The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1919-03-28

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"Whst Are You -leaans Here For7"
ship this is. ner how I signed On. Last
1 seem ter remember 1 wus ashore
frum the schooner Caroline; but this
yere is a bark"
Haines laughed, already convinced
good joke. Then he proceeded to tell
me all about it.
LeVere broke in with a savage Snarl.
"'What's all that? DO you mean,
Haines. that this is the same ID
scamp who tried to stick me?"
mo doubt Of it. But he knew
what he was doin-ie wus crazy as a
loon. There's nuthin' fer yer ter fuss
over now. Tell Us about it, Gates
the bath must have sobered yer up"
l watched LeVere, but he remained
in~otiOnieSS, / mere shadow.
81 suppose it must have been that.
sir" / confessed respectfully, iii
things happened as you say they did.
/ haven't any memory o. tryin' Ter
slash nobody. Leastwise l seemed
ter know wh,k I wus about when I
cum up. 1 don't remember how 1 got
ther; furst / knew l WIS SiuShin'
round In the water, a tryin' ter keep
aflOat. 1t wuS so hlHnls dark l cudn't
see nuthin', but sumhVw l got grip on
a hawser, an hung on till I got back
'nOugh strength ter cline on board. |
knew this want my ship. 80 1 just
lay quiet awhile, figurin' out whar l
wus."
"Yer English?"
"Eprn in Bristol, sir, but I was
wOrkin' on the CarOiine-She's a Col
Ony schooner. in the fish trade. At sea
since l wuS twelve. What's this yere
bark-Du:ch, amt sie?"
"once upon a time: just now we are
flying whatever flag comes handy. We
amt got no p%rejudice in flags"
SIS tl,ct a gun f"rrard, covered with
taupalin?"
"fes, an yer might And another aft,
il yer looked fer it. Morn tibet, we
know how ter use 'efn. Now see here,
Gates; thar's no reason why We should
beat about the bush-fact is we're sea
rOverS."
"Sea rOvers-pirates. sir?"
Bah! what's a name! We take
What urn yraVf. ~. <~,n. f,,l. &1x4y-
all. No worse than many another.
The question is, are yer gOin' ter take
a chance long with us? It's the only
life, lad-plenty of fun, the best Of
liquor and pretty girls, with a share in
all the swag."
what is the am Of this bark?"
"The Namur-Out o. Rotterdam till
we tOOk her"
"WhO's the captain?"
"Silva Sanchez"
Sanchez
That's. him; so yer've heerd OF
BLACK Sanchezy Well. we're sailin'
long with him, all right, mate, an
yer ought ter know whut tibet means
fer a good man."
/ hesitated. yet only long enough to
leave the impression l sought to make
on them both.
Likely thar amt no sailor but what
has heerd o him." 1 said slowly. 1T
don't look like thar wus much choice.
does it?"
LeVere appeared amused in his way,
which was not a pleasant one.
"Oh, yes, friend, there is choice
enough. Bill, here, had exactly the
same choice when he first came-hey,
Bill? Remember how you signed on,
after we took you off the AlbatrOss?
This is how it stands, Gates-either
go fOrrard quietly yerself, er the both
of us will kick you there. That will be
enough talk: Go on. now"
1t was a curt dismissal, coupled with
a plain threat, easy to understand. I
obeyed the order gladly enough, stink
ing away into the black shadows for
ward. realizing my good fortune, and
seeking some spot where l could be
alone.
The crew had disappeared, lying
down no doubt in corners out of the
wind. And this wind was certainly
rising. ! wondered that Levere hung
on so long in his perilOus position, al
though, in spite of the increased strain,
the anchor still chung firmly. 1t seemed
to me that no hawser Eve made could
long withstand the terrific strain of
our Juggling, as the struggling bark
rose and fell in the grip of the sea. To
h:m must have come the same con-