Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-18

His lot on board the Orinoco had been
lighter than that Of most, for his com
panions, finding him apparently impervi.
Gus to ill-usage and philosophicaHy genial
under all circumstances. had agreed to re-
gard him as a species of heavily decayed
and slightly demented dude, and had
half -affectionately christened him Percy
"a term which sums up the typical Eng
wildly as "Rosbif" and "Godam" per-
form that office for the Partisan.
The captain descended from the bridge
| walked across the deck and dispassion-
ately kicked Mr.. Allerton or the bollard:
stand up. you swine. when you speak
to me!'' he shouted. 'Where did you see
anybody"
Mr.. Allerton rose slowly and painfully
| from the seuppers. There are moments
when the role Of a Democritus is difdcult
| to sustain.
I'm sorry you did that, captain" he re-
marked, because know you didn't mean
! it personally. You had to make some
sort of demonstration, OF course. to put
the fear Of death into these new hands
but regret that you should have singled
me out as the corpus vile-you don't know
what that means. dare say: never mind
| because you have shaken up my wits SO
much, besides nearly breaking my hip
| bone, that shall have to pause and con-
l did see the gentleman"
| If the captain had been Mr.. Gates he
would probably have felled Allerton to
| the deck a second time. AS it was, he
The broken man before him. when all
was said and done. was his superior; and
| the captain, who was of sufficiently re-
| fined clay to be sensitive to social dis
tinctions, was angrily conscious OF that
sense Of sheepish uneastness which OBJ
/ sesses the cad, however exalted, in the
presence of a gentleman. however de-
graded.
Allerton continued:
Il remember now, captain. The man
was lying in the alleyway leading to the
companion. I'll go and see how he Is
getting on. Keep your seats. gentlemen"
+ He dived down the fore hatchway. just
in time to escape the itching boot OF the
unimpressionable Mr.. Gates, and proceed
ed between decks toward the stern.
question. The man was still there. but
had slightly shifted his position since AL
lerton had last seen him. He was now
reclining across the passage. with his
head sunk on his chest. His feet were
bare, and he was attired In blue jumper
and q pair of trousers which had once be-
longed to a suit of orange and red py-
jamas. His appearance was not I'M
pressive.
foot.
'sWake up. old man." he remarked, cor
there'u be he'll Well, I'm damnedr'
For the man had drowsily lifted his
heavy head and displayed the features OF
Hughie Marrable.
They gazed at each other for full
minute. Then Allerton said, feebly:
you've preferred the Orinoco to the
Apulia after all. them"
Hughie did not reply He was running
his tongue round his cracked and black
ened lips, and tentatively sucking his
palate.
II know that taste" he remarked. "It
reminds me OF a night I once spent In
Canton. 1 have it,-opium!'
Then he tenderly fingered tho back Of
his head, and nodded with the interested
air Of one who is acquiring new item Of
experience.
''I've been filled up with opium before"
he said. but this IL the first time I've
been sandbagged. I suppose was sanv-