Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-02-08

III Z
it could be called. Captai
- Selover at first failed to recoe
nize me. Then ne burst into his shril
cackie
Didn't know you" ne trebled. "Bu
you look shipshape. Come, I'll show
iycu your quarters"
Immediately [ discovered what
had suspected before-that on so small
a schooner the mate took rank Will
THE men rather than the afterguard
Cabin accommodations were of course
very limited. My own 1ur1ed in tn.
waist of the ship-a tiny little airless
hole. ...
Here's where Johnson stayed" prof
Tered Selover you can bunk here O,
yeu can go in the foc'sle with the men
Hhey's more room there Wen gel
under way with the turn of the tide
He left me. | examined the cabin
1t was just trife larger than its sin
gle BERTH and the berth was Just a
trife larger than myself. My chest
would have to be left outside. I
strongly suspected that my lungs
would have to be left outside also.
For the life of me l 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 bilges
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, a
little forward of plumb, bore out this
Impression, which comparatively new
suit of canvas, we'll 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.
a dingey and dory slung to the
davits. In addition another dory-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 I
paused. Some one below was singing
in a voice singularly rich in quality.
The words and the quaintness of the
minor air struck me immensely and
have chung to my memory like a bur /
ever since:
Are you man-o'-war or a privateer.'
said he.
Blow high, blow low what care we!
Oh. ] am jolly pirate, and I'm sailing |
: for my fee
Down on the coast of the high Bar
bare-e-e." |
stepped to the companion. The
voice at once ceased. | descended.
A glimmer of late afternoon strug-
gled through the headlights. I found
myself in a really commodious space.
extending far back of where the for
ward bulkheads are usually placed.
rows and rows of
bunks-eighteen of them, in fact. The
nnlighted lamp east its shadow on
wood stained black by much use. but
polished like ebony from the continued
friction of mems garments. wish I
,ould convey TO you the uncanny eff
'ect this-of dropping from the decks
II a miniature craft to the internal
of a square rugged shin.
{ was as though entering a cottage
loor you were to discover yourself on
he Moor OF Madison Square Garden.
fresh sweet breeze of evening suck
d down the hatch. Immediately de-
fded on the forecastle. Already Il
Vas being borne In on me that I was ,
title more than a gloriied bo's'n's ,
nate. The situation suited me, how
yer. 1t enabled me to watch the {
curse OF events more safely. less ex- {
osed to the danger of recognition. c
! stood for moment at the foot or q
be companion accustoming my eyes +
, the gloom. After a moment. with
shock Of surprise. made out a T
Inning pair Of bead points gazing at Z
lie unblinkiagly from the shadow I'M
er the bits. Slowly the man defined $
imself. as a shape takes form in a |.
y. He vas leaning forward In an d
nitude Of attention. his elbows rest
IS on his knees. his forearms depend r
G between them, his head thrust out.
could dctect no faintest movement s
eyelash, no faintest sound Of breath
q. The stiffness was pOrtentous. The "
eature was exactly ike q wax figure.
lie Of the sort you meet In corridors "a
cheap museums, and for a moment
istake for living beings. Almost I 81
ought 10 make out the customary "a
~ dust lying on the wax of his fea-
res. Al
an going TO tell you more Of this
an because. as you shall see. he was I'll
stined 10 have much 30 do with nv tis
=. the fate Of Dr. Karl Augustus tr,
hermerhorn and the doom Of the be
IugliHg Lass. "
He wore on his head a red bandan- de
handkerchief. never saw him
10 other covering. From beneath II Of
-aEgied oily and tangled locks II
rssy black. His face was long. mar Mi
y. hook noSed and sinister. His sfo
Is. a. I have described them. a IuI
'ady and heady black I could at We
Il glance ascrihe great activity. but !
y moderate strength 10 his slender. .'
" figure In this ] was mistaken. ma
: sheer physical power was second q.
y to that ~ Captain SaI0ver. One the
his foreaFms ended in a steel hook. hFr
The moment could not understand 7
= coaad mt So how man 50 jus
incl could be Useful als1arti a ship s.s.
Ter ! wished We had more as handy. h,
knew 4 Jam hitch which be caught tha
- "a 49, - a "a - - :