said he.
Blow high. blow low, what care we!
oh, am a jolly pirate, and I'm sailing
for my fee.'
Down on the coast Of the high Bar
bare-e-e."
I stepped to the companion. The
voice at once ceased. descended.
A glimmer Of late afternoon strug.
gled through the headlights. l found
| myself in really commodious space,
extending far back of where the for.
ward bulkheads are usually placed
accommodating rows and rpWs al
hunks eighteen Of them, in fact: The
pnlighted lamp cast its shadow on
wood stained black by much use. bui
polished like ebony from the continued
friction Of mems garments. wish
could convey to you the uncanny eff.
feet this-of dropping from the decks
Of miniature craft to the internal
arrangements Of square rugged ship
| 1t was as though entering cottage
door you were to discover yourself on
the floor of Madison Square Garden
A fresh sweet breeze of evening suck.
ed down the hatch. I Immediately de,
cided on the forecastle. Already II
was being borne in on me that was
little more than glorified bo's'n's
mate. The situation suited me, how.
ever It enabled me, dosswateh the
course d events more SAFELY, less e1.
posed to the danger Of recognition,
I stood for a moment at the foot o.
the companion accustoming my eye.
to the gloom. After a momeso, witt
shock OF surprise, made out 1
shining pair of bead points gazing a
me unblinkingly from the shadow un
der the bits. Slowly the man defipet
himself, as a share takes form in ,
fog. He was leaning forward in al
attitude of attention, his elbows rest
Ing on his knees, his forearlns depend
ing between them. his head thrust out
could detect no faintest movement
of eyelash, no faintest sound Of breath
Ing. The stiffness was portentous. Tn,
creature was exactly like a wax figure
one Of the sort you meet in corridors
Of cheap museums, and for momen
mistake for living beings. Almost
thought to make out the customar,
gray dust lying on the wax Of his fea
lures. MN III ii. Il
am going ia tell you more Of thi
man.Because, as you shall see, he wa
destined to have much to do with m,
life, the fate Of DIR. Karl Augustu
Schermerhorn and the doom of tn
Laughing Lass.
He wore on his head red bandan
ma handkerchief. I never saw hin
with other covering! From beneath
struggled oily and; tangled locks 0
glossy black. His face was long, nar
row, hook nosed and sinister: Hi
eyes, as I have described them,
steady and beady black. Y dopld a
hrst glance aseribs great activity, BY
pniy moderate strength to bis slender
Wiry figure. IN this + was mistaken
His sheer physical power WAS secQn
only tA that Of Captain seloser. On
Of his forearms ended in steel hool
AT the moment could not understan,
this; could not see how man s
manned could be useful aboard q sbiI
Later wished we had ln9Es as HANDY ham \
He knew a Jam hitch which he caugh
i oyer and under his hook quicker tina
most men can grasp line with tn
naked hand. It would render enc MA,
| but held fast the other. He told m
1t was q cinch hook hitch amnl0Nad b