The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1919-04-11
CHAPTER XII.
q Friend in the Foreczstte.

j slowly opened my eyes to find my
self lying in an upper bunk of the fore
castle. Memory soon returned, Stimu-
lated DC doubt by the aching of my
body where Estada had 80 brutally
kicked me with his heavy boot. The
heavy rolling of the bark clearly evil
denCeC that We were already at sea,
snd backing against a high wind. Ii
was & dark. dismal, smelly interior,
amrly large enough, hut i'll ventilated.
and iDexpreSsibly dirty. | must lave
been lying unconscious for several
hours. / rested. back. feeling of The
numerous bruises on my body, and
leaked on my face. No very serious
damage seemed to have been done, al
Though every muscle and tendon ap-
IpeareC to be strained and lacerate0.
ICIiDcbing my teeth to keep back 4
lgrOan, ] succeeded in sitting upright.
my head touching the upper deck, as
j undertook TO survey my surround
Ilnss- About half the hunks seemed to
be occupied, the figures of the sleeping
men barely G~iscernible.
AS j sat there, staring about at this
scene there q a stir within the up
per berth III my own level. and an up
lifted face appeared suddenly in the
yellow fare of: light. 1t was mani
festly an English face at first glance,
rosy of cheek, with chestnut beard. A
VDa,r nf hrp0prnY,C uro cyoc cnrroro6
me silently, and then, apparently salts
fed by the scrutiny, the owner sat up
in the bunk. revealing powerful Shout
ders, and around, bull neck.
"AbOy, mate" he said pleasantly,
endeavOring to speak low, the effort
resembling the grOwl of a bear. How
do you feel-Bretty sOre?'
Ache from head to foot" 1 an
fswered, Immediately feeling his friend
lipess. But nJ harm done"
! 81 saw part Of it. The damn black
brute kicked savsgely enough, but ct
that you're lucky; it's the Spanish
style to use a knife. I've seen that
cock slash a mai into ribbons for
nothing at adjust 10 show he was
BAD Baines tells ne your name is
GATES, and that you are English"
That's right l shipped first out OF
bristol"
$50 Gid L. mate-twenty years ago
Though, and / never went back since.
my name is Tom Watkins. Let's shake;
there Is quite a sprinkling of Us Brit
fishers aboard, and we ought to hang
together"
He put out q big, hairy fist, and /
lgripped it heartily, decidedly liking
the man as his Eyes frankly met mine.
He appeared honest and square, a fine
TYPE of the English seaman.
'"Tom Watkins. you said. May / ask
liz you were out on the bow-sprit along
with Haines last night?"
"J.Sr afore~tEa I~opghoat cc.ec =:
YES, we eiie.~.
well, i was down below, hanging
to the cable, and overheard you two
| talking together. Somehow, W atkins,
| you do not e 10 NE TO Il; IL exactly
| with this gang of pirates; you don't
| look 10 be Thai sort. Hos laD. have
you beer with thenT"
he glanced about warily. lowering
ibis voice until = became a hoarse
Whisper. IS
''Three years. mate. and most OF that
ltime has been bell. l haven't even
lbeen ashore, but once, and that was
lon an island. These fellows don't put
|any trust in my kind, nor give them
Iany chance to cut and .rpn. Once in
lille. q lad .doessget away, but most
ldt:then { e.a8o and tAdse thatfNre@
sure sdbaEr SbunEAaekt., They
never thy it again. I've seen them
staked out ION sthe sand and left to
die; that amt ne nice thing to remem-
A>zCA r