The Virginia enterprise., 1909-04-30

penter. He didn't like being knocked
about ~ Hindoos.'
I'VE thought it was that, but we
had to wait nearly another hour afore
the two came aboard, to make sure.
There was difference in the way
they came aboard, too,. from that of.
the mate. They didn't make no noise,
and the fust thing we knew of their
coming aboard was seeing a bare,
black foot waving feebly at the top
OF the fo'c's'le ladder feelin' for the
step.
"Well, you done it, Bill,' ses Joe,
after waiting, long time for them
to speak. Tell us all about it,
"'Nothin' to tell,' ses Bill, very
surly. We knocked i'm about
"'And he knocked us about ses
Bob, with a groan. I'm sore all over,
and as for my feet
"'Wot's the matter with them? ses
Joe.
'Trod on ses Bob, very short. If
my bare feet was trod on once they
was a dozen times. I've never 'ad
such a doing in all my life. He fought
like devil. thought he'd ha' mur-
dered Bill
81 wish e 'ad,' ses Bill, with a
groan; my face is bruised and cut
about cruel. I can't bear to touch it.
DO you mean to say the two of
you couldn't settle imp ses Joe, star
ing.
"I mean to say we got q hiding
ses Bill. We got close to him fust
start off and got our feet trod on.
Arter that it was like fighting wind
mill, with sledge hammers for sails.
u was awoke rather early in the
morning by the sounds of somebody
talking to themselves, and a little
splashing of water. 1t seemed to go
on long while, and at last leaned
out of my bunk and see Bill bending
over a bucket and washing himself
and using bad langwidge.
"'Wot's the matter, Bill?' ses Joe.
yawning and sitting up in bed.
my skins that tender, I can
hardly touch it, ses Bill, bending
down and rinsing is face. is it all
orf?'
"'Orf?' ses Joe; mo, O. course 1t
amt. Why don't youuse some soap?'
Soap? answers Bill, mad-like !:
why, I've used more soap than I've
used for six months in the ordinary
way
"'That's no good ses Joe; give
yourself a good wash
We'll, the carpenter put it on,
ses a voice, make i'm take it orr
"I don't believe as there's any
thing will touch it, he says, at last.
I forgot all about that
that we've got to be black all the
rest of our life?'
Cert'nly not ses the carpenter,
Indignantly, it'll wear off in time;
shaving every morning IL 'elp it, I
should say
"'1'll get my razor now,' ses Bill,
in a awful voice; don't let i'm go,
Bob. I'll 'ack is head orr
It's no good, l tell you,' ses the
carpenter, it's the most lasting black
l know If l told you how much that
stuff is a can, you wouldn't believe
me-
"'You see, it's this way, Bill ses
Joe, soft-like. AS soon as the mate
sees you there'll be trouble for all
of u.s.
"'For all of u.s. repeats Bill, nod
ding.
Whereas ses Joe, looking round
for support, If we gets up a little
collection for you and you should find
it convenient to desart.'
"'Ear, ear ses a lot O. voices.
Bravo, joe
"'Oh, desart is it?' ses Bill; an
where are we goin' to desart to-?
"Well, that we leave to you, ses
Joe; there's many ship short landed
as would be glad to pick up sich a
couple of prime sailor-men as you an
Bob
"'Ah, an wot about our black
faces?' ses Bill, still in the same
sneering, ungrateful sort O. voice.
"'Ship as niger cooks ses Joe,
slapping his knee and looking round
triumphant.
''The mate'll half murder EN- ses
Ted Hill.
"'He'll ave 'em sent to jail that's
wot he'll do,' ses Smith. It's a seri-
GUS matter to go ashore and commit
assault and battery on the mate
YOU'RE all in it, ses the voice O
Bill from the floor. I'm going to
make clean breast of it. Joe Smith
put us up to it, the carpenter blacked
us, and the others encouraged u.s.
Almost the fust person we see on
deck was the mate, an pretty sight
he was. He'd got bandage round
is left eye, and black ring round
the other. His nose was swelled and
his lip cut, but the other officers were
making sich a fuss over i'm, that I
think he rather gloried in it than 9TH
erwise
"'Where's them other two 'ands ?
he ses, by and by, glaring out Of is
black eye.
"'Down below, sir. I b'lieve,' ses
the carpenter, all of tremble.
"'Go an send 'em up ses the mate
to Smith
"'Yessir,' ses Joe, without moving.
"'Well, go on, then, roars the
mate.
"'They amt over and above well,
sir, this morning. ses Joe.
"'Send 'em up, confOund vou.' ses