Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1908-03-06

stood for a moment at the foot Of
the companion accustoming my eyes
to the gloom. After a moment, with
shock of surprise, I made out a
shining pair of bead points gazing at
me unblinkingly from the shadow IN
der the bits. Slowly the man defined
himself, as shape takes form in
fog. He was leaning forward in an
attitude of attention, his elbows rest
ing on his knees, his forearms 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 wax figure,
one of the sort you meet in corridors
Of cheap museums, and for a moment
mistake for living beings. Almost I
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 to do with my
life, the fate of DR.. Karl Augustus
Schermerhorn and the doom of the
Laughing Lass.
He Wore on his head red bandan-
ma handkerchief. I never saw him
with other covering. From beneath it
struggled oily and tangled locks Of
glossy black. His face was long, mar
row, hook nosed and sinister. His
eyes, as I have described them, a
steady and beady black. I could at
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 to that of Captain Selover. One
of his forearms ended in steel hook.
At the moment could not understand
this; could not see how a man so
MANNED could be useful aboard ship.
Later wished we had more as handy.
He knew a jam hitch which he caught
over and under his hook quicker than
most men can grasp a line with the
naked hand. 1t would render one way,
but held fast the other. He told me
it was cinch hook hitch employed by
mule. packers in the mountains and
that he had used it on swamp hooks in
the lumber woods Of Michigan.
shouldn't wonder. He was Wander
but never heard him called that. 1t
was always Handy Solomon" with
men and masters.
We stared at each other, fascinated
by something, some spell Of the ship,
which I have never been able to ex-
plain to myself nor even describe. 1t
was mystery, portent, Fremont
ton such as overtakes a man some
times in the dark passageways of life.
I cannot tell you of it nor make you
believe-let it pass. !
Then by slow process of successive
perceptions became aware that was
watched by other eyes, other wax fig
ures, other human beings with I'M
wavering gaze. They seemed to the
sense of mystic apprehension that for
the moment held possession of me to
be eyerywhere-in the hunks, on the
floor, back in the shadows, watching,
watching, watching from the advan-
tage Of another world.
don't know why tell you this; why
lay so much stress on the first weird
impression I got Of the forecastle. 1t
means something to me now-in view
of all that happened subsequently.
Almost can look back and see in that
momonf of ooo,,lticn q corning on an
lightenment- But the point Is it
meant something to me then. stood
there fascinated, unable to move, IN
able to speak.
Then the grotesque figure in the cor
ner stirred.
"Well, mates" said the man, 'be-
| lieve or not believe, it's in the book,
and 1t stands to reason too. We have
| gold mines here in Californy and Ne
vada and all them states, and we hear
| of gold mines in Mexico and Australia,
too, but did you ever hear tell of gold
| mines in Europe? Tell me that! And
where did the gold come from. then,
before they discovered America? Tell
me that! Why, they made it, just as
the man that wrote this here says, and
you can kiss the book on that"
GLOW about that place, Ophir, read
about?" asked voice from the hunks.
The man shot keen glance thither
from beneath his brows.
'Know last years output from the
mines of Ophir, Thrackles?' he in
quired in silky tones.
'sWhy, no." stammered the man adj
dressed as Thrackles.
"Well, 1 do" pursued the man with
the steel hook, "and it's just the whole
of nothing, and you can kiss the book
on that too. There amt any gold out
put because there amt any mines, and
there never have been. They made their
gold"
| He tossed aside a book he had been
holding in his left hand. Recognized the
fat little paper duodecimo with amuse.
ment and some wonder. The only other
copy had ever laid my eyes on Is in
the Astor library 1t is somewhat of a
rarity, called "The Secret of Alchemy
or, The Grand Doctrine of Transmuta.
ton Fully Explained" and was written
by a DR.. Edward Duvall, most ex-
traordinary volume to have fallen into
the hands of seamen.
1 stepped forward, greeting and be
ing greeted. Besides the man I have
mentioned there were four. The cook
was a bullet headed squat negro with i
broken nose. believe he had name
Robinson or something Of that sort He
was to all of US simply the niger. I'm
like most Of his race, he was gloomy
and taciturn.
OF the other two, little white faced
thin chested youth named Pull and g
villainous looking Mexican called Per
dosa, I shall have more to say later.
My arrival broke the talk on al
chemy 1t resumed its course In the
direction of our voyage. Each dis
covered that the others knew nothing
and each blundered against the as
founding fact of double wages.