The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1908-03-26

II could De chlleu' taptdih
lo 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 bcforo-that on so small
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 Selover. you can bunk here or
you can go In the foc'sle with the men.
They's more room there. Wen get
nnder way with the turn of the tide"
| He left me. | examined the cabin.
II was Just a trife larger than its sin
gle berth. and the berth was just Il
trihe larger than myself. My chest
would have to he left outside. |
strongly suspected that my lungs
| would have 20 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 investlgat-
ing the forecastle went on deck.
The Laughing Lass was one OF the
prettiest little schooners | ever saw
| Were II not for the lines of her bilges
and the internal Arrangement Of her
hold Il might be imagined she had
been built originally as a pleasure
yacht. Even the rake Of her masts. Il
little forward of plumb. bore out this
impression. which a comparatively new
suit of canvas. well stopped down.
brass stanchlons forward and two lit
tie guns under tarpaulins almost con
frmed. Her complement Of boats was
lample enough She had two surfhoats.
a dinGey and a dory slung to tn"
ldavits. 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
lnpiccc." thought and went forward
Just outside the fo-ecastlc hatch |
paused. Some one below was singing
in n voice singularly rich in quality
The words and the quaintness of the
minor air struck me immensely and
have chung TO my memory like Il bur
ever sipce:
"'Are you n man-o'-war or a privateer,
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-c-e"
. I stepped 10 the companion. The
voice at once ceased. | descended.
A glimmer OF late afternoon strug-
gled through the headlights. | found
myself In a really commodious space.
extending far back ofNwhere the for
ward bulkheads are usually placed,
accommodating rows and rows OF
bunks-eighteen Of them. in fact The
unlighted lamp cast its shadow on
wood stained black by much use. but
polished like ebony from the continued
friction Of mems garments. | wish !
could convey 10 you the uncanny eff
feet this-of dropping from the decks
Of a miniature craft TO the internal
, arrangements of a square rugged ship.
{ 1t was as though entering a cottage
door you were TO discover yourself on
the floor Of Madison Square Garden.
4 fresh sweet breeze Of evening suck
ed down the hatch. | Immediately de-
clded on the forecastle. Already II
was being borne IN on me that | was
little more than a glorlfed bo's'n's
mate The situation suited me. how
ever. 1t enabled me 10 watch the
course Of events more safely. less ex-
po~sd TO the danger of recognition.
stood for a moment at the foot OF
the companion accustoming my eyes
10 the gloom. After moment, with
a shock OF surprise, | made out a
shining pair Of bead points gazing at
me unblinkingly from the shadow un-
der the bits Slowly the man defined
himself, as a shape takes form in a
= fog. He was leaning forward in an
attitude of attention, his elbows rest
J ing ON his knees. his forearIns 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. The
creature was exactly like a wax figure
, one OF the sort you meet In corridors
, of cheap museums, and for a moment
mistake for living beings. Almost
thought to make out the customary
gray dust lying on the wax of his fea-
lures.
am going TO tell you more of this
, man because, as you shall see, he was
destined to have much 10 do with my
life. the fate of DR.. Karl Augustus
Schermerhorn and the doom OF the
Laughing Lass.
lie wore on his head a red bandan'
. ma handkerchief. l never saw him
with other covering. From beneath II
struggled oily and tangled locks OF
glossy black. His face was long, mar
row, hook nosed and sinister. His
eyes. as have described them, a
steady and beady black. l could al
first glance ascribe great activity, but
only moderate strength to his slender
wiry figure. In this ] was mistaken
His sheer physical power was second
/ only 70 that of CAPTAIN Selover.f One