The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-11-18
A Tale OF the Sea.

under the equator, homeward bo,ds
that | shipped In Charlestown, Bos
ton, in the bark Bardeluc. A neat
critter she was. a little too broad in
the bows and bit cranky at beating,
but weathefly. take her all in ali, and
a good sea boat never see the skip
per till after We left Trinidad, West
Indies, and if | had. may be hung
If I'd ever a. shipped with him. A
dead face and living body, mates;
the face of man that had done some
dreadful deed and was follered by a
ghost he couldn't lay, nohow II were
awful TO see him mates; an old sea
dog. tall and slim, with the breath
of the salt sea about HIM. but that
pale. CHASTITY face, and that look over
his shoulders when no sound could
be heard The first officer sent me
down to ask for Sextant, below
Martinique. and when | seed that
face I'd have given my chances OF
whiskey. slumgullion. beans and hard
due He seed the look in my face
and snatched up a hammer and made
stroke al me-
't'You are like the rest you useless
tramp! he howled What the deuce
do You all see in my face that you
must start when you see me. as If
you had seen q ghost? A ghost-ha,
He looked over his shoulder again
In that quick, startled way. and drop
ped the hammer, Something | could
not see scared him and drove the lit
tie color out of his face.
Keep off, he Kissed stand by me,
Frcntollet, and III be your friend for
life. Strike at it; beat it to the
earth, and tread it under foot. See
how pale and hollow he looks. and
how CHASTITY that mark is--the mark
Of Cain the slayer. Ha, he's gone.
Now, Frontollet, what do you want
Il told him, and got the sextant
but made up my mind | wasn't going
into that cabin again If | could help
it. / thought he had snakes, but 1t
turned out worse than that--a blamed
sight worse. | didn't see him again
for three days. and the first officer
seemed to sail the ship.
Going TO have dirty time soon.
Frontollet.' he said, glanciag at the
sky; wen have to take incur kites
before three hours.
MIR. North was a good officer, and
we respected him as such. | give him
my manners-I always do when an
officer uses me as a man, and said
1t amt many could make bad wealth
er cut of that sky, Mr.. North. but
you're right, all the same. Well
have blowout 1t will be likely to
brig the skipper on deck
II went away from him. Before
the first watch was over | heard the
first mate at the forescuttle: Hi,
you, timbertoes- Rouse and shake
yourselves. Tumble up, tumble up,
there! All hands on deck, ahoy,'
Away, you sea draft, roared the
mate. Lay out there, lively. Strip
her. strip her. my sons She don't
want as much clothes as a South Sea
woman
we didn't need much ordering, for
we saw the danger, and in few min
utes the Barbecue was ready for bust
ness. was standing by the rail-
holding on to line. when | heard
such cry as / never want to hear
again, and there was the skipper.
holding lantern in his hand
Hi, there, Mr.. North! what are
you doing, you lubber? Do you dare
strip the BARBECUE without asking me?"
MIR. Misunderstanding replied
the mate, turning white as a ghost, i
Il did not like to disturb you.
towards" yelled the skipper,
jumping on the quarterback with his
gray hair floating in the wind Lay
her a course; keep her to it. Do you
hear, there at the wheel?
Aye, aye, sir
Keep her SOU sou'east.
But, captain gasped the mate,
for the love of heaven. don't cast
away the ship
'Mutiny, by -, screamed the
skipper. Ha, ha, hal here is more
work for me to do Wait till | lay
her course, and then I'll make you
sweat blood. A'oft there, and shake
out everything that will draw.
Boys, cried the mate, Jumping up
on the deck, this man is mad. Sc
cure him and take your orders from
me-
Before we could stop him the
mad skipper drew a pistol and fred at
the mate, who dropped on the quar-
ter-deck We rar in to seize the mad
man, who was making for the wheel,
but he skipped by us and jumped on
the lea rail.
Ha! curse your white face /
have done it again. he cried DO
you think will live with two such
faces on my track? Hurrah for
grave in the sea-!
He flung his lantern upon the
water, threw up his hands and plung-
81 bood fret intn tha bntiipu c,,rua