The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-05-16

physique, so that appetite, and even
desire of life itself, temporarily dis
appeared in the gloom Of seasickness
In spite of difficulties. Jim tried to
find out something about the boat.
The seamen were none too friendly;
but by patching up his almost forgot
ten French and by signs, he learned
something His sudden failure of
strength in the water had been due to
blow from floating spar, as
bruise on his forehead testified; "the |
old man." whom Jim supposed to be
the captain, was hard master; Mon
sieur Chatelard was owner, or at least
temporary proprietor, Of the yacht;
and the present voyage was an un-
lucky one by all the signs and omens
known to the seamen's horoscope.
The sullenness of the men was ap-
parent, end was not caused by the en-
forced presence Of stranger among
| them. In fact, their bad temper be-
came SO conspicuous that Jim began
10 believe that it might have some
thing to do with the mysterious &C
tons of the man on shore. He pom
dered the situation deeply; he evolved
many foolish schemes to compass his
own enlightenment, and dismissed
them one by one. He grimly reflected
that a man without clothes can scarce
ly be hero, whatever his spirit Not
since the days of Olympus was there
any record Of man or god being re-
ceived into any society whatever
: without his sartorial she'll, thought
Jimmy. But in spite Of his discomfort,
he was glad he was there. The in
tuition that had led him since that
memorab BILE Sunday afternoon was
strong within him still, and he never
5 questioned its authority. He believed
e his turn would come, even though ne
t were prisoner In the fo'casle Of the
0 Jeanne Dare
u AS the violence of his sickness
passed, Jim began to cast about fol
= some means of helping himself Grad
o ually he was able to dive into the for
/ gotten shadows of his French learn
s ing. BY much wrinkling OF brows he
n evolved sentence, though he had te
l. wait some hours before there was
e favorable chance to put 1t to use. A
1t last his time came, with the arriva
T. of his former friend, the sailor.
e 100 avay-voo cashay mon money
belt?" he inquired with much conf
dence, and with pure Yankee accent
The sailor answered with shru
and a spreading of empty hands.
"Pas de money-belt. pas de pants
Id Ion, pas de tous! Dam queer Amayr
It. cain!"
ee Jim was not convinced OF the sal
is or's innocence, but perceived that h
I'D must give him the benefit OF tn
he doubt. AS the sailor intimated. jim
lg himself. was open to suspicion, an
1t couldn't afford to be too jealous !
M calumniating others He fell to thinl
sr- ing again, and attacked the ne7
lr Frenchman that came into the fc
lis castle with the following:
ed "Kond iaytay malade don ma tat
N, kee a pree mon money-belt?"
It was the ships cook this time, an
I'd he turned and stared at Jimmy
as though he had seer ghost. Whe
ed he found tongue he uttered volun
he of opinion and abuse which Jimn
nd knew by instinct was not lit to
he translated. and then he fed up Il
ladder.
lot On the fourth day, toward evenin
to James had visitor. All day the vac
tut had been pitching and rolling, and
DIV afternoon she was laboring in the VI
he Ience of a storm and was listing badl
ad lanes was a fearless seaman. but
ex- crossed his mind more than once tn
lor if he were captain, and II there we
in . mort within reach. he would put in
ed II before midnight. But he could t
lch nothing of the ships course.
vol. t,,rned the subject over in his mind
for he lay on his bunk in that peculi
state halfway between sickness a
re, health. when the body is relaxed by
the purely accidental Illness and the mi
the is abnormally alert. He wished
BY tensely for a bath, shave, and a Z
Try, complement of clothes He longed 81
ing to 90 up the hatchway for breath
for air and was considering the possil
leir ity of doing this later, with blani
he and darkness for shield, when ne
are came conscious of a pair OF nea
his trousered legs descending the ladd
ant It was quite different performat
He from the catiike climbing up Q
mel down of the sailors.
yer Jimmy watched in the dim light
he til the whole figure was complete. !
ore tastically supplying, in his imagi
bile ton. the coat, the shirt. the col
and the tie to go with the trouser
OF all the things which he himself lack
Iery Was there also hat? Jimmy could
ade make out, and so he asked:
his 4Have you got on hat?"
Of A frigid voice answered. 4 beg y
he pardon!" :.
nan .1 sotS are Won wearing q hat?