Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-06-25
CHAPTER x-continued.

Him? Oh, Jose an me carried him
inter the fOr'cassel, an showed him
inter berth ter sleep off his liquor
Tibet wus the last l ever see er hear
O. him fer bout six hours, when this
yere Teller must a woke up in the for
cassel sum crazy. He cum a chargin
out on deck, whoopin' like an Indian,
wavin' a knife in his hand. intendin
fer ter raise HI. Well, it happened
tibet the fu'st Teller he run up against
wus Leyere, who wus cumin' forrard
fer sumthin', an fer about a minute
thar was one hi ov a fight. Il was
so dark l couldn't tell whit did hap
pen, but it wus fists mostly, till the
mate drove the poor devil, cussin' like
mad, over agin the rail, an then
heaved MIN out inter the water long
side. l heerd the Teller splash when
he struck, but he never let out no
yell"
"What did LeVere do?"
Him? He didn't do nuthin'. Just
stared down over the rail a BIT. an
then cum back, rubin his hands.
Never even asked who the Teller wus
Thar amt uuthin' kin skeer that black
brute"
"He amt got no human in him. It's
HI when English sailormen hes got
ter take orders from a ID niger
an be knocked round If they don't
jump when he banks. He's goln Ter
get a knife in his ribs sum day."
Maybe he is; but yer better hola
yer tongue, Tom. Sanchez don't stand
fer tibet talk, an he's back o. LeVere.
Let's go in; them gaskets will hold all
right now-cum long"
could now perceive now clearly the
character l was destined to assume
when once safely aboard the Namur.
Such an assumption would involve but
slight danger of discovery. 1t was as
though miracle had opened the way,
revealed TO me by the unconscious lips
of these two half-drunken, gossiping
sailors. The story told fitted my ne
cessities exactly. Had / planned the
circumstances myself nothing could
have been better prearranged. No one
daylight; he was believed to have
sunk without a struggle. Yet no one
knew positively that this was so, be-
cause no one cared. The death of the
lad had simply been taken for granted
when LeVere had failed to see his
body rise again TO the surface. Yet it
was quite within the realm of posi-
bility for the fellow to come up once
more in that darkness, beyond Lee
Vere's range of vision, and even to
have remained afloat, buoyed up by
clinging TO the anchor hawser. until
strong enough to return on board. At
least there was no one aboard the Ma
muir able to deny that this had been
done.
Satisfied by this reasoning of being
able TO pass myself off as the dead
man, I began slowly and cautiously to
drag myself up the taut hawser. /
had chosen a fortunate moment for my
effort; no one needed the little noise
/ made, and, when finally topped the
rail and was able to look inboard it
was to discover a deserted fore deck,
with the watch all engaged at some
task amidships. crept down the fore
castle ladder and worked my way aft
beneath the black shadow of the port
rail. until able thus to drift unnoticed
into a group failing onto mainsall
halyard. The fellow next to me. with
out releasing his grip, turned his head
and stared, but without discerning my
features.
"Whar did yer cum frum?" he
growled, and / as instantly recognized
Bill Haines. Been sojerin'. have yer?
Wei. now. lay to an pull"
s,efore / could attempt an answer
a tall figure Ioomed up before US, the
same high-pitched voice had noticed
previously calling out sharply:
sThere, that's enough, meni Now
make fast. We can head the old girl
out from mere in a Jlffy. If it really be-
gins to Glow. jose, you stand By at
the wheel. in case you're needed; some
of the rest ship the capstan bars. and
yep,ain near for a call"
-what are ye swiRsin' the yards