Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1912-02-24
hut mol more than wns natural an.

the glass. The edges seemed Tree
'nough. an except for the suckin' back
II lifted out ms easy as say knife A
bar OF iron still pretty stout ran along
the middle o the skylight from eDd 10
end. holdin' the back . the frame in
place. Iayin' the glazed gratn down
on the deck. We looked inside
what with the portfolios an the
open skylight an the sun blazin' above.
the cabin WAS nS plain TO be seen as
the palm o your hand. Ny word. but
II was spick an span OF course there
was the raj He Of odds an ends lyin
round loose. for ! take II sailormen
were Just sailormcn 300 years ago an
had their easy goin ways much rs
they have now. but there warnt no
dust to speak uf | tell YOU. Mr.. Ward.
that took my breath. All these years o
travel an no dust TO show for them.
Why. you can't leave q cuddy n week
but you could write your name on the
chair backs Yes. that bothered me,
but what bothered me worse was TO
see slim. queer shaped bottle standin
ON end on the table right under my
nose an half full O some brownish
stuff Now. what business had bottle
TO be end up after joggin' half round
the world an rocked by heaven only
knows what gales o wind: A slim.
crank thing II was too We don't have
the like OF il nowadays. an more's the
pity II got broke An what business
had the liquor lyin' In 1t all them years
an' never dryin' up: That. as Clark
would say. ratified me. an small Won
der IL was u creepy thing TO come on
all OF a sudden an IN such ghost of
craft. but there was more besides It.
BY the bottle was u tin platter bright
enough. SO bright I'd say - cloth had
wiped IL the day before. an on the
platter was u lump O ships bread. II
was like nothin' In the way o hard
tack ever saw. but ships bread II
was an no mistake. tell you that
staggered me.
II don't know that Clark or Brady
took notice reckon they were hunt
in after the heaps o. clothes Irish had
seen through the port. an when ! saw
them peerin' an stretchin' their uecks
! quit shlverin' an followed their
wake. Nor were the bundles far to
seek. Three o them there were. all the
length. but twice the girth. O. com
mon man.
"They were punched in heap by
the cuddy door an must have bad three
suits apiece on them an With great
heavy cloaks The door was fast shut.
an could see thick bar across II. the
ends fallin' into sockets beyond the
posts. as II TO stand against hard pres
sure
"'For bears an such vermin,' says
Clark. who caught my eye. ! guess
them three was all that was left o the
ships crew. an so good people was
scarce The rest was in kingdom
come
II reckon he was about right. but |
didn't answer. was tryin 20 puzzle
It out for myself an the way they
lay told n tale They were all head On
to the door. They were all fat on their
faces, with their arms stretched out
an their fingers clawin' at the door.
That meant they were maxim bolt
for the open when somethin dropped
them In their tracks. dropped them
sudden an dropped them sure Just
30. but what: What? That's what !
asked myself. an maybe the answer
was TINT one held what looked Ike n
crumple q paper In his hand whitley
yellow II was. an on the floor foot or
two from their big boots was mass
o. blucy gray stun That there stuck
In the frame was the biggest mossel
left. The rest was stamped into grit
"'Bo'sun. says Clark I guess Davy
Jones was the last bo'sun that piped
them to quarters Tell you what. Tow.
son: see that hluey grit there an what ;
In the chars hand? I'll lay dollar
they picked MP some,hin' in the ice
that scared them 10 death. an IL was in
that smashed grit
Maybe he was right Ia my own
belief the thing has been some Kind OF
n hollow case. with more In IL than
what that hand gripped Some kind OF
gas maybe Nl uulu tu'tt iuIh'h "
gas. an' in the turuin but. there its
all guesSwork
when IL comes TO bettin'.' says
Brady. III bet I'm goin' below. an a.
the doors patterned here's my road
"Ieanin' forward. he gripped the
iron bar with Ills left hand an caugli,
u grab o the edge o the skylight with
his right TO hoist himself up. Hut ms
his fingers chased Inward over the ledge
he flung himself back with n yell.
"'Holy Mary What's that:
"Then he stood starin'. his great
mouth wide open an droppin NJ the
corners. Twas all one as II he'd seen
q ghost.
"'Shucksr says Clark Did We nev
or face dead man before; That kind
can't hurt We
Ever face n dead man; Aye. did
L. answers lirndy. the Irish In him
Farm up. AN IL We give me any more
"a. nor I'm IN no faein' anothQr nm