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diff --git a/old/63270-0.txt b/old/63270-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 98d8b67..0000000 --- a/old/63270-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9777 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Deep-Sea Plunderings, by Frank Thomas Bullen - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Deep-Sea Plunderings - -Author: Frank Thomas Bullen - -Release Date: September 23, 2020 [EBook #63270] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DEEP-SEA PLUNDERINGS *** - - - - -Produced by MWS, Charlie Howard, and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive/American Libraries.) - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber’s Note - -Italics are enclosed in _underscores_, boldface in =equals signs=. - - - - -DEEP-SEA PLUNDERINGS - - - - -By FRANK T. BULLEN. - - - =Deep-Sea Plunderings.= 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. - - =The Apostles of the Southeast.= 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. - - =The Log of a Sea-Waif.= _Being Recollections of the First Four - Years of My Sea Life._ Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. - - =Idylls of the Sea.= 12mo. Cloth, $1.25. - - =The Cruise of the Cachalot.= _Round the World After Sperm Whales._ - Illustrated. 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. - - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. - - -[Illustration: They met in full career, rolling each over each. - - (See page 6.) -] - - - - - DEEP-SEA - PLUNDERINGS - - - BY - FRANK T. BULLEN, F. R. G. S. - - AUTHOR OF “THE CRUISE OF THE CACHALOT,” - “THE APOSTLES OF THE SOUTHEAST,” ETC. - - - _With Eight Illustrations_ - - - [Illustration] - - - NEW YORK - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - 1902 - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1901 - BY FRANK T. BULLEN - - _All rights reserved_ - - -_Published March, 1902_ - - - - - TO - - DR. ROBERTSON NICOLL - - A SMALL BUT SINCERE - TRIBUTE OF AFFECTION AND ESTEEM - - F. T. B. - - - - -PREFATORY NOTE - - -Warned by previous experience, I do not propose to make any apology for -the publication of these stories in book form, but I hope my generous -critics will at least pardon me for expressing my gratitude for the -way in which they have received all my previous efforts. Naturally, I -sincerely hope they will be equally kind in the present instance. - - F. T. BULLEN. - -NEW BEDFORD, MASS., _September, 1901_. - - - - -CONTENTS - - - PAGE - THROUGH FIRE AND WATER 1 - - THE OLD HOUSE ON THE HILL 17 - - YOU SING 53 - - THE DEBT OF THE WHALE 93 - - THE SKIPPER’S WIFE 117 - - A SCIENTIFIC CRUISE 127 - - A GENIAL SKIPPER 141 - - MAC’S EXPERIMENT 157 - - ON THE VERTEX 169 - - A MONARCH’S FALL 179 - - THE CHUMS 189 - - ALPHONSO M’GINTY 199 - - THE LAST STAND OF THE DECAPODS 211 - - THE SIAMESE LOCK 235 - - THE COOK OF THE CORNUCOPIA 259 - - A LESSON IN CHRISTMAS-KEEPING 269 - - THE TERROR OF DARKNESS 279 - - THE WATCHMEN OF THE WORLD 289 - - THE COOK OF THE WANDERER 297 - - THE GREAT CHRISTMAS OF GOZO 307 - - DEEP-SEA FISH 319 - - A MEDITERRANEAN MORNING 329 - - ABNER’S TRAGEDY 335 - - LOST AND FOUND 347 - - - - -LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - FACING - PAGE - They met in full career, rolling each over each - _Frontispiece_ - - The toiling men were breaking out the junk’s cargo 60 - - Gently she covered their ruddy faces 121 - - The skipper produced from his hip-pocket a revolver 163 - - He gasped “In manus tuas, Domine,” and fell 208 - - He clutched his insulter by the beard and belt 263 - - She was to him brightest and best of all damsels 309 - - A huge sailing-ship crushed her into matchwood 353 - - - - -DEEP-SEA PLUNDERINGS - - - - -THROUGH FIRE AND WATER - - -“What a clumsy, barrel-bellied old hooker she is, Field!” - -Thus, closing his telescope with a bang, the elegant chief officer of -the Mirzapore, steel four-masted clipper ship of 5000 tons burden, -presently devouring the degrees of longitude that lay between her -and Melbourne on the arc of a composite great circle, at the rate of -some 360 miles per day. As he spoke he cast his eyes proudly aloft at -the splendid spread of square sail that towered upward to a height -of nearly 200 feet. Twenty-eight squares of straining canvas, from -the courses, stretched along yards 100 feet or so in length, to the -far-away skysails of 35 feet head, that might easily be handled by a -pair of boys. - -Truly she made a gallant show--the graceful ship, that in spite of -her enormous size was so perfectly modelled on yacht-like lines that, -overshadowed as she was by the mighty pyramid of sail, the eye refused -to convey a due sense of her great capacity. And the way in which she -answered the challenge of the west wind, leaping lightsomely over -the league-long ridges of true-rolling sea, heightened the illusion -by destroying all appearance of burden-bearing or cumbrousness. But -the vessel which had given rise to Mr. Curzon’s contemptuous remark -was in truth the antipodes of the Mirzapore. There was scarcely any -difference noticeable, as far as the contour of the hull went, between -her bow and stern. Only, at the bows a complicated structure of massive -timbers leaned far forward of the hull, and was terminated by a huge -“fiddle-head.” This ornament was carved out of a great balk of timber, -and in its general outlines it bore some faint resemblance to a human -form, its broad breast lined out with rude carving into some device -long ago made illegible by the weather; and at its summit, instead of a -head, a piece of scroll-work resembling the top of a fiddle-neck, and -giving the whole thing its distinctive name. - -The top-hamper of this stubby craft was quite in keeping with her hull. -It had none of that rakish, carefully aligned set so characteristic -of clipper ships. The three masts, looking as if they were so huddled -together that no room was left to swing the yards, had as many kinks -in them as a blackthorn stick; and this general trend, in defiance of -modern nautical ideas, was forward instead of aft. The bow-sprit and -jibboom looked as if purposely designed by their upward sheer to make -her appear shorter than she really was, and also to place her as a -connecting link between the long-vanished galleasses of Elizabethan -days and the snaky ships of the end of the nineteenth century. In one -respect, however, she had the advantage of her graceful neighbour. Her -sails were of dazzling whiteness, and when, reflecting the rays of -the sun, they glistened against the deep blue sky, the effect was so -fairy-like as to make the beholder forget for a moment the ungainliness -of the old hull beneath. - -The wind now dropped, in one of its wayward moods, until the rapid rush -past of the Mirzapore faltered almost to a standstill, and the two -vessels, scarcely a mile apart, rolled easily on the following sea, -as if in leisurely contemplation of each other. All the Mirzapore’s -passengers, a hundred and twenty of them, clustered along the starboard -poop-rail, unfeignedly glad of this break in what they considered the -long monotony of a sailing passage from London to the colonies. And -these seafarers of fifty-five days, eagerly catching their cues from -the officers, discussed, in all the hauteur of amateur criticism, -the various short-comings of the homely old tub abeam. Gradually -the two vessels drew nearer by that mysterious impulse common to -idly-floating things. As the different details of the old ship’s deck -became more clearly definable, the chorus of criticism increased, -until one sprightly young thing of about forty, who was going out -husband-seeking, said-- - -“Oh, please, Captain James, _do_ tell me what they use a funny ship -like that for.” - -“Well, Miss Williams,” he replied gravely, “yonder vessel is one of the -fast-disappearing fleet of Yankee whalers--‘spouters,’ as they love to -term themselves. As to her use, if I don’t mistake, you will soon have -an object-lesson in that which will give you something to talk about -all the rest of your life.” - -And as he spoke an unusual bustle was noticeable on board of the -stranger. Four boats dropped from her davits with such rapidity that -they seemed to fall into the sea, and as each struck the water she shot -away from the side as if she had been a living thing. An involuntary -murmur of admiration ran through the crew of the clipper. It was a -tribute they could scarcely withhold, knowing as they did the bungling, -clumsy way in which a merchant seaman performs a like manœuvre. Even -the contemptuous Curzon was hushed; and the passengers, interested -beyond measure, yet unable to appreciate what they saw, looked blankly -at one another and at the officers as if imploring enlightenment. - -With an easy gliding motion, now resting in the long green hollow -between two mighty waves, and again poised, bird-like, upon a foaming -crest, with bow and stern a-dry, those lovely boats sped away to the -southward under the impulse of five oars each. Now the excitement -on board the Mirzapore rose to fever-heat. The crew, unheeded, by -the officers, gathered on the forecastle-head, and gazed after the -departing boats with an intensity of interest far beyond that of the -passengers. For it was interest born of intelligent knowledge of the -conditions under which those wonderful boatmen were working, and also -tempered by a feeling of compunction for the ignorant depreciation -they had often manifested of a “greasy spouter.” Presently the boats -disappeared from ordinary vision, although some of the more adventurous -passengers mounted the rigging, and, fixing themselves in secure -positions, glued their eyes to their glasses trained upon the vanishing -boats. But none of them saw the object of those eager oarsmen. Of -course, the sailors knew that they were after whales; but not even a -seaman’s eye, unless he be long-accustomed to watching for whales, -possesses the necessary discernment for picking up a vapoury spout five -or six miles away, as it lifts and exhales like a jet of steam against -the broken blue surface. Neither could any comprehend the original -signals made by the ship. Just a trifling manipulation of an upper -sail, the dipping or hoisting of a dark flag at the mainmast head, or -the disappearance of another at the gaff-end sufficed to guide the -hunters in their chase, giving them the advantage of that lofty eye far -behind them. - -More than an hour passed thus tantalizingly on board the Mirzapore, -and even the most eager watchers had tired of their fruitless gazing -over the sea and at the sphinx-like old ship so near them. Then some -one suddenly raised a shout, “Here they come!” It was time. They were -coming--a-zoonin’, as Uncle Remus would say. It was a sight to fire the -most sluggish blood. About five hundred yards apart two massive bodies -occasionally broke the bright surface up into a welter of white, then -disappeared for two or three minutes, to reappear at the same furious -rush. Behind each of them, spreading out about twenty fathoms apart, -came two of the boats, leaping like dolphins from crest to crest of the -big waves, and occasionally hidden altogether by a curtain of spray. -Thus they passed the Mirzapore, their gigantic steeds in full view of -that awe-stricken ship’s company, privileged for once in their lives -to see at close quarters one of the most heart-lifting sights under -heaven--the Yankee whale-fisher at hand-grips with the mightiest, -as well as one of the fiercest, of all created things. No one spoke -as that great chase swept by, but every face told eloquently of the -pent-up emotion within. - -Then a strange thing happened. The two whales, as they passed the -Mirzapore, swerved each from his direct course until they met in full -career, and in a moment were rolling each over each in a horrible -entanglement of whale-line amid a smother of bloody foam. The buoyant -craft danced around, one stern figure erect in each bow poising a long -slender lance; while in the stern of each boat stood another man, who -manipulated a giant oar as if it had been a feather, to swing his craft -around as occasion served. The lookers-on scarcely breathed. Was it -possible that men--just homely, unkempt figures like these--could dare -thrust themselves into such a vortex amongst those wallowing, maddened -Titans. Indeed it was. The boats drew nearer, became involved; lances -flew, oars bent, and blood--torrents of blood--befouled the glorious -azure of the waves. Suddenly the watchers gasped in terror, and little -cries of pain and sympathy escaped them: a boat had disappeared. Specks -floated, just visible in the tumult--fragments of oars, tubs, and heads -of men. But there was no sound, which made the scene all the more -impressive. - -Still the fight went on, while the spectators forgot all else--the -time, the place; all senses merged in wonder at the deeds of these, -their fellow-men, just following, in the ordinary way, their avocation. -And the thought would come that but for an accident this drama being -enacted before their eyes would have had no audience but the screaming -sea-birds hovering expectantly in the unheeding blue. - -The conflict ceased. The distained waters became placid, and upon -them floated quietly two vast corpses, but recently so terrible in -their potentialities of destruction. By their sides lay the surviving -boats--two of them, that is; the third was busy picking up the wrecked -hunters. And the old ship, with an easy adaptation of her needs to the -light air that hardly made itself felt, was gradually approaching the -scene. The passengers implored Captain James to lower a boat and allow -them a nearer view of those recently rushing monsters, and he, very -unwillingly, granted the request. So slow was the operation that by the -time the port lifeboat was in the water the whaler was alongside of -her prizes, and all her crew were toiling slavishly to free them from -the entanglement of whale-line in which they had involved themselves. -But when the passengers saw how the lifeboat tumbled about alongside -in the fast-sinking swell, the number of those eager for a nearer view -dwindled to half a dozen--and they were repentant of their rashness -when they saw how unhandily the sailors manipulated their oars. -However, they persisted for very shame’s sake, their respect for the -“spouters’” prowess, and, through them, for their previously despised -old ship, growing deeper every moment. They hovered about the old tub -as they saw the labour that was necessary to get those two enormous -carcases alongside, nor dared to go on board until the skipper of her, -mounting the rail, said cheerily, “Wunt ye kem aboard, sir,’n’ hev a -peek roun’?” - -Thus cordially invited, they went, their wonder increasing until all -their conceit was effectually taken out of them, especially when they -saw the wonderful handiness and cleanliness of everything on board. The -men, too, clothed in nondescript patches, with faces and arms almost -blackened by exposure, and wearing an air of detachment from the world -of civilized life that was full of pathos; these specially appealed -to them, and they wished with all their hearts that they might do -something to atone for the injustice done to these unblazoned warriors -by their thoughtless, ignorant remark of so short a time before. - -But time pressed, and they felt in the way besides; so, bidding a -humble farewell to the grim-looking skipper, who answered the inquiry -as to whether they could supply him with anything by a nonchalant -“No, I guess not; we aint a-ben eout o’ port hardly six month yet,” -they returned on board, having learned a corner of that valuable -lesson continually being taught: that to judge by appearances is but -superficial and dangerous, especially at sea. - -Night fell, shutting out from the gaze of those wearied watchers the -dumpy outlines of the old whale-ship. Her crew were still toiling, a -blazing basket of whale-scrap swinging at a davit and making a lurid -smear on the gloomy background of the night. One by one the excited -passengers sauntered below, still eagerly discussing the stirring -events they had witnessed, and making a thousand fantastic additions -to the facts. Gradually the conversation dwindled to a close, and -the great ship was left to the watch on deck. Fitful airs rose and -fell, sharp little breaths of keen-edged wind that but just lifted -the huge sails lazily, and let them slat against the masts again as -if in disgust at the inadequacy of cat’s-paws. So the night wore on, -till the middle watch had been in charge about half an hour. Then, -with a vengeful hiss, the treacherous wind burst upon them from the -north-east, catching that enormous sail-area on the fore side, and -defying the efforts of the scanty crew to reduce it. All hands were -called, and manfully did they respond; Briton and Finn, German and -negro toiled side by side in the almost impossible effort to shorten -down, while the huge hull, driven stern foremost, told in unmistakable -sea-language of the peril she was in. Hideous was the uproar of -snapping, running gear, rending canvas, breaking spars, and howling -wind; while through it all, like a thread of human life, ran the -wailing minor of the seamen’s cries as they strove to do what was -required of them. - -Slowly, oh, so slowly! the great ship paid off; while the heavier sails -boomed out their complaint like an aerial cannonade, when up from the -fore-hatch leapt a tongue of quivering flame. Every man who saw it felt -a clutch at his heart. For fire at sea is always terrible beyond the -power of mere words to describe; but fire under such conditions was -calculated to paralyze the energies of the bravest. There seemed to be -an actual hush, as if wind and waves were also aghast at this sudden -appearance of a fiercer element than they. Then rang out clear and -distinct the voice of Captain James-- - -“Drop everything else, men, and pass along the hose! Smartly, now! ’Way -down from aloft!” He was obeyed, but human nature had something to say -about the smartness. Men who have been taxing their energies, as these -had done, find that even the spur actuated by fear of imminent death -will fail to drive the exhausted body beyond a certain point. Moreover, -all of them knew that stowed in the square of the main-hatch were fifty -tons of gunpowder, which knowledge was of itself sufficient to render -flaccid every muscle they possessed. Still, they did what they could, -while the stewards went round to prepare the passengers for a hurried -departure. All was done quietly. In truth, although the storm was now -raging overhead, and the sails were being rent with infernal clamour -from the yards, a sense of the far greater danger beneath their feet -made the weather but a secondary consideration. - -Then out of a cowering group of passengers came a feeble voice. It -belonged to the lady querist of the afternoon, and it said, “Oh, if -those brave sailors from that wonderful old ship were only near, we -might be saved!” - -Simple words, yet they sent a thrill of returning hope through those -trembling hearts. Poor souls! None of them knew how far the ships -might have drifted apart in that wild night, nor thought of the drag -upon that old ship by those two tremendous bodies alongside of her. -So every eye was strained into the surrounding blackness, as if they -could pierce its impenetrable veil and bring back some answering ray of -hope. The same idea, of succour from the old whale-ship, had occurred -to the captain, and presently that waiting cluster of men and women saw -with hungry eyes a bright trail of fire soaring upward as a rocket was -discharged. Another and another followed, but without response. The -darkness around was like that of the tomb. Another signal, however, now -made itself manifest, and a much more effective one. Defying all the -puny efforts made to subdue it, the fire in the fore-hatch burst upward -with a roar, shedding a crimson glare over the whole surrounding sea, -and being wafted away to leeward in a glowing trail of sparks. - -“All hands lay aft!” roared the captain, and as they came, he shouted -again, “Clear away the boats!” - -Then might be seen the effect of that awful neglect of boats so common -to merchant ships. Davits rusted in their sockets, falls so swollen -as hardly to render over the sheaves, gear missing, water-breakers -leaky--all the various disastrous consequences that have given -sea-tragedies their grim completeness. But while the almost worn-out -crew worked with the energy of despair, there arose from the darkness -without the cheery hail of “Ship ahoy!” - -Could any one give an idea in cold print of the revulsion of feeling -wrought by those two simple words? For one intense moment there was -silence. Then from every throat came the joyful response, a note like -the breaking of a mighty string overstrained by an outburst of praise. - -Naturally, the crew first recovered their balance from the stupefaction -of sudden relief, and with coils of rope in their hands they thronged -the side, peering out into the dark for a glimpse of their deliverers. - -“Hurrah!” And the boatswain hurled the mainbrace far out-board at some -dim object. A few seconds later there arrived on board a grim figure, -quaint of speech as an Elizabethan Englishman, perfectly cool and -laconic, as if the service he had come to render was in the nature of a -polite morning call. - -“Guess you’ve consid’ble of a muss put up hyar, gents all,” said he; -and, after a brief pause, “Don’t know ez we’ve enny gre’t amount er -spare time on han’, so ef you’ve nawthin’ else very pressin’ t’ tend -ter, we mout so well see ’bout transhipment, don’t ye think?” - -He had been addressing no one in particular, but the captain answered -him. - -“You are right, sir; and thank you with all our hearts! Men, see the -ladies and children over-side!” - -No one seemed to require telling that this angel of deliverance had -arrived from the whale-ship; any other avenue of escape seemed beyond -all imagination out of the question. Swiftly yet carefully the helpless -ones were handed over-side; with a gentleness most sweet to see those -piratical-looking exiles bestowed them in the boat. As soon as she -was safely laden, another moved up out of the mirk behind and took -her place. And it was done so cannily. No roaring, agitation, or -confusion, as the glorious work proceeded. It was the very acme of good -boatmanship. The light grew apace, and upon the tall tongues of flame, -in all gorgeous hues that now cleft the night, huge masses of yellow -smoke rolled far to leeward, making up a truly infernal picture. - -Meanwhile, at the earliest opportunity, Captain James had called the -first-comer (chief mate of the whaler) apart, and quietly informed him -of the true state of affairs. The “down-easter” received this appalling -news with the same taciturnity that he had already manifested, merely -remarking as he shifted his chaw into a more comfortable position-- - -“Wall, cap’, ef she lets go ’fore we’ve all gut clear, some ov us ’ll -take th’ short cut t’ glory, anyhaow.” - -But, for all his apparent nonchalance, he had kept a wary eye upon the -work a-doing, to see that no moment was wasted. - -And so it came to pass that the last of the crew gained the boats, -and there remained on board the Mirzapore but Captain James and his -American deliverer. According to immemorial precedent, the Englishman -expressed his intention of being last on board. And upon his inviting -his friend to get into the waiting boat straining at her painter -astern, the latter said-- - -“Sir, I ’low no dog-goned matter ov etiquette t’ spile my work, ’n’ I -must say t’ I don’ quite like th’ idee ov leavin’ yew behine; so ef -yew’ll excuse me----” - -And with a movement sudden and lithe as a leopard’s he had seized the -astonished captain and dropped him over the taff-rail into the boat as -she rose upon a sea-crest. Before the indignant Englishman had quite -realized what had befallen him, his assailant was standing by his side -manipulating the steer-oar and shouting-- - -“Naow then, m’ sons, pull two, starn three; so, altogether. Up with -her, lift her, m’ hearties, lift her, ’r by th’ gre’t bull whale it’ll -be a job spiled after all.” - -And those silent men did indeed “give way.” The long supple blades -of their oars flashed crimson in the awful glare behind, as the -heavily-laden but still buoyant craft climbed the watery hills or -plunged into the hissing valleys. Suddenly there was one deep voice -that rent the heavens. The whole expanse of the sky was lit up by -crimson flame, in the midst of which hurtled fragments of that once -magnificent ship. The sea rose in heaps, so that all the boatmen’s -skill was needed to keep their craft from being overwhelmed. But the -danger passed, and they reached the ship--the humble, clumsy old -“spouter” that had proved to them a veritable ark of safety in time of -their utmost need. - -Captain James had barely recovered his outraged dignity when he was -met by a quaint figure advancing out of the thickly-packed crowd on -the whaler’s quarter-deck. “I’m Cap’n Fish, at yew’re service, sir. -We haint over ’n’ above spacious in eour ’commodation, but yew’re all -welcome t’ the best we hev’; ’n’ I’ll try ’n’ beat up f’r th’ Cape ’n’ -lan’ ye’s quick ’s it kin be did.” - -The Englishman had hardly voice to reply; but, recollecting himself, he -said, “I’m afraid, Captain Fish, that we shall be sadly in your way for -dealing with those whales we saw you secure yesterday.” - -“Not much yew wunt,” was the unexpected reply. “We hed t’ make eour -ch’ice mighty sudden between them fish ’n’ yew, ’n’, of course, though -we’re noways extravagant, they hed t’ go.” - -The simple nobility of that homely man, in thus for self and crew -passing over the loss of from eight to ten thousand dollars at the -first call from his kind, was almost too much for Captain James, who -answered unsteadily-- - -“If I have any voice in the matter, there will be no possibility of the -men, who dared the terrors of fire and sea to save me and my charges, -being heavily fined for their humanity.” - -“Oh, _thet’s_ all right,” said Captain Silas Fish. - - - - -THE OLD HOUSE ON THE HILL - - -CHAPTER I - -There is something in the stress and struggle of tumultuous life in -a vast city like London that to me is almost unbearable. Accustomed -from a very early age to the illimitable peace of the ocean, to the -untainted air of its changeless circle of waves and roofless dome of -sky, I have never been able to endure satisfactorily the unceasing -roar of traffic in crowded streets, the relentless rush of mankind in -the race for life which is the normal condition of our great centres -of civilization. Yet, for many years, being condemned by circumstances -to abide in the midst of urban strife and noise without a break from -one weary year to another, I lived to mourn departed peace, and feed -my longing for it on memory alone, without a hope that its enjoyments -would ever again be mine. Then came unexpected relief, an opportunity -to visit a secluded corner of Wiltshire, that inland division of -England which is richer, perhaps, in memorials of our wonderful history -than any other part of these little islands, crowded as they are with -reminiscences of bygone glorious days. - -I took up my quarters in a hamlet on the banks of the Wylye, a -delightful little river, taking its rise near the Somersetshire -border, and wandering with innumerable windings through the heart of -Wiltshire, associating itself with the Bourne and the Nadder, until at -Salisbury it is lost in that most puzzling of all streams, the Avon. -I said puzzling, for I believe there are but a handful of people out -of the great host to whom the Avon is one of the best-known streams -in the world from its associations, who know that there is one Avon -feeding the Severn near Tewkesbury, which is Shakespeare’s Avon; there -is another, upon which Bristol has founded her prosperity, and there -is yet another, the Avon of my first mention, which, accumulated from -numberless rivulets in the Vale of Pewsey, floweth through Salisbury, -and loses itself finally in the waters of the English Channel at -Christchurch in Hampshire. But I must ask forgiveness for allowing the -wily Avon to lure me away thus far. - -One of the chief charms of Wiltshire is its rolling downs rising upon -either side of the valley, which in the course of ages the busy little -Wylye has scooped out between them in gentle undulations, a short, -sweet herbage for the most part covering their masses of solid chalk, -coming to within a foot or two of those emerald surfaces. This is the -place to come and ponder over the rubbish that is talked about the -over-crowding of England. Here you shall wander for a whole day if you -will, neither meeting or seeing a human being unless you follow the -road that winds through the Deverills, five villages of the valley, -all, alas, in swift process of decay. Even there the simple folk will -stare long and earnestly at a stranger as he passes, before turning -to resume their leisurely tasks, the uneventful, slumberous round of -English village life. To me it was idyllic. A great peace came over -me, and I felt that it was a sinful waste of nature to shut myself -within four walls even at night. Long after the thirty souls peopling -our hamlet had gone to bed I would sit out on the hillside behind the -cottage, steeping my heart in the warm silence, only manifested--not -broken--by the queer wailing cry of an uneasy plover as it fluttered -overhead. And when, reluctantly, I did go to bed, I was careful to prop -the windows wide open, even though I was occasionally awakened by the -soft “flip-flip” of bats flying across my chamber, dazzled by the small -light of my reading lamp. - -The grey of the dawn, no matter how few had been my hours of sleep, -never failed to awaken me, and, hurrying through my bath and dressing, -I gat me out into the sweet breath of morning twilight while Nature was -taking her beauty sleep and the dewdrops were waiting to welcome with -their myriad smiles the first peep of the sun. And so it came to pass -that one morning, just as the eastern horizon was being flooded with -a marvellous series of colour-blends in mysterious and ever-changing -sequence, that I mounted the swell of the down opposite to the village -of Brixton Deverill, with every sense quickened to fullest appreciation -of the lovely scene. Hosts of rabbits, quaint wee bunches of grey fur, -each with a white blaze in the centre, scuttled from beneath my feet, -and every little while, their curiosity overpowering natural fear, -sat up with long ears erect and big black eyes devouring the uncouth -intruder on their happy feeding grounds. Great flocks of partridges, -almost as tame as domestic fowls (for it was July), ran merrily in -and out among the furze clumps, or rose with a noisy whir of many -wings when I came too close; aristocratic cock pheasants strolled by -superciliously with a sidelong glance to see that the erect biped -carried no gun, and an occasional lark gyrated to the swell of his -own heart-lifting song as he rose in successive leaps to his proper -sphere. I felt like singing myself, but Nature’s music was too sweet -to be disturbed by my quavering voice, so I climbed on, all eyes and -ears, and nerves a-tingle with receptivity of keenest enjoyment. -Reaching the summit, I paused and surveyed the peaceful scene. Far -to the left lay Longleat, its dense woods shimmering in a blue haze; -to the right, Heytesbury Wood, in sombre shadow; and behind, the -forest-like ridge of Chicklade. But near me, just peeping over the bare -crest of an adjoining down, were the tops of a clump of firs, and, -curious to know what that coppice might contain (I always have had a -desire to explore the recesses of a lonely clump of trees), I turned -my steps towards it, only stopping at short intervals to admire the -gracefulness of the purple, blue, and yellow wild flowers with which -the short, fine rabbit-grass was profusely besprent. Meanwhile the -sun appeared in cloudless splendour, his powerful rays dissipating -the spring-like freshness of the morning and promising a most sultry -day. Yet as I drew nearer the dark fastness of the coppice I felt a -chill, an actual physical sensation of cold. At the same time there -arose within me a positive repugnance to draw any closer to that deep -shade. This unaccountable change only made me angry with myself for -being capable of feeling such a nonsensical, unexplainable hindrance -to my purpose. So I took hold of it with both hands, and cast it from -me, striding onward with quickened step until I really seemed to be -breasting a strong tide. Panting with the intensity of my inward -struggle, I reached the shadow cast by that solemn clump of pines, and -saw the pale outlines of a wall in their midst. Now curiosity became -paramount, and, actually shivering with cold, I pressed on until I -stood in front of a fairly large house, surrounded by a flint wall on -all sides, but at some yards distance from it. Through large holes -in the encircling wall the wood-folk scampered or fluttered merrily -but noiselessly; rabbits, hares, squirrels, and birds, and as I drew -nearer there was a sudden whiff of strong animal scent, and a long red -body launched itself through one of the openings, flitting past me -like a flash of red-brown light. Although I had never seen an English -fox before on his native heath, I recognized him from his pictures, -and forgave him for startling me. Skirting the wall, I came to a huge -gap with crumbling sides, where once had been a gate, I suppose. It -commanded a view of the front of the house, which I now saw was a mere -shell, its walls perforated in many places by the busy rabbits, which -swarmed in and out like bees upon a hive. No windows remained, but the -front door was fast closed and barred by a thick trunk of ivy, which -had once overspread the whole building, but was now quite in keeping -with it, for it was dead. The space between the wall and the house was -thickly overgrown with nettles to nearly the height of a man, but there -was no sign of any useful plant, and even the roof of the building, -which was of red tiles and intact, had none of that kindly covering of -house-leek, stone-crop, and moss, which always decks such spaces with -beauty in the country. Upon a sudden impulse I turned, and behind me I -saw with a shudder that only a few feet from where I stood there was -a sheer descent of some thirty feet, a veritable pit some ten yards -wide, but with its farther margin only a few feet high. Tall trees -sprang from its bottom and sides, their roots surrounding a pool of -black-looking water that seemed a receptacle for all manner of hideous -mysteries. Involuntarily I shrank into myself, and looked up for a -glint of blue sunlit sky, but it was like being in a vault, dark and -dank and cold. Still, the idea never entered my head to get out until -I had seen all that might be there to be seen, although I confess to -comforting myself, as I have often done on a dull and gloomy day, with -the reminder that just outside the sun was shining steadily. - -Turning away from that grim-looking pit, I thrust myself through the -savage nettle-bed, my hands held high so that I could guard my face -with my arms, until I reached the first opening in the house wall that -offered admission. With just one moment’s hesitation I stepped within, -and stood on the decayed floor of what had once been the best room. -And then I had need of all my disbelief in ghosts, for around me and -beneath me and above were a congeries of all the queer noises one could -conjure up. Soft pattering of feet, hollow murmurings as of voices, the -indefinite sound of brushing past that always makes one turn sharply -to see who is near. I found my mouth getting dry and my hands burning, -in spite of the chill that still clung to me; but still I went on and -explored every room in the eerie place, noting a colony of bats that -huddled together among the bare roof-beams, prying into the numerous -cavities in floors and walls made by the rabbits and the rats, but -seeing nothing worthy of note until I reached a sort of cellar which -looked as if it had been used as a bakehouse. Upon stepping down the -decrepit ladder which led to it, I startled a great colony of rats, -that fled in all directions with shrill notes of affright, hardly more -scared than myself. The place was so dark that I thankfully remembered -my box of wax matches, and, twisting two or three torches out of a -newspaper I found in my jacket pocket, I soon had a good light. - -It revealed a cavity in the floor just in front of a huge baker’s oven, -into the dim recesses of which I peered, finding that it extended for -some distance on either side of the opening. Lighting another torch, -I jumped down and found--three oblong boxes of rude construction, and -across them the mouldering frame of what had once been a man. At last -I had seen enough, and with something tap-tapping inside my head, I -scrambled hastily out of the hole, my body shaking as if with ague, and -my lungs aching for air. I looked neither to the right nor the left -as I went, nor paused, regardless of the nettle grove, until I emerged -upon the bright hilltop, where I flung myself down and drank in great -gulps of sweet air until my tremors passed away and the tumult of my -mind became appeased. - -Without casting another look back at that lonely place, or attempting -to speculate upon what I had seen, I departed for home, and, after a -hasty breakfast, sought out a friend in the next village, Longbridge -Deverill, who had already given me many pleasant hours by retailing -scraps of local history reaching back for hundreds of years. I found -him in his pretty garden enjoying the bright day, with a look of deep -content upon his worn old face--the afterglow of a well-spent life. -Staying his rising to greet me, I flung myself down on the springy turf -by his side, and almost without a word of preface, gave him a hurried -account of my morning’s adventure. He listened in grave silence until I -had finished, and then began as follows. - - -CHAPTER II - -It is certainly a strange coincidence that you should stumble across -that sombre place, because, after what you told me the other day -about your family connection with this part of the country, I have -no doubt whatever that the unhappy tenants of Pertwood Farm (as it -is called even now) were nearly related to yourself. Their tragical -story is well known to me, although its principal events happened -more than sixty years ago, when I was a boy. The house had been built -and enclosed, and the trees planted, by a morose old man who wished -to shut himself off from the world, yet was by no means averse to a -good deal of creature comfort. He lived in it for some years, attended -only by one hard-featured man, who did apparently men and women’s -work equally well--lived there until local rumour had grown tired of -inventing fables about him, and left him to the oblivion he desired. -Then one day the news began to circulate that Pertwood had changed -hands, that old Cusack was gone, and that a middle-aged man with a -beautiful young wife had taken up his abode there, without any one in -the vicinity knowing aught of the change until it had been made. Then -the village tongues wagged loosely for awhile, especially when it was -found that the new-comers were almost as reserved as old Cusack had -been. But as time went on Mr. Delambre, whose Huguenot name stamped -him as most probably a native of these parts (you have noticed how -very frequent such names are hereabout), leased several good-sized -fields lower down the hill towards Chicklade, and began to do a little -farming. This, of course, necessitated his employing labour, and -consequently, by slow degrees, scraps of personalia about him filtered -through the sluggish tongues of the men who worked for him. Thus we -learned that his wife (your grandmother’s sister, my boy) was rarely -beautiful, though pale and silent as a ghost. That her husband loved -her tigerishly, could not bear that any other eyes should see her -but his, and it was believed that his fierce watchful jealousy of her -being even looked upon was fretting her to death. Quite a flutter of -excitement pervaded the village here not long after the above details -became public property, by one of the labourers from Pertwood coming -galloping in on a plough-horse for old Mary Hoddinot, who had nursed -at least two generations of neighbours in their earliest days. She was -whisked off in the baker’s cart, but the news remained behind that -twin boys had arrived at Pert’ood, as it was locally called, and that -Delambre was almost frantic with anxiety about his idol. The veil thus -hastily lifted dropped again, and only driblets of news came at long -intervals. We heard that old Mary was in permanent residence, that -the boys were thriving sturdily, and that the mother was fairer than -ever and certainly happier. So things jogged along for a couple of -years, until an occasional word came deviously from Pertwood to the -effect that the miserable Delambre was now jealous of his infant boys. -Self-tortured, he was making his wife a living martyr, and such was his -wild-beast temper that none dare interfere. At last the climax was put -upon our scanty scraps of intelligence by the appearance in our midst -of old Mary, pale, thin, and trembling. It was some time before we -could gather her dread story, she was so sadly shaken; but by degrees -we learned that after a day in which Delambre seemed to be perfectly -devil-possessed, alternately raging at and caressing his wife, venting -savage threats against the innocent babes “who were stealing all her -affection away from him,” he had gone down the hill to see after -enfolding some sheep. He was barely out of sight before his wife, -turning to old Mary, said, “Please put your arms round me, I feel _so_ -tired.” Mary complied, drawing the fair, weary head down upon her -faithful old bosom, where it remained until a chill struck through her -bodice. Alarmed, she looked down and saw that her mistress was resting -indeed. - -Although terrified almost beyond measure, the poor old creature -retained sufficient presence of mind to release herself from the dead -arms, rush to the door, and scream for her employer. He was returning, -when her cries hastened his steps, and, breaking into a run, he burst -into the room and saw! He stood stonily for a minute, then, turning to -the trembling old woman, shouted “go away.” Not daring to disobey, she -hurried off, and here she was. After much discussion, my father and -the village doctor decided to go to Pertwood and see if anything could -be done. But their errand was in vain. Delambre met them at the door, -telling them that he did not need, nor would he receive, any help or -sympathy. What he did require was to be left alone. And slamming the -door in his visitors’ faces, he disappeared. Even this grim happening -died out of men’s daily talk as the quiet days rolled by, and nothing -more occurred to arouse interest. We heard that the boys were well, and -were often seen tumbling about the grass-plot before the house door by -the farm labourers. Rumour said many things concerning the widower’s -disposal of his dead. But no one knew anything for certain, except -that her body had never been seen again by any eye outside the little -family. Delambre himself seemed changed for the better, less harsh and -morose, although as secretive as ever. He was apparently devoted to -his two boys, who throve amazingly. As they grew up he and they were -inseparable. He educated them, played with them, made their welfare -his one object in life. And they returned his care with the closest -affection, in fact the trio seemed never contented apart. Yet they -never came near the village, nor mixed with the neighbours in any way. - -In this quiet neighbourhood the years slip swiftly by as does the -current past an anchored ship, and as unnoticeably. The youthful -Delambres grew and waxed strong enough to render unnecessary the -employment of any other labour on the farm than their own, and in -consequence it was only at rare intervals that any news of them reached -us in roundabout fashion through Warminster, where old Delambre was -wont to go once a week on business. So closely had they held aloof -from all of us that when one bitter winter night a tall swarthy young -man came furiously knocking at the doctor’s door, he was as completely -unknown to the worthy old man as any new arrival from a foreign land. -The visitor, however, lost no time in introducing himself as George -Delambre, and urgently requested the doctor to accompany him at once to -Pertwood on a matter of life and death. In a few minutes the pair set -off through the heavy snow-drifts, and, after a struggle that tried the -old doctor terribly, arrived at the house to find that the patient was -mending fast. - -A young woman of about eighteen, only able to mutter a few words of -French, had been found huddled up under the wall of the house by George -as he was returning from a visit to the sheepfold. She was fairly well -dressed in foreign clothing, but at almost the last gasp from privation -and cold. How she came there she never knew. The last thing that she -remembered was coming to Hindon, by so many ways that her money was all -spent, in order to find a relative, she having been left an orphan. -Failing in her search, she had wandered out upon the downs, and the -rest was a blank. - -In spite of convention she remained at Pertwood, making the dull -place brighter than it had ever been. But of course both brothers -fell in love with the first woman they had ever really known. And -she, being thus almost compelled to make her choice, with all a -woman’s inexplicable perversity, promised to marry dark saturnine -George, although her previous behaviour towards him had been timid and -shrinking, as if she feared him. To the rejected brother, fair Charles, -she had always been most affectionate, so much so, indeed, that he was -perfectly justified in looking upon her as his future wife, to be had -for the asking. This cruel blow to his almost certain hopes completely -stunned him for a time, until his brother with grave and sympathetic -words essayed to comfort him. This broke the spell that had bound him, -and in a perfect fury of anger he warned his brother that he looked -upon him as his deadliest enemy, that the world was hardly wide enough -for them both; but, for his part, he would not, if he could help it, -add another tragedy to their already gloomy home, and to that end he -would flee. Straightway he rushed and sought his father, and, without -any warning, demanded his portion. At first the grim old man stared -at him blankly, for his manner was new as his words were rough; then, -rising from his chair, the old man bade him be gone--not one penny -would he give him; he might go and starve for ought he cared. - -“Very well,” said Charles, “then I go into the village and get advice -as to how I shall proceed against you for the wages I have earned since -I began to work. And you’ll cut a fine figure at the Warminster Court.” - -The threat was efficient. With a face like ashes and trembling hands -the father opened his desk and gave him fifty guineas, telling him that -it was half of his total savings, and with an evidently severe struggle -to curb his furious temper, asked him to hurry his departure. Since he -had robbed him, the sooner he was gone the better. The young man turned -and went without another word. - -That same night old Delambre died suddenly and alone. And Louise, -instead of clinging to her promised husband, came down to the village, -where the doctor gave her shelter. The unhappy George, thus cruelly -deserted, neglected everything, oscillating between the village and -his lonely home. The inquest showed that the old man had died of heart -disease; and George then, to every one’s amazement, announced his -intention of carrying out his father’s oft-repeated wish, and burying -him beneath the house by the side of his wife. - - -CHAPTER III - -And now we must needs leave Pertwood Farm and its doubly bereaved -occupant for a while, in order to follow the fortunes of the -self-exiled Charles. His was indeed a curious start in life. Absolutely -ignorant of the world, his whole horizon at the age of twenty years -bounded by that little patch of lonely Wiltshire down, and his -knowledge of mankind confined to, at the most, half a dozen people. He -had great native talent, which, added to an ability to keep his own -counsel, was doubtless of good service to him in this breaking away -into the unknown. His total stock of money amounted to less than £50, -to him an enormous sum, the greater because he had never yet known the -value of money. His native shrewdness, however, led him to husband it -in miserly fashion, as being the one faithful friend upon which he -could always rely. - -And now the salt strain in his mother’s blood must have asserted itself -unmistakably, if mysteriously, for straight as a homing bee he made -his way down to the sea, finding himself a week after his flight at -Poole. I shall never forget the look upon his face as he told me how -he first felt when the sea revealed itself to him. All his unsatisfied -longings, all the heart-wrench of his rejected love, were forgotten -in present unutterable delight. He was both hungry and weary, yet he -sat contentedly down upon the verge of the cliffs and gazed upon this -glorious vision until his eyes glazed with fatigue, and his body was -numbed with the immovable restraint of his attitude. At last he tore -himself away, and entered the town, seeking a humble lodging-place, -and finding one exactly suited to his needs in a little country -public-house on the outskirts of the town, kept by an apple-cheeked -dame, whose son was master of a brigantine then lying in the harbour. -She gave the handsome youth a motherly welcome, none the less warm -because he appeared to be well able to pay his way. - -Against the impregnable fortress of his reserve she failed to make any -progress whatever, although in the attempt to gratify her curiosity she -exerted every simple art known to her. On the other hand he learned -many things, for one of her chief wiles was an open confidence in -him, an unreserved pouring out to him of all she knew. He was chiefly -interested in her stories of her son. Naturally she was proud of that -big swarthy seaman, who, when he arrived home that evening, loomed so -large in the doorway that he appeared to dwarf the whole building. As -Englishmen will, the two men eyed one another suspiciously at first, -until the ice having been broken by the fond mother, Charles in his -turn began to pump his new acquaintance. Captain Jacks, delighted -beyond measure to find a virgin mind upon which to sow his somewhat -threadbare stock of yarns, was gratified beyond measure, and -thenceforward until long after the usual hour for bed, the young man -was simply soaking up like a sponge in the rain such a store of wonders -as he had never before even dreamed of. At last the old dame, somewhat -huffed by the way in which Charles had turned from her garrulity to her -son’s, ordered them both to bed. But Charles could not sleep. How was -it possible? The quiet monotone of his life had been suddenly lifted -into a veritable Wagner concert of strange harmonies, wherein joy and -grief, pleasure and pain, love and hate, strove for predominance, -and refused to be hushed to rest even by the needs of his healthful -weariness. - -Out of it all one resolve arose towering. He would, he must go to sea. -That alone could be the career for him. But he would write to Louise. -Knowing nothing of her flight from the old home or of his father’s -death, he felt that he must endeavour to assert a claim to her, more -just and defensible than his brother’s, even though she had rejected -him. And then, soothed by his definite settlement of future action, he -fell asleep, nor woke again until roused by his indignant landlady’s -inquiry as to whether “’ee wor gwain t’ lie abed arl daay.” Springing -out of bed, he made his simple toilet in haste, coming down so speedily -that the good old dame was quite mollified. A hasty breakfast ensued, -and a hurried departure for the harbour in search of Captain Jacks’ -brigantine. Finding her after a short search, he was warmly welcomed -by the gallant skipper, and, to his unbounded delight, succeeded in -inducing that worthy man to take him as an extra hand without pay on -his forthcoming voyage to Newfoundland. Then returning to his lodging, -he made his small preparations, and after much anxious thought, -produced the following letter, which he addressed to Louise, care of -the old doctor at Longbridge. - - “MY DEAREST LOO, - - “Though you chose George instead of me I don’t mean to give you - up. I mean to do something big, looking forward to you for a - prize. I believe you love me better than you do George in spite - of what you did. You will never marry him, never. You’ll marry - me, because you love me, and I won’t let you go. I know you’ll - get this letter, and send me an answer to Mrs. Jacks, Apple - Row, Poole. And you’ll wait for my reply, which may be late a - coming, but will be sure to come. - - “Yours till death, - “CHARLES DELAMBRE.” - -A few minutes afterwards he was on his way down to the Mary Jane, -Captain Jacks’ brigantine. He was received with the gravity befitting -a skipper on shipping a new hand, and after bestowing his few -purchases in a cubby-hole in the tiny cabin, returned on deck in -his shirt-sleeves, to take part in whatever work was going on, with -all the ardour of a new recruit. Next morning at daylight the Mary -Jane departed. Under the brilliant sky of June the dainty little -vessel glided out into the Channel, bounding forward before the fresh -north-easterly breeze, as if rejoicing to be at home once more, and -freed from the restraint of mooring chains and the stagnant environment -of a sheltered harbour. - -Charles took to his new life wonderfully, feeling no qualms of -sea-sickness, and throwing himself into every detail of the work with -such ardour that by the time they had been out a week he was quite -a useful member of the ship’s company. And then there arrived that -phenomenon, a June gale from the north-west. Shorn of all her white -wings but one, the little brigantine lay snugly enough, fore-reaching -against the mighty Atlantic rollers that hurled themselves upon -her like mountain ranges endowed with swiftest motion. So she lay -throughout one long day and far into the night succeeding, until just -at that dread hour of midnight when watchfulness so often succumbs -to weariness at sea, a huge comber came tumbling aboard as she fell -off into the trough of the sea. For a while she seemed to be in doubt -whether to shake herself clear of the foaming mass, and then splendidly -lifting herself with her sudden burden of a deck filled with water, -she resumed her gallant struggle. Just then it was discovered that her -lights were gone. Before they could be replaced, out of the darkness -came flying an awful shape, vast, swift, and merciless. One of the -splendid Yankee fliers of those days, the Columbia, of over a thousand -tons register, was speeding eastward under every stitch of sail, at a -rate far surpassing that of any but the swiftest steamships. A good -look out was being kept on board of her, for those vessels were noted -for the excellence of their discipline and careful attention to duty. -But the night was pitchy dark, the Mary Jane had no light visible, -and before anything could be done her doomed crew saw the Columbia’s -bow towering over their vessel’s waist like some unthinkable demon -of destruction. Up, up, up, she soared above them, then descending, -her gleaming bow shone clean through the centre of the Mary Jane’s -hull, tearing with it the top-hamper of masts and rigging, and rushing -straight through the wreckage without a perceptible check. One wild cry -of despair and all was silent. Over the side of the Columbia peered -a row of white faces gazing fearfully into the gloom, but there was -nothing to be seen. The sea had claimed her toll. - -As usual, after such a calamity, there was a hushed performance -of tasks, until suddenly one of the crew shouted, “Why, here’s a -stranger.” And there was. Charles had clutched instinctively at one -of the martingale guys as the Columbia swept over her victim, and had -succeeded in climbing from thence on board out of the vortex of death -in which all his late shipmates had been involved. Plied with eager -questions, his simple story was soon told, and he was enrolled among -the crew. The Columbia was bound to Genoa, a detail that troubled -him but little; so long as he was at sea he had no desire to select -his destination. But he found here a very different state of things -obtaining. The crew were a hard-bitten, motley lot, prime seamen -mostly, but “packet rats” to a man, wastrels without a thought in life -but how soon they might get from one drinking-bout to another, and at -sea only kept from mutiny, and, indeed, crime of all kinds, by the -iron discipline imposed upon them by the stern-faced, sinewy Americans -who formed the afterguard. There were no soft, sleepy-voiced orders -given here. Every command issued by an officer came like the bellowing -of an angry bull, and if the man or men addressed did not leap like -cats to execute it, a blow emphasized the fierce oath that followed. - -Charles now learned what work was. No languid crawling through duties -with one ear ever cocked for the sound of the releasing bell, but a -rabid rush at all tasks, even the simplest, as if upon its immediate -performance hung issues of life or death. “Well fed, well driven, -well paid,” was the motto on board those ships, albeit there were not -wanting scoundrelly skippers and officers, who, in ports where fresh -hands were to be obtained cheaply, were not above using the men so -abominably that they would desert and leave all their cruelly-earned -wages behind. Strangely enough, however, Charles became a prime -favourite. This son of the soil, who might have been expected to move -in clod-hopper fashion, developed an amazing smartness which, allied -to a keenness of appreciation quite American in its rapidity, endeared -him specially to the officers. In the roaring fo’c’sle among his -half-savage shipmates he commanded respect, for in some mysterious -way he evolved masterly fighting qualities and dogged staying powers -that gave him victory in several bloody battles. So that it came to -pass, when Genoa was reached, that Charles was one day called aft and -informed that, if he cared to, he might shift his quarters aft and -go into training for an officer, holding a sort of brevet rank as -supernumerary third mate. He accepted, and was transferred, much to -the disgust of his shipmates forward, who looked upon his move aft as -a sort of desertion to the enemy. But they knew Charles too well to -proceed further with their enmity than cursing him among themselves, so -that as much peace as usual was kept. - -From this port Charles wrote lengthily to Louise at Longbridge as -before, and to Poole to Mrs. Jacks, breaking her great misfortune to -her, and begging her to write to him and send him at New York any -letters that might have arrived for him. And then he turned contentedly -to his work again, allowing it to engross every thought. He was no -mere dreamer of dreams, this young man. In his mind there was a solid -settled conviction that, sooner or later (and it did not greatly matter -which), he would attain the object of his desires. This granitic -foundation of faith in his future saved him all mental trouble, and -enabled him to devote all his energies to the work in hand, to the -great satisfaction of his skipper. Captain Lothrop, indeed, looked -upon this young Englishman with no ordinary favour. A typical American -himself, of the best school, he concealed under a languid demeanour -energy as of an unloosed whirlwind. His face was long, oval, and -olive-brown, with black silky beard and moustache trimmed like one of -Velasquez’s cavaliers, and black eyes that, usually expressionless -as balls of black marble, would, upon occasion given, dart rays of -terrible fire. Contrasted with this saturnine stately personage, the -fair, ruddy Charles looked like some innocent schoolboy, the open, -confiding air he bore being most deceptive. He picked up seamanship, -too, in marvellous fashion, the sailorizing that counts, by virtue of -which a seaman handles a thousand-ton ship as if she were a toy and -every one of her crew but an incarnation of his will. But this very -ability of his before long aroused a spirit of envy in his two brother -officers that would have been paralyzing to a weaker man. Here, again, -the masterly discipline of the American merchantman came to his aid, -a discipline that does not know of such hideous folly as allowing -jealousy between officers being paraded before the crew, so that they -with native shrewdness may take advantage of the house divided against -itself. When in an American ship one sees a skipper openly deriding an -officer, be sure that officer’s days as an officer are numbered; he -is about to be reduced to the ranks. So, in spite of a growing hatred -to the ---- Britisher, the two senior mates allowed no sign of their -feelings to be manifested before the crew. Perhaps the old man was a -bit injudicious also. He would yarn with Charles by the hour about -the old farm and the sober, uneventful routine of English rural life, -the recital of these placid stories evidently giving him the purest -pleasure by sheer contrast with his own stormy career. - -In due time the stay of the Columbia at Genoa came to an end, and -backward she sailed for New York. In masterly fashion she was manœuvred -out through the Gut of Gibraltar, and sped with increased rapidity -into the broad Atlantic. But it was now nearly winter, and soon the -demon of the west wind made his power felt. The gale settled down -steadily to blow for weeks apparently, and with dogged perseverance -the Columbia’s crew fought against it. Hail, snow, and ice scourged -them, canvas became like planks, ropes as bars of iron. Around the -bows arose masses of ice like a rampart, and from the break of the -forecastle hung icicles which grew like mushrooms in a few hours of -night. The miserable crew were worn to the bone with fatigue and cold, -and had they been fed as British crews of such ships are fed they would -doubtless have all died. But, in spite of their sufferings, they worked -on until one night, having to make all possible sail to a “slant” of -wind, they were all on deck together at eight bells--midnight. With the -usual celerity practised in these ships, the snowy breadths of canvas -were rising one above the other, and the Columbia was being flung -forward in lively fashion over the still heavy waves, when Charles, -who was standing right forward on the forecastle, shouted in a voice -that could be heard distinctly above the roar of the wind and sea -and the cries of the seamen, “Hard down!” Mechanically the helmsman -obeyed, hardly knowing whither the summons came, and the beautiful -vessel swung up into the wind, catching all her sails aback, and -grinding her way past some frightful obstruction to leeward that looked -as if an abyss of darkness had suddenly yawned in the middle of the -sea, along the rim of which the Columbia was cringing. The tremendous -voice of Captain Lothrop boomed out through the darkness, “What d’ye -see, Mister Delamber, forrard there?” “We’ve struck a derelict, sir,” -roared Charles, and his words sounded in the ears of the ship’s company -like the summons of doom. The ship faltered in her swing to windward, -refused to obey her helm, and swung off the wind again slowly but -surely, as if being dragged down into unknown depths by an invisible -hand whose grip was like that of death. - - -CHAPTER IV - -In this hour of paralyzing uncertainty Charles rose to the full -height of his manhood. Passing the word for a lantern, and slinging -himself in a bowline, he ventured into the blackness alongside, and -presently reappeared with the cheering news that no damage was done. A -few strokes of an axe and they would be set free. And arming himself -with a broad axe, he again disappeared into the outer dark, this time -under the watchful eye of the skipper, and presently, with a movement -which was like a throb of returning life to every soul on board, the -Columbia regained her freedom. Charles was hauled on board through the -surf alongside like a sodden bundle of clothing, unhurt, but entirely -exhausted, having made good his claim to be regarded as one of the -world’s silent heroes, a man who to the call of duty returns no dubious -answer, but renders swift obedience. - -This last adventure seemed to exhaust the Columbia’s budget of ill-luck -for the voyage. Although the wind was never quite fair, it allowed -them to work gradually over to the westward, and with its change a -little more genial weather was vouchsafed to them. They arrived in -New York without further incident worthy of notice, and Charles found -himself not only the guest of the skipper, but honoured by the owner, -who, as an old skipper himself, was fully alive to the glowing account -given him by Captain Lothrop of Charles’s services to the Columbia. The -other two officers left early, and Charles, now a full-blown second -mate, saw his prize almost within his grasp. The more so that a letter -(only one) awaited him; it was from Louise, and contained only these -words-- - - “DEAR CHARLES, - - “It is that I am yours. Whenever it shall please you to come - for me, I am ready. I leave the house to the day of your - parting, for your father is dead immediately, and I go not - there any more. I wait for you only. - - “LOUISE.” - -He accepted this news with perfect calmness, as of one who knew that -it would come, and turned again to his work with a zest as unlike -that of a love-sick youth as any one ever saw. Not a word did he say -of his affairs even to his good friend the skipper, and when, their -stay in New York at an end, they sailed for China, that worthy man was -revolving all sorts of projects in his mind for an alliance between -Charles and his wife’s sister, who, during Charles’ stay in New York, -had manifested no small degree of interest in the stalwart, ruddy -young Englishman. He, however, took no advantage of the obviously -proffered opportunity, and in due course the Columbia sailed for Hong -Kong, petroleum laden. Captain Lothrop carried his wife with him this -voyage, and very homely indeed the ship appeared with the many trifles -added to her cabin by feminine taste. A new mate and third mate were -also shipped--the former a gigantic Kentuckian, with a fist like a -shoulder of mutton, a voice like a wounded buffalo bull, and a heart as -big and soft as ever dwelt in the breast of mortal man. Yet, strangely -enough, he was a terror to the crew. Long training in the duty of -running a ship “packet fashion” had made him so, made him regard the -men under his charge as if they were wild beasts, who needed keeping -tame by many stripes and constant, unremitting toil. The third mate -was a Salem man, tall enough, but without an ounce of superfluous -flesh on his gaunt frame. He seemed built of steel wire, so tireless -and insensible to pain was he. With these two worthies Charles was at -home at once. Good men themselves, they took to him on the spot as an -Englishman of the best sort, who is always beloved by Yankees--that is, -genuine Americans--and loves them in return in no half-hearted fashion. - -It was well for them all that this solidarity obtained among them, -for they shipped a crowd in New York of all nationalities, except -Americans or English, a gang that looked as if they had stepped direct -from the deck of a pirate to take service on board the Columbia. The -skipper was as brave a man as ever trod a quarter-deck; but his wife -was aboard, and his great love made him nervous. He suggested at once -that each of his officers should never be without a loaded six-shooter -in their hip-pockets by night or day, and that they should watch that -crowd as the trainer watches his cage of performing tigers. Fortunately -the men were all prime seamen, and full of spring, while the perfect -discipline maintained on board from the outset did not permit of any -loafing about, which breeds insolence as well as laziness, that root -of mischief at sea. So, in spite of incessant labour and the absence -of any privileges whatever, the peace was kept until the ship, after -a splendid passage of one hundred days, was running up the China -Sea under as much canvas as she could drag to the heavy south-west -monsoon. All the watch were busy greasing down, it being Saturday, -and, unlike most English ships, where, for fear of the men grumbling, -this most filthy but necessary work is done by the boys or the quiet -men of the crew, here everybody took a hand, and the job was done in -about twenty minutes from the word “go.” A huge Greek was busy at the -mizzen-topmast, his grease-pot slung to his belt, when suddenly the -pot parted company with him and fell, plentifully bespattering sails -and rigging as it bounded and rebounded on its way down, until at last -it smashed upon the cabin skylight and deposited the balance of its -contents all around. - -“Come down here, ye Dago beast!” bellowed the mate. Slowly, too slowly, -’Tonio obeyed. Hardly had he dropped from the rigging on to the top of -the house when Mr. Shelby seized him by the throat, and, in spite of -his bulk (he was almost as big as the mate himself), dragged him to -the skylight, and, forcing his head down, actually rubbed his face in -the foul mess. ’Tonio struggled in silence, but unavailingly, until -the mate released him; then, with a spring like a lion’s, he leaped -at his tormentor, a long knife, never seen till then, gleaming in his -left hand. Mr. Shelby met him halfway with a kick which caught his -left elbow, paralyzing his arm, the knife dropping point downwards -and sticking in the deck. But the fracas was the signal for a general -outbreak. The helmsman sprang from the wheel, the rest of the watch -slid down backstays, and came rushing aft, bent on murder, all their -long pent-up hatred of authority brought to a climax by the undoubted -outrage perpetrated upon one of their number. But they met with a man. -His back to the mizzen-mast, Mr. Shelby whipped out his revolver, -and, as coolly as if engaged in a day’s partridge-shooting ashore, he -fired barrel after barrel of his weapon at the rushing savages. Up -came the skipper and the other two officers, not a moment too soon. A -hairy Spaniard clutched at Charles as he appeared on deck, but that -sturdy son of the soil grappled with his enemy so felly, that in a few -heart-beats the body of the Latin went hurtling over the side. Then -the fight became general. The ship, neglected, swung up into the wind -and was caught aback, behaving herself in the fashion of a wounded -animal, while the higher race, outnumbered by four to one, set its -teeth and fought in primitive style. The groans of the wounded, the -hissing oaths of the combatants, and the crack of revolver shots made -up a lurid weft to the warp of sound provided by the moaning wind -and murmuring sea. Then gradually those of the men who could do so -crawled forrard, leaving the bright yellow of the painted deck aft all -besmeared with red, and the victory was won for authority. - -But a new danger threatened. Attracted, perhaps, like vultures, by -the smell of blood, several evil-looking junks were closing in upon -the Columbia, and but for the tremendous exertions of the officers, -aided by the cook and steward and the captain’s wife, who, pale but -resolute, took the wheel, there is no doubt that the Columbia would -have been added to the list of missing ships. That peril was averted -by the ship being got before the wind again, when her speed soon told, -and she hopelessly out-distanced the sneaking, clumsy junks. And before -sunset a long smear of smoke astern resolved itself into one of the -smart little gun-boats which, under the splendid St. George’s Cross, -patrol those dangerous seas. In answer to signals, she came alongside -the Columbia, and soon a boat’s crew of lithe men-o’-war’s-men were -on board the American ship, making all secure for her safe passage -into Hong Kong. There she arrived two days later, and got rid of her -desperate crew, with the exception of two who had paid for their rash -attempt the only price they had--their lives. - -From Hong Kong the Columbia sailed for London, arriving there after an -uneventful passage of one hundred and twenty days. Charles, turning a -deaf ear to the entreaties of the captain and his fellow-officers, -determined to take his discharge. A load-stone of which they knew not -anything was drawing him irresistibly into the heart of Wiltshire, and, -with all his earnings carefully secreted about him, he left the great -city behind, and set his face steadfastly for Longbridge Deverill. -There he suddenly arrived, as if he had dropped from the sky, just as -the short winter’s day was closing in. The few straggling villagers -peered curiously at the broad, alert figure that strode along the -white road with an easy grace and manly bearing quite foreign to the -heavy slouch of their own men-folk. There was, too, an indefinable -foreign odour about him which cut athwart even their dull perceptions -and aroused all their curiosity. But none recognized him. How should -they? They had hardly ever known him, except by rumour, which, during -his absence of nearly two years, had died a natural death for want of -something to feed upon. Straight to the old doctor’s house he went -as a homing pigeon would. To his confident knock there appeared at -the door Louise, the light of love in her eyes, her arms outstretched -in gladdest welcome. Neither showed any surprise, for both seemed to -have been in some unexplainable way in communion with the other. Yet, -now the first speechless greeting over, the first caresses bestowed, -instead of contentment most profound came unease, an indefinite fear -lest this wonderful thing that had befallen them should by the sheer -perversity of fate be swept away, leaving them in the outer dark. - -The quavering voice of the old doctor removed them from each other’s -close embrace, and shyly, yet with a proud air of ownership, Louise led -the way into the cosy parlour, where the good old man sat enjoying the -rest and comfort he so fully deserved. He looked up inquiringly as with -dazzled eyes the big man entered the room, hesitatingly, and with a -rush of strange memories flooding his brain. - -“Who is it, Loo?” said the doctor. “I don’t recognize the gentleman.” - -And, rising stiffly from his armchair, he took a step forward. - -“It’s Charles, doctor, Charles Delambre,” faltered Louise. - -“Yes, doctor; and I’ve come to take away your treasure. Also to thank -you with my whole heart for your loving kindness in taking care of her. -Without you what would she have done, me being so far away?” - -Almost inarticulate with joy, the old man caught Charles’s hands in -both his own, and pushed him into a chair. Then sinking back into his -own, he gasped breathlessly-- - -“Ah, my boy, my boy, how I have longed for your return! It has given -me more pain than you can think--the idea that I might die and leave -this poor child friendless and alone in the world. But she has had no -fear. She knew you would come, and she was right. But, Charley, my -boy, before we say another word--your brother. You mustn’t forget him, -and if, as I fear, your quarrel was fierce, you must forgive. His -sufferings have been great. Never once has his face been seen in the -village since you left, and, except that we hear an occasional word of -him brought by a tramp, he might be dead. Go to him, Charles, and make -it up, and perhaps the good Lord will lift the cloud of misery that has -so long hung heavily over your house.” - -Charles heard the kindly doctor’s little speech in respectful silence, -then, speaking for the second time since entering the house, he said-- - -“You are right, doctor. I will be friends with George if he’ll let me. -But I must first secure my wife. After all that has passed, I dare not -waste an hour until we are married.” - -Louise sat listening with the light of perfect approval on her fine -face; and the doctor also in vigorous fashion signified his entire -acquiescence. The rest of that happy evening was devoted to a recital -of Charles’s wanderings, his escapes, and his good fortune, until, -wearied out, those three happy people went to bed. - -Next day Charles was busy. A special license had to be procured, and -Louise must procure her simple wadding array. The facilities of to-day -did not exist then, and the impatient young lover chafed considerably -at the delay involved. But in due time the wedding came off, with the -dear old doctor as guardian to give the bride away. The village was in -a state of seething excitement; the labourers left their work, their -wives left their household tasks, and all discussed with an eagerness -that was amazingly different to their usual stolidity of demeanour -the romantic happenings in their midst. Then, when the newly-married -pair had returned to the doctor’s roomy house, and the villagers had -drifted reluctantly homeward again, the ripples of unwonted disturbance -gradually smoothed out and subsided. Charles and his wife sat side -by side in the doctor’s parlour as the evening shadows fell, their -benefactor’s glowing face confronting them, and the knowledge that half -his home was theirs removing all anxiety for the immediate future from -their minds. - -They sat thus, holding each other’s hands in silence, until Louise, -looking up in her husband’s face, said, “Charles, let us go and see -George. I feel I must before I sleep.” And Charles answered, “Yes, -dear; it was in my heart too to do so, but I’m glad you spoke first.” -So, gently disregarding the remonstrances of the doctor, who protested -that the morrow would be a more appropriate time, they departed, warmly -wrapped up against the piercing cold, and carrying a lantern. As they -passed from the village on to the shoulder of the swelling down a few -soft snow-flakes began to fall.... - -All through that night the large round flakes fell heavily incessantly, -until, when the pale cold dawn straggled through the leaden clouds, the -whole country was deep buried in a smooth garment of spotless white. -For three days the terrible, silent fall went on. The poor folk almost -starved in their homes, and all traffic throughout the country was -stopped. When at last communications could be opened, the old doctor, -his heart aching with worry and suspense, made his way, accompanied -by my father, to Pertwood Farm. There they found only a few hastily -scribbled sheets of paper on the kitchen table. They contained words -to the effect that George had been startled by a long wailing cry at a -late hour on the night of the first snow. He had gone to the door, and -there, on the very spot where she had lain years before, was his lost -love. But this time she was dead. He had buried her by the side of his -parents, and hoped to join the party soon. - -A little search revealed the fact that after writing those lines he had -gone down into the cellar and died, for his body lay across the rude -box containing the remains of Louise. But of Charles nothing was ever -again seen or heard. _I_ have always felt that he might have been found -at the bottom of that dank tarn among the pines, into which he may have -fallen on that terrible night. But I don’t know, the mystery remains. - - - - -YOU SING - - -CHAPTER I - -Regarded collectively, the Chinese may safely be classified under the -head of unpleasant races. Most people who have had personal dealings -with them will doubtless admit that, while there are to be discovered -among them a tiny sprinkling of really decent men and women, taken “by -and large” they are, to Westerns at any rate, anathema. And yet, when -due allowance is made for environment, and for hereditary peculiarities -of many strange kinds--for which, of course, the individual is in -no way responsible--it may not be too bold an assertion that the -Chinese are a people who only need a little real leadership on Western -lines to become a truly great nation. They possess all the necessary -qualifications for such a splendid future and few of the drawbacks. -Many virtues that are among us only inculcated by much laborious -tuition are with the Chinese _sui generis_. No one will deny that they -know how to die; were it possible to teach them how to live, such a -revolution would be felt in the progress of the world as it has never -yet witnessed. Of course, this does not touch the vast question as to -whether such a resurrection of China is to be welcomed or dreaded. - -But my intention in these pages is far from that of discussing the -economic future of China. Such a task would be indefinitely beyond -my powers, besides being utterly unnecessary and out of place here. -Besides, I do not really feel sufficiently interested in the Chinese -collectively. My story is about a single Chinaman who played a very -important part in my own history, and who well deserved a far more -powerful testimony than any I am able to bear to his virtues. - -But, first, in order to launch my story properly, I must premise -that in one of my vagrom voyages, while I was only a puny lad of -thirteen, I was flung ashore in Liverpool, penniless, and, of course, -friendless. For many days I lived--or, rather, I did not die--by -picking up, bird-like, such unvalued trifles of food as chance threw in -my way while I wandered about the docks; but as there were many more -experienced urchins with sharper eyes than mine on the same keen quest, -it may be well imagined that I did not wax overfat upon my findings. -Unfortunately my seafaring instincts kept me near the docks at all -times, where most of my associates were as hunger-bitten as myself; had -I gone up town I should probably have fared better. - -However, I had put a very keen edge indeed upon my appetite one bitter -November afternoon, when, prowling along the Coburg Dock Quay, I was -suddenly brought up “all standing” by a most maddening smell of soup. -With dilated nostrils I drew in the fragrant breeze, and immediately -located its source as the galley of a barque that lay near, loading. I -must have looked hungry as I swiftly came alongside of her, for the -broad-faced cook, who was standing at his galley-door swabbing his -steaming face after his sultry sojourn within, presently caught sight -of me and lifted a beckoning finger. I was by his side in two bounds, -and before I had quite realized my good fortune I was loading up at a -great rate from a comfortably-sized dish of plum soup. My benefactor -said nothing as the eager spoonfuls passed, but lolled against the -door placidly regarding me with much the same expression as one would -a hungry dog with a just-discovered bone. When at last I was well -distended, he asked me a few questions in a queer broken English that -I immediately recognized as the German version. What was I? Where -did I come from? Would I like to go to sea? And so on. Eagerly and -hopefully I answered him, much to his amazement; for, like every other -seaman I fell in with in those days, he found it hard to believe that -I had already been nearly two years at sea, so small and weak did I -appear. But the upshot of our interview was that he introduced me to -the skipper, a burly North German, who, looking stolidly down upon me, -between the regular puffs of smoke from his big pipe, said-- - -“Vell, poy; ju dinks ju like du komm in a Cherman scheep--hein?” - -I faltered out a few words, not very coherently, I am afraid, for the -prospect of getting any ship at all was just like a glimpse of heaven -to me. Fortunately for my hopes, Captain Strauss was a man of action, -so, cutting short my faltering reply, he resumed: “All righdt. Ve -yoost loosd a leedle Engelsch boy lige ju. He pin mit me more as ein -jeer, gabin-poy, und mein vife lige him fery vell. Ju do so goot as -him, ju vas all righdt. Vat ju call jorselluf--hein?” - -“Tom, sir,” I answered promptly. - -“Ya; den ve call ju Dahn. Dat oder poy ve calls Dahn, und so ju gomes -all der same for him--aind it?” - -That seemed to settle the matter, for he turned away abruptly and was -gone. I hastened to my friend the cook, and told him what the skipper -had said, with the result that in another five minutes I was busy -laying the cloth for dinner in the cabin as if I had been the original -Dan just come back. A pretty, fair-haired little girl of about ten -years of age watched me curiously from a state-room door with the -frank, straightforward curiosity of a child; and I, boy-like, was on -my mettle to show her how well I could do my work. Presently she came -forward and spoke to me; but her remarks being in German, I could -only smile feebly and look foolish; whereupon she indignantly snapped -out, “_Schaafskopf_,” and ran away. She returned almost directly with -her mother, a buxom, placid-looking dame of about thirty-five, who -addressed me in a dignified tone. Again I was in a hole, for she spoke -only German also; and if ever a poor urchin felt nonplussed, I did. -This drawback made my berth an uncomfortable one at first; but, with -such opportunities as I had and such a powerful inducement to spur me -on, I soon picked up enough to understand what was said to me, and to -make some suitable reply. - -The vessel was a smart-looking, well-found barque of about six hundred -tons, called the Blitzen, of Rostock, and carried a crew of fourteen -all told. Each of the other thirteen was a master of mine, and seldom -allowed an opportunity to slip of asserting his authority; while the -skipper’s wife and daughter evidently believed that I ought to be -perpetually in motion. Consequently my berth was no sinecure; and, -whatever my qualifications may have been, I have no doubt I earned my -food and the tiny triangular lair under the companion-ladder wherein I -crept--I was going to say when my work was done--but a rather better -term to use would be, in the short intervals between jobs. - -Now, the story of the next nine months on board the Blitzen is by -no means devoid of interest; but I have an uneasy feeling that I -have already tried the reader’s patience enough with necessary -preliminaries to the story of You Sing. After calling at several -ports in South America, looking in at Algoa Bay, visiting Banjœwangie -and Cheribon, we finally appeared to have settled down as a Chinese -coaster, trading between all sorts of out-of-the-way ports for native -consignees, and carrying a queer assortment of merchandise. Finally -we found ourselves at Amoy, under charter for Ilo-Ilo with a full -cargo of Chinese “notions.” Owing, I suppose, to the docility of the -German crew, and the high state of discipline maintained on board, -we still carried the same crew that we left England with; but I -must say that, while I admired the good seamanship displayed by the -skipper and his officers, I was heartily weary of my lot on board. -I had never become a favourite, not even with the little girl, who -seemed to take a delight in imitating her father and mother by calling -me strange-sounding Teutonic names of opprobrium; and I was beaten -regularly, not apparently from any innate brutality, but from sheer -force of habit, as a London costermonger beats his faithful donkey. The -only thing that made life at all tolerable was that I was fairly well -fed and enjoyed robust health; while I never lost the hope that in some -of our wanderings we should happen into an English port, where I might -be able to run away. That blissful idea I kept steadily before me as a -beacon-light to cheer me on. Happily, dread of losing my wages in such -an event did not trouble me, because I had none to lose as far as I -knew; I did not stipulate for any when I joined. - -It was on a lovely night that we swung clear of Amoy harbour and, -catching a light land-breeze, headed across the strait towards Formosa. -Many fishing _sampans_ were dotted about the sleeping sea, making -little sepia-splashes on the wide white wake of the moon. Little care -was taken to avoid running them down; nor did they seem to feel any -great anxiety as to whether we did so or not, and as a consequence -we occasionally grazed closely past one, and looked down curiously -upon the passive figures sitting in their frail craft like roosting -sea-birds upon a floating log. Without any actual damage to them, we -gradually drew clear of their cruising-ground, and, hauling to the -southward a little, stood gently onward for Cape South, the wind still -very light and the weather perfect. But suddenly we ran into a strange -heavy mist that obscured all the sea around us, and yet did not have -that wetness that usually characterizes the clinging vapour of the -sea-fog. Through this opaque veil we glided as if sailing in cloudland, -a silence enwrapping us as if we had been mysteriously changed into a -ghostly ship and crew. Then a quick, strong blast of wind burst out of -the brume right ahead, throwing all the sails aback and driving the -vessel stern foremost at a rate that seemed out of all proportion to -its force. - -For a few moments the watch on deck appeared to be stupid with -surprise. Then the skipper, roused by the unusual motion, rushed on -deck, and his deep, guttural voice broke the spell as he issued abrupt -orders. All hands were soon busy getting the vessel under control, -shortening sail, and trimming yards. But, to everybody’s speechless -amazement, it was presently found that entangled alongside lay a -small junk, a craft of some twenty to thirty tons, upon whose deck -no sign of life was visible. All hands crowded to the rail, staring -and muttering almost incoherent comment upon this weird visitor -that had so suddenly arisen, as it were, out of the void. As usual, -the skipper first recovered his working wits, and ordered a couple -of the men to jump on board the junk and investigate. They obeyed -unquestionably, as was their wont, and presently reported that she -was unmanned, but apparently full to the hatches of assorted Chinese -cargo in mats and boxes. The skipper’s voice took an exultant ring as -he ordered the vessel to be well secured alongside, and her contents -to be transferred on board of us with all possible despatch. Meanwhile -the strange mist had vanished as suddenly as it had arisen, and the -full bright moon shone down upon the toiling men, who with wonderful -celerity were breaking out the junk’s cargo and hurling it on to our -decks. Such was their expedition that in half an hour our decks were -almost impassable for the queer-looking boxes and bales and bundles -of all shapes disgorged from the junk’s hold. Then they invaded the -evil-scented cabin, and ransacked its many hiding-places, finding -numerous neatly-bound parcels wrapped in fine silky matting. And, last -of all--they declared he must have suddenly been materialized, or words -to that effect--they lighted upon a lad of probably sixteen years -of age. He showed no surprise, after the fatalistic fashion of his -countrymen, but stood gravely before them like some quaint Mongolian -idol carved out of yellow jade, and ready for any fortune that might -await him. With scant ceremony, he too was man-handled on deck, for the -command was urgent to finish the work; the busy labourers followed him, -and the junk was cast adrift. - -[Illustration: The toiling men were breaking out the junk’s cargo.] - -Some sort of rough stowage was made of the treasure-trove thus -peculiarly shipped; and, the excitement that had sustained their -unusual exertions having subsided, the tired crew flung themselves -down anywhere and slept--slept like dead men, all except the officer -of the watch and the helmsman. They had at first little to do that -might keep them from slumber, for the wind had dropped to a stark calm, -which in those sheltered waters, remote from the disturbing influence -of any great ocean swell, left the ship almost perfectly motionless, -a huge silhouette against the glowing surface of a silver lake. But -presently it dawned upon the mate who was in charge of the deck that, -although the vessel had certainly not travelled more than a mile since -the junk was cast adrift, that strange craft was nowhere to be seen; -and, stern martinet though he was, the consciousness of something -uncanny about the recent business stole through him, shrinking his -skin and making his mouth dry, until for relief he sought the helmsman -and entered into conversation with him on the subject. That worthy, -a stolid, unemotional Dutchman named Pfeiffer, scanned the whole -of the palpitating brightness around before he would assent to the -mate’s theory of any sudden disappearance of our late companion; but, -having done so, and failed to discover the smallest speck against that -dazzling surface, he, too, was fain to admit that the thing was not -comforting. Right glad were those two men when the interminably long -watch was over, and the sharp, business-like notes of the bell seemed -to dissipate in some measure the chilling atmosphere of mystery that -hemmed them in. To the second mate the retiring officer said nothing -of his fears, but hastened below, hurriedly scratched a perfunctory -note or two on the log-slate, and bundled, “all standing”--that is, -dressed as he was--into his bunk, pulling the upper feather-bed -right over his head, as if to shut out the terror that was upon him. -Slowly the remainder of the night passed away; but when at last the -tiny suggestion of paleness along the eastern horizon gave the first -indication of the day’s approach, no change, not even the slightest, -had occurred to increase the mystery whose environment all felt more -or less keenly. As the advancing glory of the new day displaced the -deep purple of the night, the awakening crew recalled, as if it had -been a lifetime ago, the strange happening of the past few hours. But -it was not until the clear light was fully come that the significance -of the whole affair was manifest. For there, seated upon a mat-bound -case, stamped all over with red “chops,” was the Chinese youth, whose -existence had up till now been unnoticed from the time he was first -bundled on board. Impassive as a wooden image, he looked as if the -position he had held throughout the night had left him unwearied, and, -to all appearance, the strange and sudden change in his environment -possessed for him no significance whatever. But now, when the -surly-looking mate approached him and looked him over with evident -distaste, he slid off his perch, and, kneeling at the officer’s feet, -kissed the deck thrice in manifest token of his entire submission -to whatever fate might be dealt out to him. The mate stood silently -looking down upon him, as if hardly able to decide what to do with -him. While this curious little episode was being enacted the skipper -appeared, and, hastening to the mate’s side, addressed the grovelling -Celestial in what he supposed to be the only possible medium of -communication--“pidgin” English, which, coupled to a German accent, was -the queerest jargon conceivable. - -“Vell,” he said, “vot pelong ju pidgin--hay? Ju savvy vork, vun dime?” - -Lifting his yellow mask of a face, but still remaining on his knees, -the waif made answer-- - -“No shabbee. You Sing.” - - -CHAPTER II - -“You Sing” conveyed no meaning to anybody; but, after various -extraordinary attempts to extend the conversation had entirely failed, -it was tacitly agreed that You Sing must be his name. Whether it was -or not, the taciturn pagan answered to it immediately it was uttered, -or rather he came instantly to whoever mentioned it. So, seeing that -it was hopeless to think of getting any information from him as to the -why and wherefore of the strange circumstances under which we had found -him, the skipper decided promptly to put him to work as a steward, -believing that he would make a good one. To that end he was handed over -to me for tuition, much to my delight, for now I felt that I should -have a companion who was certainly not more than my equal, and who -would not be likely to ill-treat me in any way, as most of the crew -did when opportunity arose. His coming was to me a perfect godsend. He -was so willing, so docile, and withal so eminently teachable, that it -was a pleasure to be with him. And the incongruity of being placed -under such an urchin as myself did not appear to strike him at all, for -he looked upon me from the first day of our acquaintance as the one -creature that stood between him and the outer dark--although it must be -said that, as far as could be judged by his attitude to all with whom -he came in contact, he regarded every member of the ship’s company as -in some sort his saviour. All could command him, and he would instantly -obey; and although he understood no word of what was said to him, he -watched so keenly, his desire to please was so intense, and his natural -ability so great, that his efforts to do what was required of him were -generally successful. Unfortunately, his willingness often got him -into serious trouble, since he always obeyed the last order, not being -able to discriminate between those who had the first claim upon him -and those who had no right to his services whatever. But when he was -beaten for neglecting tasks that he had been called away from, he never -murmured or showed sign of pain or resentment; all treatment was borne -with the same placid equanimity, as if he were a perfectly passionless -automaton. With one exception--myself. When with me his usually -expressionless eyes would shine, and his yellow face wear a peculiarly -sweet smile that had quite a fascination for me. I found myself growing -so much attached to him that my rage against his persecutors often -drove me nearly frantic--such wrath as it had never occurred to me to -feel on my own behalf. - -Meanwhile the Blitzen, sorely hampered by calms and variable winds, -crept slowly and painfully towards her destination. I was so much -absorbed with the education and company of You Sing that I lost all -my usual interest in the progress of the vessel, and did not even -wonder when we were going to reach our next port--a speculation that -had hitherto always had great charms for me. But one morning before -breakfast I was dreadfully affrighted to hear a fierce altercation on -deck. It had always been my ill-fortune hitherto to find myself the -ultimate vicarious sacrifice in all cases of trouble, and even to this -day the old feeling of dread still exists--a feeling that whatever -row is going on I shall presently be made to suffer for it; and the -well-remembered sensation of sinking at the pit of the stomach comes -back, making me for the moment quite ill. So, trembling all over, -I peered out of the pantry window on to the main deck, and saw the -mate confronting three men of his watch, who, with inflamed faces and -fierce gestures, were evidently threatening his life. Now, there had -never before been the slightest sign of insubordination on board, the -discipline seeming as near perfection as possible, and therefore this -sudden outbreak was most alarming. A swift step passed the pantry -door, and instantly I saw the skipper rushing forward. Without a -word he plunged into the midst of the angry four, and seizing the -foremost seaman by the throat and waist hurled him crashing against -the bulwarks. At the same moment the mate sprang at another man, as if -to serve him in the same manner; but, missing his grasp, he stumbled -and fell on his knees. A stifled scream burst from my dry lips as I -saw the glint of steel; the seaman attacked had drawn his knife, and -as the mate fell the weapon descended with fearful force between his -shoulders. I heard the ugly sound right aft, and it remains with me -to-day. The skipper, however, with the agility of a porpoise, instantly -flung himself on the two men, and fought as if he had the sinews of ten. - -Compared with the noise of the preliminary quarrel, this life-and-death -struggle was silence itself; but I could hear the laboured breathings -of the combatants coming in hoarse gasps, and the cracking of the -joints as the writhing bodies knotted and strained. There was a -scream behind me, a rustle of skirts, and out of the cabin rushed the -skipper’s wife, with flying hair and outstretched arms. But before she -was halfway to the spot there was a swoop as of some huge bird past -her, and the second mate, the youngest officer in the ship and the -biggest man, alighted in the fray like a hungry tiger. I did not see -the other watch of the crew arrive, but they were there, and fighting -as fiercely as the rest. - -Now, the first flush of fear having gone from me, I became -interested--somewhat coldly critical, indeed, of the various points of -the battle, finding myself, to the wonder of some other corner of my -brain, siding with the officers, and hoping they would be victorious. -The surprise of this backwater of thought was probably owing to the -fact that all the officers had treated me with steady brutality, while -the men, though not kind, seldom touched me, although that was probably -only lack of opportunity. But with all my keen watching I could not -yet forecast the upshot of this awful encounter. The mass of bodies -seemed to me inextricably entangled, heaving and writhing like a basket -of wounded eels; while all around them, frantically clutching at the -labouring body of her husband, and shrieking pitifully, hovered the -unhappy wife and mother. - -Suddenly it dawned upon me that the little Elsie was alone, and -probably frightened to death; and, though I was never a favourite -with even her, it seemed good to go and comfort her if possible. So I -turned away from the window, and there behind me was You Sing, calmly -cleaning the knives, as unmoved by any external occurrence as a piece -of machinery. As I unblocked the window he caught my eye, and the -peculiarly winsome smile he always wore for me lit up his solemn face. -His lips opened, and he murmured softly with an indescribable accent -the only two English words I had succeeded in teaching him, “’Ullo, -Tommy.” I could only smile back in return as I hurried off to the -skipper’s state-room aft, feeling as if, with the shutting out of that -savage sight, a load had been lifted off my brain. A quick revulsion of -sympathy thrilled me as I found the pretty child fast asleep in placid -unconsciousness of the terrible scene in progress outside. I stood -for a minute looking at her with a tenderness I had never before felt -towards her, all her childish dislike and funny little ways of showing -it, borrowed from her parents, utterly forgotten. Then, softly closing -the door, I hurried back to the pantry, finding You Sing still busily -employed. - -Scrambling to the window, I peered forrard again, seeing, to my horror, -only a heap of bodies lying still. I stood there as if frozen, trying -hard to think, endeavouring to realize the position, but unable to -control my disorganized brain. How long I stood staring thus I have no -idea; but I was recalled to usefulness again by You Sing’s gentle touch -upon my back. Turning slowly round, I faced him, while he pointed out -his finished work and intimated to me in the sign language we always -employed that he awaited instructions what to go on with. Impatiently -I made a great effort to show him that all ordinary work was now at an -end, and, pulling him to the window, pointed out the awful heap on the -main hatch. He looked, and I believe understood the situation, for he -turned again to me and patted my face, pointed first to me and then to -himself, as if to intimate that upon us two, me as master and he as -servant, the conduct of affairs now rested. - -Then, taking my courage in both hands, I softly stepped out on deck and -approached the scene of conflict, though trembling so violently that I -could scarcely go. But when I reached the entwined heap of bodies I did -not know what to do, standing helplessly staring at the grim spectacle. -A faint groan startled me, and I bent down over the nearest body, which -happened to be the skipper’s, hearing him murmur faintly, “_Wasser, -lieber Gott! Wasser_.” Hastily motioning to You Sing to fetch some -water, I tried to drag the skipper into a sitting position; but it was -too much for my strength. The effort, however, was apparently all that -was needed to shake the last faint breath from his body, for, with wide -dilated nostrils and open mouth, he gave his final gasp. Then all was -still, for all were dead. - -The whole waist was like the veriest shambles, and the fearful savagery -of the fight was manifest in many hideous details that need not be -reproduced. Suddenly a hope dawned upon me that _one_ man might still -be left--the helmsman; and, rushing aft, I bounded up on to the poop, -only to find the wheel swinging idly to and fro: there was no one -there. Then I ran forward, unheeding You Sing’s dog-like wistful look -after me, and ransacked the forecastle and galley; but both were -deserted. We were quite alone. - -This tremendous fact broke in upon me with good effect after the strain -to which I had recently been subjected, for it braced me up to action. -Calling upon You Sing to help me, I tackled the ghastly heap, tugging -and straining at the limp bodies, and getting all gory as they were. -The sweat ran down blindingly; I felt my sinews crack with my desperate -exertions; but at last all the bodies were separated and laid side by -side, the captain’s wife last of that sad row. Not a sign of life was -to be found in any one of them; and, having at last satisfied myself -of this, I dropped upon the crimsoned tarpaulin exhausted, to rack -my brains for some reason why this sudden tragedy should have been -enacted. Gradually the conviction forced itself upon me that the whole -horrible outbreak was due to some quarrel over the junk’s cargo; but -as that had all been overhauled and stowed away without my knowing -anything of its nature, it was only a blind guess. Something, however, -of tremendous importance must have occurred to make a body of men fight -with such fury among themselves that not one of them remained alive. - -But urgent necessity was laid upon me to be up and doing, the first -duty that demanded attention being the disposal of the dead. So I -called upon You Sing--who, standing near, never seemed to take his -eyes off me--and the pair of us triced up one of the bulwark ports and -dragged the first of the corpses up to it. Then by a sudden impulse I -flung off my cap, and, kneeling down on the red deck, said the Lord’s -Prayer and the final Collect in the Church Service--all I could then -remember; while my heathen helper stood gravely by making no sign -but _looking_ a very well-spring of sympathy. Strangely cheered and -uplifted, I seized the poor piece of clay, and motioning my helpmate, -launched it through the yawning port, listening shudderingly to the -dull splash that followed. And so with the rest, until we two stood -alone, panting and distressed with our heavy task. A few minutes’ rest, -and then, with draw-bucket and broom, we laboured to cleanse away the -blood that besmeared so wide a space of the decks. At this work we -toiled for a long time, and when at last we gave over, because I was -tired out, we had only partially succeeded in removing the fearful -evidence of that great fight. By this time I was so far myself as to -feel hungry. The feeling of nausea, that had been coming and going like -waves over me ever since I first left the cabin, had left me, and I -ordered You Sing to get breakfast. He set about the job immediately, -leaving me seated on the damp hatch wondering what would become of us. -Then suddenly it occurred to me for the first time that the ship was -entirely left to herself. There was a faint breeze blowing steadily, -all sail being set, and the yards canted a couple of points, for what -wind existed was on the quarter. I rose and went aft to the wheel, -finding that she came up and fell off about three points, so that she -was practically steering herself, and making a fairly average course -S.S.E. This was satisfactory so far, because it relieved me of any -necessity for immediate action. I knew how to steer, and, as far as my -strength went, could handle sails, besides understanding fairly well -how a ship was worked; for I had been over two years at sea, and always -a deck-boy until this voyage, so that, unless I had been a very idiot, -I must know something about sailoring. - -Everything being so quiet and favourable, I remembered little Elsie, -and with a sinking heart went down below to break the dreadful news -to her. How it was to be done I didn’t know, my stock of German being -pitifully scanty, and she, poor child! not knowing one word of English. -As I turned the handle of the state-room door I heard her calling, -“_Mutter, wie bist du?_” and in spite of my efforts some big tears -burst from my eyes. But I went in and stood by her cot, racking my -brains for some way of making her understand what had happened. As soon -as she saw me she began, as usual, to scold me for being there--where, -indeed, I was never allowed to enter--and ordered me with much dignity -to go and call her mother. - -It would be useless for me to attempt any description of the scene that -followed. I could not, do what I would, make her understand what an -awful change had taken place since she went to sleep. She at last made -up her mind that I must be crazy, and, thoroughly frightened, sprang -out of her cot, and rushed into the cabin screaming frantically for -“_Mutter, Mutter! Vater, Vater!_” I followed her carefully, puzzled -beyond measure to know what to do; but she fled on deck, up the ladder -and on to the poop, still calling with all her voice for those who were -for ever deaf to her cries. - -Of course, I dared not pursue her, for fear of adding to her terror; -so I waited anxiously until she had explored every vacant corner of -the ship, and at last, exhausted with her efforts, she returned slowly -to the cabin. Then I quietly brought her some food, and begged her -to eat a little; but, as I might have expected, that was impossible. -However, she was so far quieted that she plied me with questions, which -I answered as well as I was able, until I succeeded in making her -understand the grim truth. She burst into such a passion of weeping -when she comprehended the case that at first I feared for her life; but -presently I saw that this outbreak was the best thing that could have -happened, for it relieved her poor little brain; and soon, utterly worn -out, she went off into a heavy sleep. - -Then I searched the cabin thoroughly, with the dim idea in my mind of -finding some cause for the mutiny in accordance with my suspicions. -Sure enough, I had been right, for in various hiding-places I came upon -such treasures as I had never even dreamed of before--coined gold in -boxes, in bags, in bundles: sovereigns, eagles, onzas, and napoleons; -jewellery of every variety of make, glittering with precious stones of -which I had never heard the name. At last I came upon a crucifix nearly -two feet in length, apparently of solid gold, and encrusted with large -gems, a marvel of costliness and beauty. I showed it to You Sing, who, -for the first time in my acquaintance with him, showed signs of horror, -and tried hard to induce me to throw the magnificent thing overboard. - - -CHAPTER III - -This discovery marked a new departure in our relations towards each -other. Hitherto I had looked upon You Sing as I might have done upon -a big faithful dog, but never dreamed of crediting him with any -intelligent initiative. His behaviour so far had certainly justified me -in this opinion; but now he became completely transformed. In the most -energetic pantomime, and with strangely severe struggles to enunciate a -few words of my language, he endeavoured to explain to me the origin of -all these treasures. I did not find it hard to understand the general -drift of his attempt to enlighten me, because I had already suspected -something of what I was now gathering from him. Roughly, it was to the -effect that the cargo we had relieved the junk of was the accumulated -hoard of a nest of pirates who had long been preying upon such -seafarers as they dared attack without fear of reprisals, and who were -all deliberately slain after they had been plundered and their vessels -scuttled. Then the wretches had turned their bloody hands against each -other, and by so doing somewhat atoned for their innumerable crimes by -ridding the world of two-thirds of the gang. The survivors then loaded -up all the most valuable of the stored plunder into the most seaworthy -junk they possessed, and, divesting her of all suspicious appearance, -sailed for some port where they intended to dispose of their loot. -Again Nemesis overtook them; they had befouled the seas too long. They -stealthily murdered one another as opportunity served, until there were -hardly enough of them left to handle the junk. You Sing was a slave -who had done their cooking, having been spared for that purpose alone -out of the entire crew of a large barque they had surprised one night. -Doubtless his turn to perish had nearly arrived, when, going down -into their store-room under the cabin for some rice, he found himself -in a sort of trap from which he was unable to escape. There he would -certainly have perished of starvation, instead of sharing the unknown -fate of the remnant of his tyrants, but for our intervention. And in -various quaint ways he gave me to understand that he considered his -life to belong to this ship and her crew, of whom the child asleep and -my small self were now the sole representatives. - -I could not bring myself to the point of heaving all those pretty -things overboard; but seeing what a dread he had of them, I stowed -them all in the late skipper’s berth under his bed-place, in two large -drawers, which I locked, and hung the key round my neck. Then, for the -first time, I began to think about working the ship. Unfortunately, I -had not the faintest idea of which was the best direction to steer in, -for I did not know, within at least a thousand miles, our position. -I imagined, of course, that we were somewhere south of Formosa, and -between that great island and the Philippines; but that was vague in -the extreme. And I was in hourly terror of being sighted by a wandering -junk of whatever character, feeling certain of a barbarous death at the -hands of any of You Sing’s countrymen who might happen to find such -a prize as the Blitzen. How I longed for the sight of a smoke-wreath -festooning the horizon! That vision would have nearly sent me crazy -with joy. But I suppose we were far out of the track of steamers, for -we saw no sign of one. - -Aided most manfully and sensibly by You Sing, I clewed up the royals -and topgallant sails with a view of making the vessel easier to -handle, and with a great deal of labour managed to haul up the courses -(mainsail and foresail) as well, taking the gear to the capstan where -it was too heavy for our united efforts, until those great squares of -canvas hung snug as they could be without being actually furled. Then, -after long cogitation, I decided to make for the coast of China, which -I knew must be west of us, and trust to a merciful God to bring us in -sight of either some civilized port or ship before any of those calm, -merciless pagans came across us. Now we each took a regular trick -at the wheel (You Sing learned to do so in less than half an hour); -and little Elsie, all her high spirits gone, and docile as You Sing -himself, even took a spell at steering when we would let her. Heaven -alone knows what our track would have looked like on the chart, but -it’s my belief that we _were_ getting to the westward at the rate -of about twenty miles a day for the best part of a week (I lost all -count of time); and, though it seems hard to believe, I was actually -beginning to feel quite important as the commander of a big vessel on -the high seas. We fed well and we slept well--at least Elsie and I did; -as for You Sing, I don’t know whether he ever slept at all. He did all -the cooking, kept everything clean and tidy, and was ever ready when -called upon. Besides all this, he had won his way into the affections -of Elsie; and I almost felt a pang of jealousy when I heard her clear -laugh at some of the quaint antics he cut in order to amuse her. Had -it not been for the one haunting dread of being overhauled by a junk, -I believe we should have been quite happy; for the terror of the past -tragedy had faded from our minds, and the sea was kind and gentle, the -soft breeze blew sweetly, though it varied a great deal, making our -task of trimming the yards in order to keep the vessel somewhere near -her course--due west--an uncommonly heavy one. - -Then it fell a flat calm. Now, I had, even at that early age, all a -sailor’s horror of a calm, and this one troubled me more than any I -had yet experienced. The silence was almost unbearable. I could not -rest day or night--it lasted three days--for more than an hour or so -at a time; and when I fell asleep from sheer weariness, I always woke -with my heart thumping furiously and in an icy sweat of fear. The -inaction got upon my nerves, so that I began to hear strange noises, -and to imagine that the dead crew were among us, grieving because we -were yet alive, and scheming to secure our company. This state of mind -grew upon me to such an extent that at last I dared not leave You Sing, -clinging to him as the one hope I had of ever again seeing the land of -the living. He--grave, careful, and kind as ever--accepted this entire -change in our relative positions with the same serene behaviour as -before; and in my worst mental trouble I had only to look into his eyes -to be completely comforted. Elsie, strange to say, seemed quite happy. -She was carelessly kind to me; but she loved our Chinese friend. A word -or two from him, in an unintelligible jargon, would set her dancing -with delight, and it was only during his unavoidable absence from -her for a short time that she ever seemed to feel the misery of our -position. - -On the tenth evening (I think) of our loneliness, and the third of the -calm, I was lolling against the useless wheel watching, with eyes that -observed naught, the fantastic efforts of You Sing to amuse Elsie, -when an appalling feeling of dread suddenly came over me. It was as -if I was going to be violently sea-sick, and affected my limbs to such -an extent that I slid down from the wheel to the deck. This disabling -sensation was happily only momentary in its effect, so that I was -able to rise to my feet again almost immediately, though trembling -violently. Whatever mysterious cause had thus affected me I could not -tell, and it was evidently peculiar to myself, for my two shipmates -were still merry at their play. But I was desperately uneasy, fearing -that I was going to be very ill. I left the deck, and descended into -the cabin, seeing, to my astonishment, several rats prowling uneasily -about. They took scarcely any notice of me, and I was too upset to obey -the momentary impulse to chase them. I sank down on a settee and tried -to collect myself, but I was too uneasy to sit still, and soon wandered -out on the main-deck again. - -Aimlessly I slouched forrard and climbed up on the forecastle head. -As soon as I reached it, on looking ahead, I saw a sight that -thickened my blood. Right before the vessel rose a dense mass of inky -cloud, extending over an arc of the horizon of about one-sixth of -its circumference. It was dome-shaped, and upon its apex rested the -descending sun, his glowing disc changed into a dull bronze-green ball -that shed no light around. It looked as if the glorious orb was sick -unto death. As I watched with growing anxiety, the painfully changed -luminary sank slowly into that black mountain of gloom and disappeared. -But above it the clear sky reflected its ghastliness, not by reason -of its rays ascending, for it appeared to have none, but as if some -unknown light from the bowels of the earth had broken through the sea, -and was thus disfiguring the beautiful face of the heavens. - -Tearing myself away from the disabling fascination of the sight, I -returned to the poop, noticing with much satisfaction that my trembling -had almost ceased. I found You Sing and Elsie sitting on a hen-coop, -watching with solemn faces the rising gloom ahead in perfect silence, -all their pleasant play at an end. Meeting You Sing’s eye, I read -therein a reflection of my own concern, and in an instant we understood -each other. Doubtless, it being his native country, he understood the -ominous signs far better than I, although even the child could see and -feel that something terrible was impending; and as I went up to her -to coax her below he murmured in my ear two words of pure Chinese, -which, because they have passed into the English language, I understood -at once: “_Ty foong!_” They rang through my brain like a sentence of -death; but I actually felt some relief at knowing the worst. For if we -were about to encounter a typhoon in our utter helplessness either to -prepare for it by furling sail, or to handle the vessel in any way, -what hope could there be of our survival? But there _is_ a certain -satisfaction in knowing that, whatever happens, it is no fault of -yours; that you can do nothing of any service, but just endure and -hope. And that was exactly our position. - -We got Elsie down below without alarming her, laid in a stock of -fresh water in the cabin, and barricaded the doors opening on to the -main-deck. Then we got some old sails up from the locker and covered -the cabin skylight, lashing it down as securely as we knew how. The -cabin being as secure as we could make it, we braced the yards sharp -up on the starboard tack (although I don’t know why I chose that side, -I’m sure), for I had a dim idea that we should stand a better chance -so than with the yards square as they were, since I knew very well -that in heavy gales of wind a vessel ought to be hove to, and that -that was always effected by bracing the yards forrard. Then I let go -the topsail-sheets and lowered the upper topsails down on the cap. We -also hauled all the jibs and stay-sails down, making them as snug as we -could. Last of all, I put the helm hard down, and lashed it there. My -hope was that in the first burst of the tempest the big sails that were -loose would blow away, and that the vessel would then heave herself to -naturally, although I knew well enough that if caught by the lee she -would probably capsize or drive under stern foremost. - -While we had been thus busy the rising pall of clouds had imperceptibly -grown until exactly half of the concave above was perfectly -black--black as the adit of a coal-mine. The other half astern was of -an ugly green tint, as unlike the deep violet of the night sky in those -latitudes as could well be imagined. Its chief peculiarity, though, was -its light. That segment of the sky was full of glare, diffused light -that was even reflected on to the vessel, and yet could not be traced -to any definite source. The contrast between this uncanny radiance and -the crêpe-like darkness of the other half of the sky was tremendous, -and of itself enough to inspire fear in the breast of any creature -living. - -Presently, as we watched in strained silence, came the beginning of -what we were to know; a twining golden webwork of electric fires all -over the swart roof of cloud, or whatever that gloom was built of, and -in a hot puff of wind the destroying genie of the tropics uplifted the -opening strains of his song. All cries of uttermost woe were blended -in it as it faintly fell upon our ears, indistinctly, as if echoed and -re-echoed from immeasurable distances, but growing louder and wilder -with every burning breath. Then, in one furious blast, accompanied -by a cracking blaze of lightning, the typhoon burst upon us. It was -just sufficiently on the starboard bow to avoid catching us aback, -and the vessel paid off, heeling over to its force until her lee rail -was awash, and the gleaming foam toppled inboard in a smother of pale -light. Lower and lower the sky descended, until it seemed as if we -might have reached upward and touched it; and, unable to bear the sight -any longer, I fled below, followed by You Sing, and securely fastened -the scuttle behind us. - -Elsie was asleep when I peeped into her room, for which I felt -profoundly thankful; since how could we have comforted her? I sat down -by You Sing’s side and looked up wonderingly into his impassive face -which, as usual, was lighted by a tender smile as he met my troubled -gaze. He took hold of my hand and patted it, murmuring his shibboleth, -“’Ullo, Tommy;” and, in spite of my terrors, I smiled. Outside, the -uproar was beyond description; but except that we lay over at a most -dangerous angle we were fairly steady. The force of the wind did not -permit the sea to rise, and so between sleeping and waking that awful -night passed. - - -CHAPTER IV - -Having no means of knowing the time--for the clock had never been -wound, owing to my not being able to find the key--I cannot tell -when the change came; but I think it must have been about eight next -morning. The vessel suddenly righted, and then began to tumble about in -so outrageous a fashion that I thought she must go all to pieces. Elsie -awoke screaming with fright; and with all You Sing’s catlike capacity -for holding on, it was some minutes before he could get to her to -comfort her. He had not left my side more than ten minutes, when, with -a tremendous lurch, the vessel was hurled over to starboard, and I knew -that my greatest fear was realized--she had been caught aback! Over, -over she went, until it was almost possible to stand upright upon the -lee bulk-heads of the cabin. In sea-phrase, she was on her beam-ends. - -I now gave all up for lost, and waited, hardly breathing, for the crash -of the end. The water on deck burst in through every crevice, and rose -upon the lee-side until I was obliged to climb up to the fast-clamped -settees to windward to avoid being drowned. The uproar on deck was -louder than ever, and I fancied that I could hear every now and then -through the tumult the rending and crashing of spars, and feel the -shattering blow of their great masses against the hull alongside. But -still the vessel appeared staunch, although every inch of her framework -visible in the cabin was all awork. - -After what seemed like a whole day, but could only have been two or -three hours, she began to right herself, and the din outside grew less -deafening. Rapidly the howl of the wind moderated, although the vessel -still tossed and tumbled about in frantic fashion, until my anxiety to -see daylight again got the better of my fears, and I painfully made -my way up the companion, opened it, and stepped on to the poop. The -sight I beheld took away my breath. The Blitzen was a complete wreck. -Not a stick was standing except the three jagged stumps of the lower -masts; the bulwarks were stripped from her sides for their entire -length, the house on deck had clean disappeared, and everything that -could be torn from its fastenings about the decks had gone also. It was -a clean sweep. A cold shiver went through me, such as one might feel -upon awakening to find his house roofless and all his household goods -exposed to the glare of day. But the sky was clear, the sea was going -down, and we were still afloat. A great wave of thankfulness came over -me, suddenly checked by the paralyzing thought that perhaps we had -sprung a leak. I stood still for a moment while this latest fear soaked -in; then, bracing myself up to learn the worst, I hurried forrard to -try and find the rod to sound the well. But it had gone, among the -rest of the carpenter’s gear, with the deck-house, and I was obliged -to give up the idea. Returning aft, I uncovered the cabin skylight and -went below, finding You Sing busy preparing some food. Then I suddenly -remembered that I was ravenously hungry, and we all three sat down and -ate our fill cheerfully and gladly. But while we were swallowing the -last morsels of our meal, You Sing gravely lifted his hand and sat -listening intently. There was a strange sound on deck, and it made me -almost helpless with fear; for it sounded like the singing chatter of -Chinese. We sat for a few moments as if suddenly frozen, listening with -every faculty, and hardly breathing. Then, ghost-like, You Sing rose, -and, taking the two of us by the arms, gently persuaded us into one -of the state-rooms at hand, and signed to us to keep close while he -went to investigate. Noiselessly he glided away from us and was gone, -leaving us a prey to the most harrowing sensations in the belief that -all our cruel forebodings were about to be proved true. For some time -not a sound could be heard in our hiding-place except the soothing -creak of the timbers or the wash of the caressing waves outside the -hull. Yet I remember curiously how even in that agony of suspense I -noticed that the motion of the ship was changed. She no longer seemed -to swing buoyantly from wave to wave, but solemnly, stolidly, she -rolled, as if the sea had taken possession of her, and bereft her of -her own grace of mastery. - -A confused thudding sound reached us from above, as if caused by the -pattering of bare feet on deck; but there were no voices, nor, indeed, -any other noises to give us a clue as to what was going on. Very soon -even that slight sound ceased, and we were left again to the dumbness -of our surroundings. The child went to sleep; and I, after perhaps half -an hour of strained listening, felt that I could bear this condition -of things no longer, for it had seemed like a whole day to my excited -imaginings. So, as silently as had You Sing long ago, I stole from the -little state-room and across the saloon. With all my terrors weighing -me down, I crawled, worm-like, up the companion-ladder, and wriggled -on to the deck on all-fours. The sea, and the sky, and the barren -deck all lay in perfect silence, which pressed upon me like one of -those nightmares in which you feel that unless you can scream you must -die. After two or three attempts, I moistened my parched mouth and -called, “You Sing!” There was no voice of any one that answered. But -that I think the limit of my capacity for being terrified had been -reached some time before, I believe this irresponsiveness, with its -accompanying sensation of being utterly alone, would have made me an -idiot. As it was, I only felt numbed and tired. Slowly I stood up upon -my feet, and went forrard to the break of the poop, learning at once -the reason of You Sing’s silence; for by the side of the after-hatch -lay three Chinese, naked and dead, bearing on their bodies the grim -evidences of the method of their ending. Close to the cabin door, as if -he had dragged himself away from his late antagonists in the vain hope -of reaching his friends again, lay You Sing. As I looked down upon him -he moved slightly. In a moment, forgetting everything else, I was by -his side, and lifted his head upon my knee. He opened his glazing eyes -and looked up into my face with his old sweet smile, now with something -of highest satisfaction in it. His dry lips opened, and he murmured, -“’Ullo, Tommy; all litee.” Then the intelligence faded out of his eyes, -and he left me. - -It must have been hours afterwards when I again realized my -surroundings. Elsie was sitting by the piece of yellow clay that had -been You Sing, perfectly still, but with an occasional tearing sob. -She must have been crying for a long time. Gradually the whole of the -past came back to me, and I saw how our dead friend had indeed paid -in full what he considered to be his debt to us; although how that -mild and gentle creature, in whom I never saw even so much as a shade -of vexation, much less anger, could have risen to such a height of -fighting valour as to slay three men in our defence was utterly beyond -my powers of comprehension. For, without attempting any eloquence of -panegyric, that was precisely what he had done, and with his opponent’s -own weapons, too. To say that I had not really felt lonely and helpless -until now only faintly conveys the appalling sense of loss that had -come upon me. As for the poor child, she crouched by the side of -the corpse, scarcely more alive than it was, manifesting no fear or -repugnance at the presence of death; indeed, she appeared unable to -realize the great fact in its full terror. - -How long we both sat in this dazed condition it is impossible to say -with any definiteness. No doubt it was for several hours, for we both -seemed only partially alive; and, for my part, the only impression left -was that all besides ourselves were dead. That feeling carried with it -a dim anticipation that we too might expect to find our turn to depart -confronting us at any moment; but in this thought there was no fear, -rather relief. - -How often, I wonder, has it been noted that in times of deep mental -distress, when the mind appears to have had a mortal blow, and all -those higher faculties which are our peculiar possession are so numbed -that they give no definite assistance to the organism, the animal needs -of the body have instinctively asserted themselves, and thus saved the -entire man or woman from madness or death? It must surely be one of the -commonest of experiences, although seldom formulated in so many words. -At any rate, this was now the case with me. Gradually the fact that I -was parched with thirst became the one conscious thing; and, without -thinking about it, without any definite idea even, I found myself on my -feet, swaying and staggering as I crossed the bare deck to where the -scuttle-butt used to be lashed. Finding it gone, I stood helplessly -staring at the ends of the lashings that had secured it, with a dull, -stupid anger of disappointment. _Then_ I began to think; I had to, for -my need was imperative. I remembered that You Sing had brought into the -cabin before the typhoon a store of water sufficient for days. This -mental effort was bracing, doing much to restore me again to some show -of usefulness. I soon found the water, and hurried on deck once more, -for the cabin was no place to stay in now. It was tenanted by shapes -of dread, full of inaudible signs of woe; and right glad was I to -regain the side of the little girl for living companionship. I offered -her some water. She looked at it dully, as if unable to attach any -idea to it; and it was only by repeatedly rousing her that I managed -to awaken any reason in her injured mind at all. In the absence of any -such compulsion, I think she would have just sat still and ceased to -live, painlessly and unconsciously. - -Now that the needs of another were laid upon me, I began to move about -a little more briskly, and to notice our condition with returning -interest. For some time the strange steadiness of the ship had -puzzled me without arousing any definite inquiry in my mind as to the -cause of it. But in crossing the deck to re-enter the cabin the true -significance of that want of motion suddenly burst upon me, for I -saw the calm face of the water only a few inches from the deck-line. -The Blitzen was sinking. During the typhoon she must have received -tremendous injuries from the wreckage of her top-hamper, that, floating -alongside, entangled in the web of its rigging, was as dangerous as -so many rocks would have been. There was urgent need now for thought -and action also, for there was nothing of any kind on deck floatable. -Boats, spars, hen-coops, all had gone. A thousand futile thoughts -chased one another through my throbbing brain, but they ran in circles -that led nowhere. There seemed to be no possible means of escape. Yet -somehow I was not hopeless. I felt a curious reliance upon the fact -that we two small people had come through so much unhurt in any way, -and this baseless unreasoning faith in our good (?) fortune forbade -me to despair. So that I cannot say I felt greatly surprised when I -presently saw on the starboard side forrard a small _sampan_ floating -placidly, its grass painter made fast to the fore-chains. There was no -mystery about its appearance. It had brought those awful visitors whose -defeat caused You Sing his life, and was probably the only surviving -relic of some junk that had foundered in the storm. The sight of it -did me a world of good. Rushing to Elsie, I pointed out the fact of -our immediate danger, and of the hope left us, and after some little -difficulty succeeded in getting her into the _sampan_. The Blitzen -was now so low in the water that my remaining time was countable by -seconds. I flew into the cabin, snatched up a few biscuits and the -large can of water that stood in the bathroom, and rushed for the boat. -As I scrambled into her with my burden I noticed shudderingly that the -ship was beginning to move, but with such a motion! It was like the -death-throe of a man--a physical fact with which of late I had been -well acquainted. Every plank of her groaned as if in agony; she gave a -quivering sideway stagger. My fingers trembled so that I could hardly -cast adrift the painter, which I was compelled to do, having no knife. -I got the clumsy hitches adrift at last, and with one of the rough oars -gave our frail craft a vigorous shove off, Elsie staring all the while -at the huge hull with dilating eyes and drawn white face. Presently the -Blitzen seemed to stumble; a wave upreared itself out of the smooth -brightness of the placid sea and embraced her bows, drawing them gently -down. So gently, like a tired woman sinking to rest, did the Blitzen -leave the light, and only a few foam-flecked whorls and spirals on the -surface marked for a minute or two the spot where she had been. - -Happily for us who were left, our troubles were nearly at an end. -One calm night of restless dozing under the warm sky, trying not to -think of what a tiny bubble we made on the wide sea, we passed not -uncomfortably. Just before dawn I felt rather than heard a throbbing, -its regular pulsations beating steadily as if inside my head. But they -had not lasted one minute before I knew them for the propeller-beat -of a steamer, and strained my eyes around through the departing -darkness for a sight of her. Straight for us she came, the watchful -officer on the bridge having seen us more than a mile off. In the -most matter-of-fact way we were taken on board, and Elsie was soon -mothered by the skipper’s wife, while I was being made much of by the -men. And that was all. Of all that mass of treasure that had caused -the sacrifice of so many lives not one atom remained where it could -ever again raise the demon of murder in human breasts. And although I -could not realize all this, I really did not feel sorry that I had not -succeeded in saving the slightest portion of it, my thankfulness at -being spared alive being so great. - -There were no passengers on board to make a fuss, so none was made. -Three days afterwards we were at Hong Kong, and Elsie was handed over -to the German Consul, who gravely took down my story, but I could see -did not believe half of it. I bade good-bye to Elsie, having elected -to remain by the steamer, where I was being well treated, and in due -time reached England again, a step nearer to becoming a full-fledged -seaman. - - - - -THE DEBT OF THE WHALE - - -Elisha Cushing, skipper of the Beluga, South Seaman, of Martha’s -Vineyard, was a hard-bitten Yankee of the toughest of that tough race. -Even in the sternest of mankind there is usually to be found some soft -spot, some deeply-hidden well of feeling that at the touch of the right -hand will bubble up in a kindly stream, even though it be hermetically -sealed to all the world beside. But those who knew Captain Cushing best -were wont to say that he must have been cradled on an iceberg, spent -his childhood in a whaler’s fo’c’sle, hardened himself by the constant -contemplation and practice of cruelty, until, having arrived at the -supreme position of master of his own ship, he was less of a man than a -pitiless automaton who regarded neither God nor devil, and only looked -upon other men as an engineer might upon the cogs of a machine. Few, -indeed, are the men who, throughout a voyage lasting from three to four -years, shut up within the narrow bounds of a small ship, could entirely -do without human companionship, could abstain from some friendly -intercourse, however infrequent, with those around them. Yet Captain -Cushing was even such a man. No one knew how he passed his abundant -leisure. He was never seen reading, he did not smoke, no intoxicating -drink was ever allowed on board his ship; in fact at all times, except -when whale-fishing was being carried on, he was to all appearance a -body without a mind, a figure of a man who moved and ate and slept -mechanically, yet whom to offend was to court nothing less than -torture. Those unspeculating eyes missed nothing; not a member of the -crew but felt that in some not-to-be-explained fashion all his doings, -almost his very thoughts, were known to the grim commander, and hard, -indeed, was the lot of any unfortunate who in any way came athwart the -stern code of rules that appeared to govern Captain Cushing’s command. -Nevertheless he had one virtue--he did not interfere. So long as the -business of the ship went on as goes a good clock, there was peace. The -discipline was perfect; it reduced the human items that composed the -Beluga’s crew to something very nearly resembling a piece of carefully -constructed mechanism, for Captain Cushing’s genius lay that way. -Out of the many crews that he had commanded during his thirty years’ -exercise of absolute power he was wont to winnow officers that were a -reflex of his own mind, and it mattered not how raw were the recruits -bundled on board his ship at the last moment before leaving home, -the Cushing system speedily reduced them to a condition of absolute -mindlessness as far as any wish of their own was concerned. They became -simply parts of the engine whereby Captain Cushing’s huge store of -dollars was augmented. - -It was an article of religion among the afterguard of the Beluga, -handed on to each new-comer by some unspoken code of communication, -that the “old man’s” being and doing might never be discussed. The -subject was “tabu,” not to be approached upon any pretext, although -nothing could be more certain than that it lay uppermost in every -officer’s mind. Among the crew, in that stifling den forrard where -thirty men of almost as many differing nationalities lived and -sometimes died, the mystery of the grim skipper’s ways, coupled with -queer yarns about his antecedents, was occasionally commented upon -with bated breath in strange mixtures of language. But somehow it -always happened that, closely following upon any conversation of the -kind, the injudicious talkers ran butt up against serious trouble. -No charges were made, no definite punishments were awarded; but -loss of rest, dangerous and unnecessary tasks, kickings and stripes -exhibited casually, were their portion for a season. These things -had the effect of exciting an almost superstitious reverence for the -captain’s powers of knowing what was going on, coupled with a profound -distrust of each other among the foremast hands, that made for their -subjection perhaps more potently than even the physical embarrassments -which formed so liberal a part of their daily lot. And yet, such is -the perversity of human nature, whenever the Beluga gammed another -whaler, and the wretched crowd got a chance to talk to strangers, they -actually indulged in tall talk, “gas” about their skipper’s smartness -as a whaleman, his ability as a seaman, and, strangest of all, his -eminence as a hard citizen who would “jes’ soon killer man’s look at -’im.” Every fresh device of his for screwing extra work out of his -galley-slaves, every mean and low-down trick played upon them for the -lessening of their scanty food or robbing them of their hard-earned -pay, only seemed to increase their admiration for him, as if his -diabolical personality had actually inverted all their ideas of right -and wrong. - -The man himself, the centre of this little cosmos of whose dreary round -pleasure formed not the minutest part, was apparently about 55 years of -age. He had been tall, above the average, but a persistent stoop had -modified that particular considerably. The great peculiarity about his -appearance was his head, which was shaped much like a fir-cone. From -the apex of it fell a few straggling wisps of hay-coloured hair that -did not look as if they belonged there, but had been blown against the -scalp and stuck there accidentally. Wide, outstanding ears, pointed at -the top like a bat’s, eyes that were just straight slits across the -parchment face, from between whose bare edges two inscrutable pupils -of different but unnameable colours looked out, a straight, perfectly -shaped nose, so finely finished that it looked artificial, and another -straight lipless slit for a mouth completes his facial portrait. -His arms were abnormally long, and his legs short, while his gait, -from long walking upon greasy decks, was a bear-like shuffle. It was -whispered in the fo’c’sle that his strength was gigantic, and there was -a tradition extant of his having wrung a recalcitrant harpooner’s neck -with his bare hands as one would a fowl’s; but none of his present crew -had seen him exert himself at all. What impressed them most, however, -was his voice. Ordinarily he spoke in almost a faint whisper, such as -a dying man might be supposed to utter, but it must have been very -distinct in articulation, as he was never known to speak twice. Yet, -if at any time it became necessary for him to hail a boat or a passing -ship, that strange opening in his head would unclose, and forth from it -would issue a strident sound that carried farther than the bellow of -any angry bull. - -His “luck” was proverbial. None of his officers ever knew, any more -than did the meanest member of the ship’s company, whither he was -bound, nor in what unfrequented areas of ocean he sought the valuable -creatures from which he was amassing so much wealth. Of course, they -knew, as all sailors do from close observation of courses made, land -seen, weather, etc., within a few hundred miles or so, but their -knowledge was never ample enough to have enabled them afterwards to -take another ship along the same tracks that the Beluga had found -so richly frequented by payable whales. But Elisha Cushing added to -his so-called luck almost superhuman energy. If he did not spare his -unhappy slaves, he was no more merciful to himself. Never a boat was -lowered after whales, no matter what the weather or how few the prey, -but he was foremost; as if he loved (if it be admissible to mention -love in connection with this emotionless man) the chase for its own -sake, or, knowing that he carried a charmed life, dared to take risks -that no ordinary man would do except under compulsion. There was one -marked feature of his whaling, however, that was noticed by all his -crew, if, owing to the difficulties hinted at before, it was seldom -discussed. Whenever the boats approached either a single whale or a -whale school, Captain Cushing would surely be seen standing high on -the two quarter-cleats in the stern-sheets of his boat, searching -with sparkling, almost glaring eyes among them for _something_. It -was believed that the boats never “went on a whale” until the skipper -had first passed them (the whales) all in review, and fully satisfied -himself that the object of his search, whatever it might be, was not -there. His scrutiny over, the game commenced, and surely never, since -the bold Biscayan fishermen first attacked the questing rorquals that -visited their shores, with bone and flint pointed lances, was there -ever seen such whale-hunting as that carried on by Elisha Cushing. -Without changing colour, or raising his voice above its usual low -murmur, he would haul his boat up alongside of the mountainous mammal, -order her to be held there, and then, disregarding the writhings and -wallowing of the great creature, he would calmly feel for the ribs -or the shoulder-blades with the lance point. And having found an -interspace, the long arms would straighten out, and four feet of the -lance would glide like a slender bright snake into the mighty vitals, -only to be withdrawn on the instant and plunged home again and again -and again, each thrust taking a new turn within, and causing the black, -hot blood to burst from the wound as from the nozzle of a fire-hose. -Or, quietly seated on the gunwale, he would select his spot, and probe -with the lance as a surgeon might seek for a bullet in the body of an -insensible patient. Should the boat swerve away from the whale ever -so slightly until he gave the signal, he would look round, and on the -instant five men, albeit in the very shadow of death, would feel a -creeping at the pit of their stomachs, and a frantic desire to avert -his anger; for he had been known to reach across the boat and snatch a -man from his thwart with one hand, flinging him, a limp, ragged bundle, -far out of the boat, and not caring where. The only signs that he ever -showed of anything unusual being toward, was a faint blue patch that -appeared in the middle of his otherwise yellow cheek, and a reddish -glint in his eyes. In spite of his peculiarities, his men were proud to -be members of his boat’s crew, for his skill was of so high an order -that his apparent recklessness never got him a boat stove or lost him -a man; while his officers, though the pick and flower of whalemen, had -their usual share of casualties. - -About two years of the cruise had gone by, and the Beluga’s hold was -already more than two-thirds full of oil, in spite of the fact that -several shipments home had been made during the voyage. After a season -on the Vasquez ground in the South Pacific, where she had averaged two -whales a week, she was now steering an easterly course with a little -south in it--not cruising, but making a passage apparently for the -“off-shore grounds,” on the coast of Chili. One morning at daybreak the -cry of “sail-ho” from the crow’s-nest reached Captain Cushing in his -cabin, and before the officer on deck had time to answer, his deep -breathed tones were heard welling up from below in reply, “Where away.” -The stranger was a whaling barque also, lying hove-to right ahead, as -if expecting and waiting for the Beluga. When the two vessels were -within three miles of each other, Captain Cushing ordered his boat -away, and with an order to the mate to “keep her jes ’s she is,” he -departed. No sooner had his crew put him alongside than he climbed on -board, and, contrary to the usual practice, ordered them away from the -stranger, telling them to lie on their oars at a little distance until -he should call them. The skipper of the stranger (still an unknown ship -to the Beluga’s crew, as she had no name visible) met Captain Cushing -at the gangway, presenting as complete a contrast to that inscrutable -man as could well be imagined. A dumpy, apple-faced little fellow, with -a lurking smile in every dimple, and a mat of bright red curls covering -his round head. Snatching the languidly offered paw of his visitor, he -burst forth, “Wall, ef this ent grate! I be tarnally ding-busted ef I -wa’nt a talkin’ ’bout ye las’ night, talkin’ t’ meself that is,” he -hastily interjected, upon seeing the look that Cushing turned upon him. -“But kem along daown b’low n’hev--wall I wonder wut y’ _will_ hev. Don’ -seem sif y’ ever hev anythin’. Nev’ mine, less git b’low anyhaow.” And -together they descended. - -For a long time the little man did all the talking--after the manner -of a trusted manager of a thriving business making his report to his -principal. He told of whales caught, of boats stove, of gear carried -away--quite the usual routine--while Cushing listened with his -impenetrable mask, through which it was impossible to see whether he -was interested or not. It was like talking to a graven image. But -still, as the tale went on, and it appeared that the little talker had -been fairly successful, there was a slight relaxing of the rigid pose, -which to the eye of the initiate spelt satisfaction. For all unknown -to any one except the ruddy skipper talking to him, Cushing was really -the owner of this unnamed ship--a vessel that he had stolen from an -anchorage in the Pelew Islands, while all her crew were ashore on a -furious debauch which had lasted for several weeks, and had ever since -been running her in this mysterious fashion by the aid of the one man -in the wide world in whom he could be said to repose any confidence. -That story is, however, too long to be told here. - -The recital was apparently finished, when suddenly, as if he had just -remembered an important part of his report, the narrator resumed, his -jolly red face assuming an air of gravity that was strangely out of -harmony with it. “An’ cap’,” said he, “I’d eenamost fergot--I met up -with the spotted whale of the Bonins las’ cruise. I----” - -But there was a sudden change, an unearthly brightening into copper -colour of Cushing’s face, as he sprang to his feet, and, with his -long fingers working convulsively, gurgled out, “’R ye sure? Don’t ye -mislead me, Silas, ’r ye’d be better dead every time. Naow yew jest -gi’ me th’ hull hang o’ this thing ’fore y’ say ’nother word ’bout -anythin’!” - -There was no mask of indifference now. The man was transformed into a -living embodiment of eager desire, and bold indeed would any have been -that would have dared to thwart him. No such idea was in his hearer’s -thoughts, at any rate, for no sooner had he done speaking than Silas -leaned forward and said-- - -“Yes, cap’, I _am_ sure, not thet it’s hardly wuth while sayin’ so, fur -yew couldn’t imagine me bein’ mistook over a critter like thet. ’Twas -this way. Ev’ since _thet_ affair I’ve scurcely ever fergot yew’re -orders--t’ look eout fer Spotty an’ let ye’ know fust chance whar he -uz usin’ roun’, but at this perticler lowerin’ we jest had all eour -soup ladled eout fer us an’ no mistake. Ther’d ben a matter o’ a dozen -ships ov us in compny, ’n I wuz bizzy figgerin’ haow t’ git rid’r some -ov ’em befo’ we struck whale. I noo they wuz abaout; the air wuz jest -thick up with whale smell, ’n every one ov my boys wuz all alive. Wall, -we hove to thet night ’s ushal till midnight, ’n then I sez t’ myself, -sez I, ef I don’t up-stick ’n run south I’m a horse. Fur, ye see, ’twuz -born in ’pon me thet whales wuz comin’ up from the line away, ’n a big -school too. I doan’ know why, ov course not, but thar twuz--y’ know how -’tis yerself. - -“Sure ’nough by dayspring they wa’nt a ship in sight of us, but at -seven bells we raised whale, ’n b’ gosh I reckon they was mos’ a -thousan’ of ’em spread all out to looard of us more like a school o’ -porps than hunderd bar’l whales--which they wuz every last one ov ’em, -cep them thet wuz bigger. They wa’nt much wind, ’n we lowered five -boats ’n put f’r them whales all we knew. Tell y’ wut, cap’, I’ve seen -some tall spoutin’, but that mornin’s work jest laid raight over all -I ever heer tell ov, much less see. We all got fas’ on the jump, ’n -then we cut loose agen. Reason why, we couldn’t move fur ’em. They jest -crowded in on us, quite quiet; they wa’nt a bit er fight in one ov ’em, -and we handled the lances on the nearest. That patch o’ sea wuz jest -a saladero now I’m tellin’ ye. We never chipped a splinter ner used -ten fathom o’ tow line, ’n be _my_ recknin we killed twenty whales. -Gradjully the crowd drawed off, leavin’ us with all that plunder lyin’ -roun’ loose, an I wuz beginnin’ t’ wish I hadn’t run so fur away from -the fleet. Fur I knew we couldn’ handle sech a haul’s thet--more’n haef -ov em’d be rotten ’fore we c’d cut in ef we’d worked f’r a week on eend -’thout a minnit’s rest. - -“While we wuz jest drawin’ breth like after th’ war, and the -shipkeepers ’uz a workin’ her daown t’ us, my harponeer sings out ’sif -he’d a ben snake bit, ‘Blow-w-s ’n breaches! Ee’r sh’ white waterrs. -Madre di Gloria, Capena, lookee what come.’ ’N thar shore nuff he uz -comin’; Spotty fur true. I know, cap. I never see him afore. All I -knoo ’bout him uz wut ye told me, an’ I doan mine ownin’ up naow at I -thought y’ mout ha ben a bit loony on thet subjec, but I tek it all -back, ’n ’umbly axes yer pardin. - -“Yaas, sir, he come; like all hell let loose. He jes flung himself -along the top er th’ sea like a dolphin, ’n I reckin we all felt -kiender par’litic. Soon’s I got me breath I sings out t’ cut adrif’, -fur we’d all got tow-lines fast to flukes ready to pass abroad, and -handle bomb-guns quick. Then when he come within range t’ let him have -’em full butt’n put f’r th’ ship. Don’t say I felt very brash ’baout -it, but twuz the best I c’d think ov. He kem, oh yes, sir, he kem, -’n the sight of his charge brung a verse of th’ Bible (haint looked -inside one f’r twenty years) into my mind. Goes suthin like this ‘The -mountings skipped like rams, th’ little hills like young sheep.’ We -done all we knoo, we twisted and tarned an’ pulled an’ starned; but -you know, cap, better ’n any of us, thet the boat never was built thet -c’d git out of th’ way ov a spalmacitty whale when he’d made up his -mine fur mischief. ’N we wa’nt no excepshin. We weakened at las’, ’n -took th’ water, whar we knoo he wouldn’t tech us, ’n b’ gosh he didn’ -leave a plank o’ one o’ them thar boats whole. I doan know why he didn’ -foller it up or go fur th’ ship. Ef he hed thar’d a ben an eend of the -story, sure. But no, he just disappeared quiet ’s death, ’n we all gut -picked up in time. Yes, ’n we managed to rig up our spare boat ’n git -five of them whales cut in too, though I’m free t’ confess the last of -’em wuz middlin’ gamey by th’ time they got t’ th’ try pots. The rest -jest floated erroun ’n stunk up th’ North Persific Ocean till twuz like -a graveyard struck be ’n erthquake. But we got six hunderd barl out of -th’ catch, anyway.” - -While the recital was proceeding, Cushing’s face was a study. He -listened without moving a muscle, but rage, hope, and joy chased one -another over that usually expressionless mask like waves raised by -sudden squalls over the calm surface of a sheltered lake. And when it -was over he rose wearily, saying-- - -“All right, Jacob; when ye’re through put fur the old rondyvoos an’ -discharge. I’ll be long ’bout March an’ range fur next cruise. So long. -I’m off t’ th’ Bonins full pelt.” - -“But, Cap’n Cushing, is ut worth huntin’ up that gauldern spotty beast -’n gettin’ ’tarnally smashed up fur an’ idee? Why caint y’ leave ’im -alone? Sure’s deeth he’ll do ye a hurt. Take a fool’s advice, cap’n, ’n -let him die ov ole age or accident.” - -“Jacob, my man, y’ fergit yerself. When I want yew’re advice, I’ll -seek it. Till then don’t ye offer it. Tain’t t’ my likin’, fur I’m -accustomed to take no man as my counsellor. So long once more, ’n don’t -fergit y’r orders.” - -In two strides he reached the top of the companion-ladder, and with -that wide-breathed cry of his that we knew so well had summoned his -boat. She sprang to the nameless barque’s side like a living thing, -Captain Cushing stepped into her, and the queer gam was over. Back -alongside he came, standing erect as a monolith in the stern-sheets, -and, hardly allowing time for the boat to be hooked on, issued rapid -orders for all sail to be made; the helm was put hard up, and away we -went N.W. No one ventured an opinion upon this sudden change, but every -one looked volumes of inquiry. And no one dared even hint to his fellow -the wonder, the painful curiosity, he felt as, day after day, before a -strong south-east trade, the Beluga did her steady seven knots an hour, -nor stayed for anything. Again and again the cry of “blow” came ringing -down from the crows’-nests, and as often as it was heard the old man -mounted aloft with his glasses, and stayed until he had apparently -satisfied himself of something. But never a halt did we make. No, and -as if the very whales themselves knew of our pre-occupation, a school -actually rose near and accompanied us for a whole watch, gambolling -along massively within gun-shot on either side. They might as well have -been a thousand miles away for all the notice the old man took of them. -He just leaned upon the weather-rail, gazing with expressionless face -at the unchanging ring of the horizon--a fathomless enigma to all of -us. The proximity of those whales, however, troubled the officers more -than anything else had done, and it took all their inbred terror of the -old man to keep them from breaking into open mutiny. Even among us, who -had little interest in the voyage from a monetary point of view, and to -whom the capture of whales only meant a furious outburst of the hardest -work, the feeling of indignation at the loss of so grand an opportunity -was exceedingly hard to bear. - -Onward we sped until we got among the islands, but no slackening of -haste, except when the wind lulled, was indulged in. By day or by -night we threaded those mazy archipelagoes as if the whole intricate -navigation was as familiar to the skipper as the rooms of his cabin. -Such ship-handling surely never was seen. Perched upon the fore-yard, -the only light visible being the blazing foam spreading widely out on -either bow and ahead where the staunch old ship plunged through those -phosphorescent waters, the glowing patches cropping up hither and -thither all around as the indolent Pacific swell broke irritably over -some up-cropping coral patch, and the steely sparkles of the stars in -the blue-black sky above, Captain Cushing conned the ship as easily and -confidently as a pilot entering New York harbour on midsummer day, his -quiet voice sounding down from where he crouched invisible as if we -were being celestially directed. There was no feeling of apprehension -among us, for our confidence in his genius was perfect, making us sure -that whatever of skill in navigation was required he surely possessed -it. - -Nevertheless, the mystery of our haste across the whole vast breadth -of the Pacific fretted every man, even the dullest. It was outside all -our previous experience. Perhaps the only thing that made it bearable -was the knowledge that not one of the officers was any better informed -than we were. Foremast hands are always jealous of the information -obtainable in the cuddy, and even though it may not be of the slightest -use to them, any scrap they may obtain gives to the lucky eavesdropper -a sort of brevet-rank for the time being. Here, however, all that was -to be known as to our movements, the reason for them, and the ultimate -object of our long passage, with its unprecedented haste, was locked up -in one man’s mind, and that man a graven image for secretiveness. - -Such was the expeditiousness of our passage that seven weeks after -gamming the nameless whaler on the “off-shore” ground, we sighted -one of the Volcano group of islands which lie near the Bonins in the -great eddy of the Kuro Siwo or Japanese current, and form one of the -landmarks of what was once the busiest sperm whaling-ground on the -globe. The shape of the island, more like the comb of a cock than -anything else, was familiar to many of us, and gave us for the first -time for months a clear idea of our position. So we were on the Japan -ground. It was a relief to know that much, certainly; but why--why -had we, contrary to all whaling precedent, made a passage of several -thousand miles in such haste? No answer. But having arrived, our usual -whaling tactics were immediately resumed. With a difference. Instead -of being kept hard at work during all the hours of daylight scrubbing, -polishing, cleaning, until the old oil-barrel of a ship was as spick -and span as a man-o’-war, the word was passed that the watch on deck -were to keep a look-out for whale--every man of them except him at the -wheel. And the watchers in the crows’-nest were provided each with a -pair of binoculars--a thing unheard of before. So the ship became a -veritable argus. It is safe to say that nothing, not even a frond of -seaweed, or a wandering sea-bird, ever passed within range of sight -without being seen and noted. After a few days of this most keen -outlook came another surprise in the shape of a speech from the old man. - -Calling all hands aft, he faced us for a minute in silence, while -every heart beat a trifle quicker as if we were on the threshold of -a mystery deeper than any that had yet worried us. He spoke quietly, -dispassionately, yet with that blue patch in the middle of each yellow -cheek that was to us the symbol of his most intense excitement. “I’ve -kem up hyar aefter _one_ whale, ’n ef I git him th’ v’yge is over. He’s -big, bigger’n enny man here’s ever seen, I guess, an’ he’s spotted -with white on brown like a pieball horse. Yew kaint mistake him. I’ll -give five hundred dollars t’ th’ man that raises him first, ’n I’ll -divide five thousand among ye ’cordin t’ grade ef I kill him. An’ when -we’ve cut him in we’ll up-stick f’r Noo Bedford. Naow, ef this is enny -indoocement t’ ye, keep y’r eyes skinned by day and night. Moreover, I -warn ye thet this ship doan’t see civilization agen until I git wut I’m -after, ’r I go under. Thet’ll do, all haends.” - -In any other ship this harangue would have been succeeded by a buzz -of chat as soon as the fellows got forward, but here not a word was -spoken. Thenceforward, though it was evident that not a thought could -be spared, not a look wasted from scanning the wide circle of blue -around, by night and by day the watch never slackened, and men would -hardly sleep for eagerness to be the first to claim the prize. Yet, -as so often happens, it fell to one who had the least opportunity of -obtaining it, the mulatto steward whose duties kept him below most of -the time. About ten days after the skipper’s offer the steward crept -on deck one evening about eight bells, his long day’s work just over, -and slouching forward into the waist leaned over the side and began -to fill his pipe. It was a heavenly evening, hardly a breath of air -breaking the sleekiness of the sea-surface, the slightest perceptible -swell giving us a gentle undulatory motion, and overhead the full moon -hung in the cloudless dome like an immense globe glowing with electric -light. The steward had finished filling his pipe, and was just feeling -for a match when he stopped suddenly and said to his nearest neighbour, -“Oliver, what in thunder’s thet right in the moon-glade?” The whisper -ran round the ship as if on a telephone, and in less than a minute -all the night-glasses were on the spot. The skipper’s voice broke the -silence--hardly broke it--so quiet yet audible was it. “’Way boats. Th’ -first man thet makes a noise, I’ll cripple him f’r life. Stoord, g’lang -b’low ’n git y’r money; ye’ll find it on my bunk-shelf.” - -Like a crew of ghosts, we sped to our stations, hanging over side and -booming the boats off as they were lowered with the utmost caution lest -there should be a rattle of a patent block or a splash as they took -the water. In five minutes we were all away, five boats, the skipper -leading and every man, except the officers steering, wielding an Indian -paddle as if his life depended upon utter silence. As we sat facing -forrard every eye was strained for a glimpse of the enemy, but at -that low level and in the peculiar glare of a moonlit tropical night -we could see nothing. Moreover, we were paddling along the glittering -path cast upon the sea by the moon, and a few minutes’ steady gaze -upon that stretch of molten silver made the eyes burn and throb, so -that it was an intense relief to close them for a while. At every dip -of the paddles there was an additional flash in the water, behind each -boat and far beneath myriads of dancing gleams disported themselves, -while in ever-accumulating numbers wide bands of pale fire radiating -from opaque bodies keeping company with us told us of the shark hosts -mustering for the fight wherein they, at any rate, were likely to fall -heirs to goodly spoil. - -Without a pause for rest, and in the same utter stillness, we toiled -on for at least two hours. It was backbreaking work, and but for -the splendid training we were in we could not possibly have held -out. Then suddenly from ahead came a yell of wild laughter, the most -blood-chilling sound surely ever heard. Immediately following it we -saw a veritable hill of light upraise itself out of the sea ahead, -and realized that at last our quarry was brought to bay. “In paddles, -out oars!” yelled the officers, and as we obeyed we were aware that a -terrific commotion was in progress ahead. The greenish-glaring spray -ascended in long jets, and the dull boom of mighty blows reverberated -over the hitherto quiet sea. Pulling till our sinews cracked, we -reached the storm-centre, and, by what seemed a miracle, actually -succeeded in getting fast to the whale--every boat did that, although -it seemed to many of us a suicidal policy under the circumstances. -Shouts and curses resounded until a voice was heard that enforced -silence, the far-reaching tones of Captain Cushing, who was nearest -to the foe, but for all his ability was unable to do more once he -had got fast. For now the whale had settled down into a steady -straightforward rush at the rate of about fourteen knots an hour, the -five boats sweeping along in his wake like meteors glancing across the -deep darkness of the night. The whale could not be seen. Only at long -intervals did he slant upwards and, with a roar like the lifting of an -overloaded safety-valve, disappear again. - -So on we went through the warm quiet night without the slightest -sign of slackening until the gladsome light of dawn quickened on the -sea-rim, and showed us that we were alone--there was no sign of the -ship. A gaunt and haggard crew we looked, anxiety scoring deep furrows -in our wan faces. And as the sun sprang into the sky we suddenly came -to a dead stop. The strain on the line compelled us to pay out, and -thus we hovered in a circle, bows awash, and awaited the pleasure -of our foe. There was a sudden upspringing of all boats, a hasty -manœuvring to clear one another as far as might be, and, before any -of us could have imagined it possible, high into our midst leaped -the spotted whale, his awful jaws agape, and his whole body writhing -in its evolution. Straight for the skipper’s boat he came, taking it -diagonally, and, with a crash that set all our teeth on edge, she -disappeared. A mist arose before our sight, the spray of the conflict -filling the air, but, fired beyond fear by the wholesale tragedy we -believed had taken place, we bent to our oars till they cracked, -thirsting for that monster’s blood. As we came bounding to the spot he -disappeared, and, to our unspeakable amazement (though we had no time -to show it) all the destroyed boat’s crew reappeared. But if Captain -Cushing had looked dangerous before, his appearance now was that of a -demoniac. His cap was gone, so that the yellow dome of his head loomed -strangely in the early morning light, his clothing hung from him in -ribbons, and his right arm dangled as if only held by a few sinews. He -had come right out of the whale’s jaws. All the others were scathless. - -To all offers of help he turned a savage scowl, and seizing a bomb-gun -in his uninjured hand he jammed himself in the boat’s bows, his voice, -unaltered save for being a little higher in pitch, being heard and -obeyed among the other boats on the instant. The whale returned. At the -captain’s orders all cut their lines, and the real fight began. Truly -Captain Cushing was fit to be a leader of men, for his eyes missed -nothing. At his orders all four boats advanced, retreated, backed, -circled, stopped dead. He seemed able to penetrate the misleading -medium of the water, where a whale at twenty fathoms’ depth looks like -a salmon, and whatever move the monster made, his counter-move baffled -the savage intent. Yet all the time we were strictly on the defensive. -Our long night’s tow, want of food and drink, and since daylight the -tremendous strain upon our nerves, was surely telling against us, and -our adversary was apparently tireless. Not only so, but his ingenuity -never flagged. Ruse after ruse was tried by him, but no two were alike. -And without a doubt our hopes of coming alive out of this battle were -growing fainter and fainter every moment. - -Things were in this gloomy stage when, with a most appalling roar, the -whale suddenly broke water on his back, and launched himself at the -captain’s boat. The wide sea boiled like a pot as he came, but, to our -horror, the boat lay still, as if anchored to the spot. The crash came, -and amidst its uproar we heard the sharp report of a gun. Like a great -whirlpool the waters foamed and rose, nothing being distinguishable in -the midst of the vortex until it gradually subsided, and we saw the -fragments of the boat idly tossing upon the crimson foam. Hastening -to the rescue, we found six men still alive, but all sadly hurt. The -seventh was gone. At last Captain Cushing had paid in full the debt -that had been owing. We were now completely overborne with fatigue as -well as overloaded with helpless men--utterly unfit to compete any -further with so fearful a foe. While we lay thus helplessly awaiting -what all felt must be the end, the whale again broke water about twenty -yards away. Up, up, up into the air he rose, effortless, majestically; -and as he soared aloft every heart stood still to see the body of our -late commander hanging limply at the angle of that yawning mouth. The -yellow visage was towards us, the same savage grin frozen upon it, but -the will against which everything had shivered was now but the will of -the drift-weed round about; that clammy piece of clay was tenantless. - -Down came the gigantic form, tearing up the sea into foam and -disappeared from our sight, to be seen no more. Long and wearily we -waited, hungry and thirsty, and some in agony from their injuries, -until twenty-four hours later the Beluga found us, and all were safely -taken on board. Strangely transformed the old ship appeared. At first -we went about as we had been wont, not daring to exchange thoughts -with one another. But gradually the blessed truth soaked in. We were -freed from a tyranny more dire than any of us had realized--a tyranny -over mind as well as body. Officers and men rejoiced together, for all -had suffered. And it was at once decided to return home in leisurely -fashion, calling at well-known ports on the way, and endeavouring to -make up by a little joy of life for past miseries. - -What the true inwardness of Captain Cushing’s desire of revenge on the -spotted whale was we never rightly knew, but many rumours were current -among ships that we gammed that he had, with his own hand many years -before, killed the whale of a small pod, or company of whales, of which -the spotted whale was the leader, and that they had met on several -occasions afterwards, their meeting always being attended by some grave -disaster to Cushing’s ship and crew. This had wrought upon his mind -until it had become a mania, and he was willing to risk all for the -chance of slaying his redoubtable foe. But we had no doubt that the -whale was merely the instrument chosen by Providence for meting out to -him a death he richly deserved for his many crimes. - - - - -THE SKIPPER’S WIFE - - -Stories of the Sea have in my humble opinion been quite unfairly -dealt with by the majority of their narrators. Told for the benefit -of non-seafaring folk by writers, who, however great their literary -gifts, have had merely a nodding acquaintance with the everyday doings -on board ship, they generally lack proportion, and fail to convey to -shore folk an intimate sense of the sea-atmosphere. Especially has this -been so with books for young people, as was no doubt to be expected. So -much has this been the case that sailors generally despise sea-stories, -finding them utterly unlike anything they have ever experienced -themselves. Of late years there have been some notable exceptions among -sea story writers, most of them happily still living and doing splendid -service. One cunning hand is still, that of James Runciman, whose -yarns are salt as the ocean, and have most truly held the mirror up -to Nature in a manner unexcelled by any other marine writer living or -dead. Freedom from exaggeration, clarity of expression, and sympathetic -insight into sea-life were his main features, and no one hated more -than he the utterly impossible beings and doings common to the bulk of -sea-fiction. - -Whether it be from lack of imaginative power or an unfertile -inventiveness I cannot say, but it has always appeared to me as if -one need never travel outside the actual facts of his experience, -however humdrum it may appear to the casual observer, to find matters -sufficiently interesting to hold any intelligent reader enthralled, -always providing that matter be well presented. And in that belief I -venture to tell a plain tale here, into which no fiction enters except -proper names. - -Drifting about the world, as the great fucus wanders from shore to -shore, having once been dislodged from its parent rock, I one day -found myself ashore at Quilimane, desperately anxious to get a berth -in any capacity on board ship for the sole purpose of getting away. My -prospects were not very rosy, for the only vessels in the hateful place -were two or three crazy country craft with Arab crews, that looked -exceedingly like slavers to me. At last, to my intense relief, a smart -looking barquentine entered the port and anchored. I was, as usual, -lounging about the beach (it seemed the healthiest place I could find) -and my longing eyes followed every move of the crew as they busied -themselves in getting the boat out. When the captain stepped ashore I -was waiting to meet him, and the first words he heard were-- - -“_Do_ you want a hand, cap’n?” - -Taking keen stock of me, he said, “What sort of a berth do you want?” - -“Well, sir,” I replied, “I’ve got a second-mate’s ticket, but I’ll go -as boy for the chance of getting away from here, if necessary.” - -“I want a cook-and-steward,” he murmured dubiously, “and as I’ve got my -wife aboard the cooking’s rather important.” - -“I’m your man, sir,” I cried, “if I can’t cook you can dump me -overboard. I never shipped as cook yet, but I’ve had to teach a good -few cooks how to boil salt water without burning it.” - -He smiled pleasantly at this, and said, “I must say I like your looks -and--well there, jump into the boat. I’ll be back directly.” - -Sure enough, in a couple of hours I was busy in her cosy galley, while -the chaps were rattling the windlass round with a will, anxious enough -to get clear of that sweltering coast. From the first my relations with -all hands were of the pleasantest kind. They had suffered many things -at the hands of several so-called cooks during the eighteen months they -had been away from home, each dirty destroyer of provisions being worse -than his predecessor. But especially were my efforts appreciated in the -cabin. The skipper had with him his wife and two little girls, aged -four and five respectively, who made that little corner of the ship -seem to a homeless, friendless wanderer like myself a small heaven. -Mrs. Brunton was a sweet-faced grey-eyed woman of about thirty, with a -quiet tenderness of manner and speech that made a peaceful atmosphere -about her like that of a summer Sunday evening in some tiny English -village. Her husband was a grand specimen of a British seaman, stalwart -and fair-haired, with a great sweeping beard and bright blue eyes that -always had a lurking smile in their depths. The pair appeared to have -but one mind. Their chief joy seemed to be in the silent watching of -their children’s gambols, as, like two young lambs, they galloped round -the decks or wriggled about the cramped fittings of the small saloon. -The charm of that happy home-circle was over all hands. You might say -that the ship worked herself, there was so little sign of the usual -machinery of sea-life. - -So the days slipped away as we crept down towards the Cape, bound -round to Barbadoes, of all places in the world. Then in the ordinary -course of events the weather got gradually worse, until one night it -culminated in a following gale of hurricane fierceness, thundering down -out of an ebony sky that almost rested on the mastheads. By-and-by the -swart dungeon about us became shot with glowing filaments that quivered -on the sight like pain-racked nerves, and the bass of the storm fell -two octaves. Sail had been reduced to the fore lower topsail and the -fore-topmast staysail, which had the sheet hauled flat aft in case -of her broaching-to. Even under those tiny rags she flew before the -hungering blast like a hare when the hounds are only her own length -behind. The black masses of water gradually rose higher alongside as -they bellowed past until their terrible heads peered inboard as if -seeking the weakest spot. They began to break over all, easily at -first, but presently with a sickening crash that made itself felt in -one’s very bowels. At last two menacing giants rose at once on either -side, curving their huge heads until they overhung the waist. Thus, -for an appreciable fraction of time, they stood, then fell--on -the main-hatch. It cracked--sagged downward--and every man on deck -knew that the foot-thick greenheart fore-and-after was broken, and -that another sea like that would sink us like a saucer. Hitherto the -skipper had been standing near the cuddy scuttle, in which his wife -crouched, her eyes dim with watching her husband. Now he stooped and -whispered three words in her ear. With one more glance up into his -face she crept down into their berth, and over to where the two little -ones were sleeping soundly. Gently, but with an untrembling hand, -she covered their ruddy faces with a folded mosquito net and turned -out the light. Then she swiftly returned to her self-chosen post in -the scuttle, just reaching up a hand to touch her husband’s arm, and -let him know that she was near. The quiver that responded was answer -enough. He was looking astern, and all his soul was in his eyes. For -there was a streak of kindly light, a line of hope on the murky heaven. -It broadened to a rift, the blue shone through, and stooping he lifted -his wife’s head above the hatch, turning her face so that she too might -see and rejoice. She lifted her face, with streaming eyes, to his for -a kiss, then fled below, turned up the light again, and uncovered the -children’s faces. Five minutes later she heard his step coming down, -and devoured him with her eyes as he walked to the barometer, peered -into it and muttered “thank God.” - -[Illustration: Gently she covered their ruddy faces.] - -A fortnight later I was prowling up and down the cabin outside their -closed state-room door, my fingers twitching with nervousness, and a -lump continually rising in my throat that threatened to choke me; for -within that tiny space, the captain, all unaided except by his great -love and quiet common sense, was elbowing a grim shadow that seemed -to envy him his treasure. Now and then a faint moan curdled round my -heart, making it ache as if with cold. Beyond that there was no sign -from within, and the suspense fretted me till I felt like a bundle of -bare nerves. Overhead I could hear the barefooted step of the mate, -as he wandered with uncertain gait about the lee side of the poop -under the full glow of the passionless moon. At last, when I felt as -worn as if I had been swimming for hours, there came a thin, gurgling -little wail--a new voice that sent a thrill through the curves of my -brain with a sharp pang. And then I felt the hot tears running down my -face--why, I did not know. A minute later the door swung open, and the -skipper said, in a thick, strange tone, “It’s all right, Peter; I’ve a -son. And she’s grand, my boy, she’s grand.” I mumbled out something; -I meant well, I’m sure, but no one could have understood me. He knew, -and shook hands with me heartily. And presently I was nursing the bonny -mite as if I had never done aught else--me that never had held a baby -before. It was good, too; it lay in my arms on a pillow, and looked up -at me with bright, unwinking eyes. - -Then came three weeks of unalloyed delight. Overhead the skies were -serene--that deep, fathomless blue, that belongs of right to the -wide, shoreless seas of the tropics, where the constant winds blow -unfalteringly to a mellow harmony of love. On board, every thought -was drawn magnet-wise to the tiny babe who had come among us like -a messenger from another sphere, and the glances cast at the tender -mother as she sat under the little awning, like a queen holding her -court, were almost reverential. Never a man of us will forget that -peaceful time. Few words were spoken, but none of them were angry, -for every one felt an influence at work on him that, while it almost -bewildered him, made him feel gentle and kind. But into the midst of -this peaceful time came that envious shadow again. How it happened -no man could tell; what malign seed had suddenly germinated, after -so long lying dormant, was past all speculation of ours. The skipper -himself fell sick. For a few days he fought man-fashion against a -strange lassitude that sapped all his great strength and overcame even -his bright cheery temper until he became fretful as a sickly babe. -At last there came a day when he could not rise from his cot. With a -beseeching look in his eyes he lay, his fine voice sunk to a whisper -and his sunny smile gone. His wife hovered about him continually, -unsparing of herself, and almost forgetting the first claim of the -babe. The children, with the happy thoughtlessness of their age, could -not be kept quiet, so, for the most part, they played forward with the -crew, where they were as happy as the day was long. Every man did his -best to entertain them; and when sailors make pets of children, those -children are favoured by fortune. Meanwhile, in the cabin, we fought -inch by inch with death for our friend. But our hands were tied by -ignorance, for the rough directions of the book in the medicine chest -gave us no help in dealing with this strange disease. Gradually the -fine frame of the skipper dwindled and shrank, larger and more wistful -grew his eyes, but after the first appalling discovery of his weakness -he never uttered a complaining word. He lay motionless, unnoticing, -except that into the deep wells of his eyes there came an expression of -great content and peace whenever his wife bent over him. She scarcely -ever spoke, for he had apparently lost all power of comprehension as -well as speech, except that which entered his mind by sight. Thus he -sank, as lulls the sea-breeze on a tropical shore when twilight comes. -And one morning at four, as I lay coiled in a fantastic heap upon one -of the settees near his door, sleeping lightly as a watch-dog, a long, -low moan tugged at my heart-strings, and I sat up shivering like one in -an ague-fit, although we were on the Line. Swiftly I stepped into his -room, where I saw his wife with one arm across his breast and her face -beside his on the pillow. She had fainted, and so was mercifully spared -for a little while the agony of that parting--for he was dead. - -Up till that time every device that seamanship could suggest had been -put into practice to hurry the ship on, so that she was a perfect -pyramid of canvas rigged wherever it would catch a wasting air. But all -was of little use, for the wind had fallen lighter and lighter each day -until, at the time of the skipper’s passing, it was a stark calm. Then, -as if some invisible restraint had been suddenly removed, up sprang the -wind, strong and steady, necessitating the instant removal of all those -fragile adjuncts to her speed that had been rigged everywhere possible -aloft. So that no one had at first any leisure to brood over our -great loss but myself, and I could only watch with almost breathless -anxiety for the return of that sorely-tried, heroic woman to a life -from which her chief joy had been taken away. She remained so long in -that death-like trance that again and again I was compelled to reassure -myself, by touching her arms and face, that she was still alive, and -yet I dreaded her re-awakening. At last, with a long-drawn sigh, she -lifted her head, looked steadfastly for a while at the calm face of her -dead husband, then stooped and kissed him once. Then she turned to me -as I stood at the door, with the silent tears streaming down my face, -and said, in a perfectly steady voice (I can hear it now), “Are my -children well?” “Yes, ma’am,” I answered, “they are all asleep.” “Thank -you,” she murmured; “I will go and lie down with them a little while. -I feel so tired. No” (seeing I was about to offer), “I want nothing -just now but rest.” So she turned into their little cabin and shut the -door. I went on deck and waited until the mate (now skipper) was free, -and then told him how she was. He immediately made preparations for the -burial, for we were still a week’s sail from port. In an hour all was -ready, and silently we awaited the re-appearance of the chief mourner. -She came out at breakfast-time, looking like a woman of marble. Quietly -thanking the new skipper for what he had done, she resumed her motherly -duties, saying no word and showing no sign of the ordeal she was -enduring. - -All through the last solemn scene, except for a convulsive shudder -as the sullen plunge alongside closed the service, she preserved the -same tearless calm, and afterwards, while she remained on board--which -was only until we arrived at Barbadoes--she preserved the same -automaton-like demeanour. The mail steamer arrived the day after we -anchored, and we took her on board for the passage to England; her -bitter tragedy moving most of the passengers to tears as the history -of it spread like wildfire among them. And as the Medway steamed out -of the harbour, we all stood on the poop of our own vessel, with bared -heads, in respectful farewell to, and deepest sympathy for, our late -captain’s wife. - - - - -A SCIENTIFIC CRUISE - - -Five and twenty minutes, I believe, was the extreme limit of time it -took me to discover that my new ship was likely to provide me some of -the queerest experiences I had yet met with in all my fishing. But -after a month’s weary munching the bread of the outward-bounder, and -in Calcutta too, I was so hungry for a berth that I would have shipped -as mess-room steward in a Geordie weekly boat, and undertaken to live -on the yield of the dog-basket from the engineers’ table, if nothing -better had offered. So when Romin Dass, a sircar that I was very chummy -with, hailed me one morning at the corner of the Radha Bazaar, with a -quotation from Shakespeare to point his information that he had heard -of a second-mate’s berth for me on board the Ranee, a fine iron ship -moored off Prinseps Ghât, I was so glad that I promised him the first -five dibs I could lay hands on. Trembling with eagerness, I hurried -down to the ghât and wheedled a dinghy-wallah into putting me on board. -The mate, a weary looking man, about my own age, met me at the foot -of the gangway ladder with that suspicious air common to all mates -of ships abroad, especially when they see an eager looking stranger -with a nautical appearance come aboard uninvited. In a diffident -uncertain way, born of a futile attempt, to conceal my anxiety and -look dignified, I inquired for Captain Leverrier. - -“He isn’t aboard,” snarled the mate, “an’ not likely to be to-night. -What might your business be?” - -“Well, you see--the fact is--I thought--that is,” I blundered, getting -red in the face as I saw a sarcastic grin curdling the mate’s face. -“I--I thought you wanted a second mate, an’ I----” - -“Oh, why the devil didn’t you say so,’thout gay-huppin’ about it like -that. I begun ter think you was some beach-comber tryin’ on a new -bluff. Come an’ have a drink.” - -Greatly relieved I followed him into the saloon, which was almost as -gorgeous as a yacht’s, carpets, and mirrors, and velvet settees, piano -and silver-plated metal work till you couldn’t rest. A gliding Hindoo -came salaaming along with a bottle and glasses and some ice in a bowl -at a word from the mate, and solemnly, as if pouring a libation, we -partook of refreshment. Then, offering me a Trichie, the mate began to -cross-examine me. But by this time I had got back my self-possession, -and I soon satisfied him that I shouldn’t make half a bad shipmate. I -happened to have sailed with an old skipper of his, I knew two or three -fellows that he did, or at least I thought I knew them, and before half -an hour had passed we were on quite confidential terms. No, not quite; -for two or three times I noticed that he checked himself, just when he -was on the point of telling me something, although he let drop a few -hints that were totally unintelligible to me. At last he said-- - -“You might as well stay to supper an’ keep me company, unless you’ve -got to get back anywhere.” - -“Anywhere’s just the right word, Mr. Martin,” I broke in; “anywhere -but ashore again in this God-forsaken place. If you’d been ashore here -for six weeks, looking for a pierhead jump as I have, you’d think it -was heaven to get aboard a ship again. It’d be a mighty important -engagement that ’ud take you up town again.” - -“All right, my boy. Hullo, what do you want?” to the suppliant steward, -who stood in a devotional attitude awaiting permission to speak. - -“Dinghy-wallah, sab, waitin’ for speaky gentyman, sab.” - -I went cold all over. That infernal coolie was after me for his fare, -and I hadn’t a pice. I’d forgotten all about him. I did the only thing -possible, owned up to the mate that I had a southerly wind in my -pockets, and he came to the rescue at once, paying the dinghy-wallah -a quarter of what he asked (two rupees), and starting him off. Then -we sat down to a sumptuous supper, such as I had not tasted for many -months, for I came out before the mast, and the grub in the Sailors -Home (where I had been staying) was pretty bad. Over the pleasant -meal Mr. Martin thawed out completely, and at last, in a burst of -confidence, he said-- - -“Our ole man’s scientific, Mr. Roper.” - -As he looked at me like a man who has just divulged some tremendous -secret, I was more than a little puzzled what to say in reply, so I -looked deeply interested, and murmured, “Indeed.” - -“Indeed, yes,” growled the mate; “but I’ll bet you a month’s wages you -won’t say ‘indeed’ like that when we’ve ben to sea a few days. I’ll -tell you what it is, I’ve been with some rum pups of skippers in my -time, but this one scoops the pot. He’s a good enough sailor man, too. -But as fer his condemn science--well, he thinks he’s the whole Royle -Serciety an’ Trinity House biled down into one, an’ I’m damfee knows -enough to come in when it rains. He’s just worryin me bald-headed, -that’s what he is. Why, if it wasn’t fer the good hash and bein’ able -to do pretty much as I mind to with the ship, I’d a ben a jibbin -mainyac ’fore now, I’m dead shore o’ that. Looky here,” and he sprang -up and flung a state-room door wide open, “djever see anythin’ like -that outen a mewseeum?” - -I stared in utter amazement at a most extraordinary collection of queer -looking instruments, models, retorts, crucibles, and specimen glasses, -turning round after completing my scrutiny, and gazing into the mate’s -face without speaking. - -He was peering at me curiously, and presently said, interrogatively, -“Well?” - -Seeing that I was expected to make some sort of a reply, I said, with a -cheerful air-- - -“’Looks as if the skipper was no end of a scientific pot, I must -confess; but, after all, Mr. Martin, it’s a harmless fad enough, isn’t -it?” - -“Harmless! Well, of all the---- Good heavens, man, you hain’t the -least idea--but, there, what’s the use er talkin’. Better letcher wait -’n see fer yerself. Come on up onter the poop ’n git a whiff er fresh -Calcutta mixtcher, dreadful refreshin’, ain’t it?” - -A long confab succeeded to the accompaniment of many cigars and sundry -pegs, but not another word about the skipper and his hobbies did the -mate let slip. No; we discussed, as housewives are said to do when they -meet, the shortcomings of those over whom we were put in authority, -compared notes as to the merits and demerits of skippers we had served -under, and generally sampled the gamut of seafaring causeries, until, -with my head buzzing like a mosquito in a bottle, I gave the mate -good-night, and retired to my bunk in an enviable state of satisfaction -at my good fortune. Next morning I was up at coffee-time, and while -sitting on the after-hatch coamings enjoying the enlivening drink and -chatting with the mate, a most unearthly howl fairly made my whiskers -bristle. I looked at Mr. Martin, whose face wore a sarcastic grin, but -never a word spake he. Another nerve-tearing yell resounded, starting -me to my feet, while I exclaimed-- - -“Whatever is it, Mr. Martin? I’ve never heard such a devilish noise in -my life.” - -“Oh, it’s only some o’ the ole man’s harmless fads he’s a exercisin’. -You’ll git used ter them chunes presently.” - -He _was_ going to say something else, but just then the steward emerged -from the saloon--that is to say, he shot out as if he had been fired -from a balista. When I saw him a few minutes before he was a suave -olive-complexioned Hindoo, cat-like in his neatness, and snowy in his -muslin rig. Now he was a ghastly apparition, with streaming scalp-lock -and glaring eyeballs, his face a cabbage-water green, and his lank body -as bare as a newly-scalded pig. Apparently incapable of flight, he -crouched where he fell, salaaming with trembling hands, and chattering -almost monkey-like. While the mate and I stood silently regarding him, -and indignation at the poor wretch’s plight was rapidly ousting my -alarm at the manner of his appearance, a mild and benevolent looking -man of middle-age dressed in pyjamas appeared at the saloon door. - -“Good morning, Mr. Martin,” said the skipper, for it was himself, “did -you see where that heathen landed?” - -“Oh yes, sir,” drawled the mate, “’eer ’e is, what’s left ov ’im.” - -“Ah,” replied the skipper, with a placid smile, “he’s a bit startled I -see. He trod on the plate of my new battery, and got a slight shock, I -think. But where’s his close?” - -“The Lord only knows,” piously ejaculated the mate. “Looks ter me ’sif -he’d ben shot clean out ov ’em, puggree an’ all.” - -By this time the luckless steward, finding, I suppose, that he had not -reached Jehannum yet, began to pull himself together, and, doubtless -ashamed of his being all face in the presence of the all-powerful -sahibs, writhed his way worm-like towards the other door of the -saloon, and disappeared within, the skipper regarding him meanwhile -with gentle interest as if he were a crawling babe. Then turning his -attention to me, the old man courteously inquired my business, and -finding that I suited him, engaged me there and then as second mate. - -During the short stay we made in port after my joining, nothing further -occurred to change the opinion I had already formed that I was in a -very comfortable ship. The fellows forward seemed fairly well contented -and willing. The food both fore and aft was wonderfully good, and so -was the cooking, for a marvel. But that was because we had a Madrassee -cook who had served an arduous apprenticeship in P. and O. boats, from -which excellent service he had been driven by some amiable inability to -comprehend the laws of meum and tuum. Here there was no chance for him -to steal, and every inducement for him to earn a good name by pleasing -his many masters. The result was singularly happy for all of us. The -foremast hands were fairly divided into Britons and Scandinavians, -all good seamen and quiet, well-behaved men. One thing, however, was -noticeable, they all seemed nervously anxious to avoid the after part -of the ship as much as possible. All seamen before the mast have an -inbred sense of reverence for the quarter-deck, walking delicately -thereon, and studiously keeping to the lee-side, unless compelled by -duty to go to windward. But in the Ranee, whenever a man came aft for -any purpose whatever, his movements were much like those of a man -visiting a menagerie for the first time alone, and morbidly suspicious -that some of the cage doors were unfastened. This behaviour was highly -amusing to me, for I had never seen anything like it before, and I -couldn’t help wondering how the helmsman would hang out a trick at the -wheel when we got to sea. - -All preparations complete, we unmoored, and in tow of the Court Hey -proceeded majestically down the Hooghly, waking all the echoes and -scaring the numberless pigeons of the King of Oude’s palace with the -exultant strains of “Sally Brown.” One of those majestic creatures, -the Calcutta pilots, paced the poop in awful state, alone, the skipper -being nowhere visible. Presently, my lord the pilot, feeling slightly -fatigued, I suppose, threw himself into the old man’s favourite -chair, an elaborately cushioned affair of peculiar shape and almost -as long as a sofa. No sooner had he done so than, with a most amazing -movement, the whole fabric changed its shape, and became one of the -most bewildering entanglements conceivable, gripping the astounded -pilot in so many places at once that he was in imminent danger of being -throttled. I rushed to his assistance, and exerted all my strength to -set him free, but my energetic efforts only seemed to hamper him more, -and fearing lest I should break him all to pieces, I rushed below -for the skipper. That gentleman was busy in his laboratory, making -carburetted hydrogen, I should judge, from the “feel of the smell,” as -the Scotch say, but in answer to my agitated call he emerged, serene -and bland, to inquire my business. Faith, I could hardly tell him, what -with the reek, my haste, and the anxiety I felt. Somehow I managed to -convey to him that the pilot was being done to death in his chair, -and as I did so I noticed (or thought I did) a momentary gleam of -satisfaction in his starboard eye. But he mounted the companion, and -gliding to the spot where the unhappy man, voiceless and black in the -face, was struggling, he stooped, touched a spring, and that infernal -chair fell out flat like a board. I stooped to assist the victim, -but, unluckily for me, he sprang to his feet at the same moment, and -his head catching me under the chin, I had urgent business of my own -to attend to for some little time. When I got quite well again, I -heard conversation. In fact I might almost say the coolies in the -jungle heard it. The pilot was expressing his opinion upon his recent -experience, and from his manner I concluded that he was annoyed. When -at last he had finished, and the lingering echoes had died away, the -old man, looking as happy as a lamb, offered to show him the beauty -and ingenuity of the mechanism. But the pilot merely suggested that -the only sight that could interest him just then would be the old man -dangling by the neck at the cro’jack yard-arm, with that something (I -didn’t quite catch the adjective) chair jammed on to his legs. And then -the unreasonable man walked forward, leaving the skipper looking after -him with a puzzled, yearning expression upon his pleasant face. Perhaps -it is hardly necessary to say that thenceforward relations between the -pilot and the captain were somewhat strained. At any rate, the former -potentate refused to come below, taking his meals on deck with an air -as of a man whose life was at the mercy of irresponsible beings, and -when at last we hauled up at the mouth of the river for the pilot -brig to send a boat for our pilot, he left the ship looking supremely -relieved. To the skipper’s outstretched hand he was blind, and to that -gentleman’s kindly good-bye he said naught but “thank God, I’m safe out -of your ship.” Away he went, never once looking back to where we were -busily setting sail for the long homeward passage. - -For some days everything went on greased wheels. Except for an air of -mystery that overhung the ship, and which puzzled me not a little, she -was the most comfortable craft I ever sailed in. The skipper scarcely -ever appeared, although sundry strange noises and unpleasant odours -proceeding from his laboratory were evidence all-sufficient that -he was on the alert. I was somewhat aggrieved though by the mate’s -sardonic grin every time he relieved me, and made the usual remark, -“still alive, eh?” Still, as each quiet day succeeded a quieter night -my wonderment became dulled, and I thought that either the mate was -mistaken or that he had been trying to fool me. - -One evening, however, when we were drawing near the line, I came on -deck at four bells to find the mate’s watch busy rigging up a sort of -theatre aft. An awning had been stretched over the front of the poop, -weather cloths were hung along each side, and seats arranged. As soon -as I appeared, looking round me in astonishment, the mate approached -me and said, “th’ entertainment’s goin’ ter begin.” Before I had time -to question him as to his meaning, the old man emerged from the cabin -loaded with sundry strange-looking machines, and followed by the -steward bearing more. For a few minutes he was mighty busy placing his -menagerie in order, and then he turned to me and said briskly, “Now, -Mr. Roper, I’m all ready, go forrard and invite the hands aft to the -lecture.” “Aye, aye, sir,” I answered mechanically, and departed. I -found all hands outside the forecastle, evidently waiting for the -summons, but looking as unlike men expecting a treat as one could -possibly picture. But they all shambled aft in silence, and took their -seats with eyes fixed upon the strange-looking assemblage of machinery -in the centre. - -It was a lovely evening, the sails just drawing to a steady air, while -the sea was so smooth that the vessel was almost as motionless as -if in dock. As it was my watch on deck, I mounted the poop, glanced -at the standard compass, cast my eye aloft to see that all was as -it should be, and then turned my gaze with intense interest upon -the scene below. And what a scene it was to be sure. All hands were -glaring upon the high priest of the mysteries as if mesmerised, every -expression gone from their faces but that of painful anxiety to know -what was going to happen. The skipper was as busy as two people about -his wheels and things, and the unhappy steward like an image of fear -obeyed mechanically the various commands of his dread master. At last a -whirring sound was heard like the humming of some huge imprisoned bee, -and to this accompaniment the skipper took up his parable and proceeded -to talk. I frankly confess that I know no more what he said than I -should have done had he been speaking in Sanskrit, and I am perfectly -sure that none of his audience were in any better case. Indeed, from -what I could see of their faces, I believe every other sense was merged -in the full expectation of an explosion, and they couldn’t have taken -their strained eyes off the buzzing gadget in their midst for any -consideration whatever. Suddenly a dark shadow glided across the patch -of deck behind the skipper, which I recognized as a monkey belonging -to one of the crew. It reached the machine, and then----What really -happened nobody is ever likely to know, for in a moment there was a -shriek, a perfect shower of blue sparks and a writhing, kicking, biting -heap of skipper, monkey, and steward. Some of the fellows, acting -upon impulse, forgot their fears and rushed to the rescue, but only -succeeded in adding to the infernal riot, as they too became involved -in the mysterious calamity. Others, wiser in their generation, fled -forward to the fo’c’sle, from whence they gradually crept aft again -near enough to watch in safety the devil’s dance that was going on. -I looked on in a sort of coma of all the faculties, until the mate -touched me on the shoulder, and said in a sepulchral voice-- - -“Now, Mr. Roper, djever strike anythin’ o’ this kind before. _Ain’t_ it -scientific? Ain’t he a holy terror at science? What I’d like ter know -is, where do I come on in this Gypshun Hall business? Damfime goin’ -ter be blame well paralyzed, or whatever it is, for all the skippers -erflote, n’ yet--n’ yet; I _don’t_ like ter see sech ungodly carryins -on aboard of any ship I’m mate of.” - -I hadn’t time to answer him--besides I couldn’t, I was all shook up -like; but while I was trying to get my thinking-gear in order, there -was a bang, all the sufferers yelled at once, and then all was quiet. -Both the mate and myself sprang into the arena, fully expecting to -find all the actors dead, but, bless you, they were all laying round -looking as if they’d been having no end of a spree. All except the -monkey, that is. He was a very unhandsome little corpse, and I picked -him up by the tail to throw him overboard, getting a shock through my -right arm that took all the use out of it for quite a while. Presently -the fellows began to get up one by one and slink away forrard, still -with that half-drunk smile on their heads, but when we came to the -skipper, although he wore a wide smile too, he hadn’t any get up about -him. Not he. He lay there as comfy as you please, taking no notice of -anything we said, or any heed of the deliberate way in which the mate -was pushing the remains of his machinery out through the gaping port -with a broom. We couldn’t move him. He was just charged jam full of -electricity, and one of the men who _did_ touch him let a yell out of -him fit to call D. Jones, Esq., up from below, but it didn’t change -the skipper’s happy look one fragment. Well, he laid there all night -alongside of the steward, and in the morning he gets up just before -wash-deck time, and, says he, “Mr. Roper, I shan’t give any more -scientific exhibitions this trip; I think they’re immoral.” With that -he hobbled into his cabin, and we saw no more of him for a week. When -we did, you couldn’t have got a grain of science out of him with a -small-tooth comb, and the mate looked as glad as if he’d been appointed -Lord High Admiral. And from thenceforward she was, as I had at first -imagined she would be, the most comfortable vessel I ever sailed in. - - - - -A GENIAL SKIPPER - - -Captain Scott was as commonplace a little man as ever commanded an -old wooden tub of a barque lumbering her way forlornly from port to -port seeking freight as a beggar seeks pence. His command, the Sarah -Jane, belonged to a decayed firm of shipowners that, like many other -old-fashioned tradesmen, had not kept pace with the times, and were -now reduced to the possession of this ancient pauper and a still older -brig, all the rest of their once stately fleet having been sold or lost -or seized to satisfy mortgages. Yet they still retained a keen sense -of respectability, and when Captain Scott applied for the command of -the Sarah Jane they were exceedingly careful to ascertain that he was -strictly sober and trustworthy. He not only succeeded in satisfying -them on these points, but in some mysterious manner persuaded them also -that he was exceedingly pious, and would certainly hold service on -board every Sunday, weather permitting. That settled his appointment, -for the senior member of the firm was a good, honest Dissenter, who, -if a trifle narrow and bigoted in his religious views, was sincerely -anxious to live up to the light he had. Beyond all question the Sarah -Jane was the best-found vessel of her class in the food line that we -chaps forrard had ever sailed in. It would have been hard to find -a more agreeably surprised little crowd than we were when the first -meal appeared in the fo’c’sle, for our preliminary view of the ship -certainly gave us the idea that we were in for “plenty pump and velly -flat belly,” as a quaint little Italian A. B. said while we were -selecting bunks. - -But no, she was a comfortable ship. There was certainly “plenty pump,” -but the grub was so good that there was never a growl heard among us, -and a pleasanter passage out to Algoa Bay than we enjoyed could hardly -be imagined. The Sunday services were held, too--that is to say, twice; -after that they were quietly dropped without any reason assigned. No -one felt sorry, for there was an air of unreality and constraint about -the whole thing that was puzzling and unsatisfactory; and on several -occasions there was wafted across the poop, as the skipper emerged from -the companion, a tantalizing odour which none of us could mistake--the -rich bouquet of old Jamaica rum. This gave rise to many discussions -in the fo’c’sle. The port watch took sides against the starboard, -insisting that the old man had fallen from grace, if, which was -problematical, he had ever possessed any of that mysterious quality. -We of the starboard, or skipper’s watch, as in duty bound, stood up -for him, accounting for the thirst-provoking smell that came wafting -upwards from the cabin periodically by the theory of the Sarah Jane -having been an old sugar drogher for many years, until her timbers were -saturated with the flavour of rum, and, according as the wind tended -to diffuse it, we were favoured with it on deck. - -Never was a skipper watched more closely by his crew than Captain -Scott was by us, for the steward and the officers were unapproachable -upon the subject, and it was only by catching him really drunk that -our continual dispute could be settled. After we had crossed the Line, -and were getting rapidly to the suth’ard, I began to lose faith, for, -although I could not determine whether the skipper’s peculiar gait -was or was not the regular nautical roll accentuated by some physical -peculiarity, there was no mistaking the ever-deepening hue of his face. -When we left home it was fresh-coloured, but as the weeks went by it -took on the glow of burnished copper--especially after dinner--and -sometimes his nose looked warm enough to light one’s pipe at it. -However, we reached Algoa Bay without settling our argument--openly, -that is. In truth, we of the starboard watch were looking eagerly -for some way of retreat from what we all felt was getting to be an -untenable position. Still, no agreement was arrived at until we had -been at anchor off Port Elizabeth for a week, during which time we had -never seen our respected skipper once. - -Then there arrived alongside, on a Saturday afternoon, after we had -washed decks and were dabbing out our own few bits of duds for Sunday, -a surf-boat, in the stern of which sat precariously a very drunken -man. He was truculently drunk, and the big cigar, which was stuck -in one angle of his protruding lips, pointed upwards like an old -collier’s jibboom. Both his hands were thrust deep into his pockets, -and his top-hat was jammed hard down on the back of his head. As the -boat bumped alongside, his insecure seat failed him, and he lurched -massively forward upon the crown of his hat, which caved in after its -brim had passed his ears, adding to the picturesqueness of his outfit. -The boatmen seized and reinstated him upon a thwart, receiving for -their pains an address that reeked of the pit. For variety of profanity -we all admitted it to be far beyond anything of the kind that we had -ever heard, and one of our number suggested that he had been founding -a new church during his absence, his outbreak of peculiar language -being part of the liturgy thereof. We only had an ordinary side ladder -of the usual type carried in those ships--two ropes with wooden rungs -seized between them--which was suspended perpendicularly from the rail. -This kind of approach is not easy of negotiation by anybody but a -sober sailor; it was impossible now to Captain Scott. He gazed upwards -fiercely at the anxious face of the mate, and, with many flowers of -speech, insisted that a whip should be rigged on the mainyard for -him--blasphemously sharp, too, or he would, yes, he would, when he -_did_ get aboard. - -So we rigged a single whip at the mate’s order, not without many -audible comments upon this new development and recriminations between -the members of the two disputing watches. With many a bump, as the -vessel rolled to the incoming swell, we hoisted our commander on board, -letting him come down on deck with a jolt that must have well-nigh -started all his teeth. Released from his bonds, he rose swaying to his -feet, and, glaring round upon the assembled crew, roared thickly, “All -han’s short’n sail!” There was a shout of laughter at this maniacal -command, which infuriated him so much that he seemed transformed into -a veritable demon. His face went purple, he ground his teeth like a -fighting boar, and would no doubt have had some sort of fit but for -a diversion made by the boatmen who had brought him off. One of them -approached him, saying abruptly but quite civilly-- - -“If you don’t want us any more, sir, we sh’d like our fare, so’s we can -get ashore again.” - -Peculiarly, this interruption changed his mood into the coldly -sarcastic. With an air of exquisite politeness he turned to the -boatman, and, with a bear-like bow, said-- - -“Ho, indeed; Hi ’ave much pleasure in ’earin’ ov it. An’ may we take -th’ hopportunity hof harskin’ oo th’ ’ells a-preventin’ hof yer frum -goin’ t’ the devil hif ye likes.” (Be it noted that when sober he -spoke fairly correct English.) “Has ter a-wantin’ hof ye hany more, -Hi wouldn’t ’ave a barge-load hof yer fur a gift; Hi wouldn’t carry -yer fur ballast, there! Might come in ’andy for dunnagin’ carsks--but -there, I don’ know. Anyway, get t’ ’ell houter this.” - -Of course, it could hardly be expected that such sturdy independent -souls as Algoa Bay boatmen would be likely to take contumely of this -sort meekly in exchange for their hard labours. At any rate, if such a -thing had ever been expected, the expectation was doomed to instant -disappointment. Turning to the rail, the boatman who had spoken to the -skipper gave a shout which brought the six of his mates on deck. Just -a word or two of explanation, and they advanced threateningly towards -their debtor. We stood in passive enjoyment of what we felt was soon -to be a due meting out of reward to a man who deserved such recompense -richly. The two mates made a feeble attempt to interfere, but were -roughly thrust aside, while the enraged boatmen seized the burly form -of our skipper, and were about to manhandle him over the side when he -roared for mercy, saying that he would pay all their demand. He did so, -and they departed, not without a full and complete exposition of what -they considered to be all his characteristics, mental and physical. -They had hardly left the side when the skipper ordered the windlass to -be manned, and, in spite of his drunken condition, no long time elapsed -before we were under way and standing rapidly out to sea. - -But that night a black south-easter sprang up, to which we set all the -sail we could stagger under for our northward passage to Pondicherry, -but towards morning the wind backed to the northward, and blew so hard -as to necessitate the sudden taking in of all the sail we had set -except a tiny storm-staysail. But, while we were, all hands of us, -in the throes of our conflict with the slatting topsails, a curious -thing happened. Sharp snapping noises were heard, and flashes of light -totally unlike lightning were seen on deck. Cries were heard, too, -that were disconcerting, for it seemed as if a row was going on for -which we could imagine no cause. Suddenly the little Italian, who was -manfully struggling by my side to get the topsail furled, yelled at -the pitch of his voice something in his own language, at the same time -disappearing to a dangling position on the foot-rope. This was strange, -but almost immediately after something with a sharp “ping” struck the -yard by my side, and the horrible truth flashed into my mind that -somebody on deck was shooting at us poor wretches struggling aloft. -It is difficult, indeed, to express what the conditions of our minds -were upon making this discovery. The handling of sails by a weak crew -in a gale of wind at night is no child’s play at any time, but when to -that great fight is added the peculiar complication of a drunken madman -amusing himself by taking potshots at the men aloft, the condition of -things is, to say the least, disconcerting. The sails were let go. -Incontinently we slid down on deck, taking refuge behind whatsoever -shelter we could find. Happily, Natalie, the poor little Italian, -managed to get down too, having, as we presently discovered, a bullet -through the fleshy part of his arm. The sails blew to pieces, the ship -tumbled about helplessly, the helmsman having run from his post, and -it appeared as if a terrible calamity was about to overtake us, but -presently the two mates came forrard, saying, “It’s all right, men. -We’ve knocked him down, and, although we couldn’t find his revolver, we -have locked him up in his cabin. For God’s sake, turn to and get the -ship in hand.” - -With many muttered curses and desires of taking the skipper’s life we -resumed our duties, and soon had got the rags of sail still left on -the yards snugly secured. Then the watch entitled to go below retired. -Natalie had his wound dressed, and peace reigned for a time. In the -morning the skipper, being sober, begged piteously to be released. -All of us protested strongly against any such piece of folly being -perpetrated. However, after he had been confined a week our hearts -relented towards him, and, upon his making a solemn assurance that he -had no more ammunition or grog, which latter disturbing element the -mates assured us they had searched for and were unable to find, it was -agreed that he should resume command. - -During the rest of our passage to Pondicherry there was certainly -nothing to complain of. More, she was as comfortable a ship as one -could wish to be on board of. Evidently, with a view to mollifying -our feelings towards him, Captain Scott allowed us to fare as well -as he and his officers did, so that by the time we anchored in -Pondicherry we had, with the short memory for previous sufferings -peculiarly characteristic of sailors, apparently entirely forgotten -his amiable little outbreak. Nor during her stay at Pondicherry did we -have anything to complain of. Then came the welcome news that we were -homeward bound. On a glorious morning, just at daybreak, the order was -given to man the windlass, and, with the singing that old-time shanty -of “Hurrah, my boys, we’re homeward bound,” we were all lustily engaged -in tearing out the big mud-hook, when suddenly, to our unspeakable -horror, Captain Scott emerged from the cabin, his outstretched hands -each grasping a huge navy revolver, and almost immediately after -bullets were flying like hail. Like frightened rabbits, we bolted for -even the most impracticable holes and corners--anywhere, indeed, out of -that withering fire. The situation was desperate, but, happily for us, -a British gunboat was lying near. The officer in charge of her deck, -hearing the fusillade, with naval promptitude sent a boat’s crew on -board to inquire into the cause of this strange occurrence. - -It so happened that the inquirers arrived just as Captain Scott was -recharging his revolver, and they lost no time in taking him prisoner. -We, the luckless crew, emerging from our various hiding-places, laid -the matter before them with much wealth of detail, and the result that -we presently had the satisfaction of seeing our vivacious commander, -bound hand and foot, being lowered into the boat for conveyance on -board the man-o’-war. Her commander held an inquiry immediately into -Captain Scott’s conduct, examining us closely as to the reasons for -this outbreak, if we could give any. Strange to say, our recollection -of his good treatment outweighed our immediate resentment against him, -and we agreed that if only he could be rendered incapable of either -getting drunk or shooting, we should be glad to finish the voyage with -him. So, after a thorough search for fire-arms and rum, resulting in -the discovery of no less than four more revolvers, quite a large box -of ammunition, and an extraordinarily large quantity of the potent -liquor, all of which was duly confiscated by the naval authorities, we -returned to our duties, got under way, and sailed for home. - -The Sarah Jane was a most fortunate ship, as far as weather was -concerned, at any rate. Catching the first breath of the north-eastern -monsoon immediately outside the harbour, under all canvas we bowled -briskly down to the line, crossed it with a steady, if light breeze -from the northward, and, without experiencing any calm worth -mentioning, presently found ourselves in the tender embrace of the -south-east trade-winds, and being wafted steadily at the rate of about -five knots an hour across the vast placid bosom of the Indian Ocean. - -Life at sea under such conditions is very pleasant. For the -vicissitudes of a sailor’s life only become hard to bear when weather -is bad, food scanty, and officers brutal. When the opposites of these -three conditions obtain, the sailor can gladly put up with many evil -qualities in the ship itself. The leakiness of our old vessel troubled -us not at all as long as the pleasant conditions of which I have spoken -continued. Even when we reached the stormy latitudes adjacent to the -Cape of Good Hope we were favoured by fair winds until we arrived off -Simons Bay, when the wind fell away, and a perfect calm ensued with -lowering, ugly-looking weather. But our good fortune still remained. -The great sweep of the Agulhas current carried us round the Cape of -Storms homeward without any wind worth taking notice of coming upon us -out of the leaden-looking sky, and so we rounded the Cape, and with a -fine southerly breeze pointed the Sarah Jane jibboom homeward. - -The usual routine work of cleaning ship was indulged in. Nothing worthy -of notice occurred until losing the trades. In about 7° N. lat. a calm -of a week’s duration ensued. Here we fell in with several other ships, -and our captain, apparently with a view of getting a little amusement, -had a boat out, and went ship-visiting. This suited us admirably. -Sailors always enjoy it, perhaps because they get so little of it on -board merchant ships. The first two ships we visited were evidently -strongly teetotal, for we noticed that while our captain returned -on board perfectly sober, he always looked exceedingly glum and -disappointed. But at last we spoke a vessel whose captain was in dire -want of a little fresh water. We had plenty to spare, and in no long -time had filled a couple of puncheons, lowered them over the side into -the water, and towed them to the other ship. Her captain’s gratitude -was great; in fact, he seemed hardly able to reward us sufficiently. -Among other gifts we received a huge hog, two cases of preserved beef, -a barrel of cabin biscuits, and two large cases of what appeared to us -to be lime-juice. We returned on board, and hoisted in our spoils. - -That night a breeze sprang up, and the little company of vessels that -had clustered together in the vortex made by the “trades” separated, -and pursued their various ways. Next morning we were alone, our ship -was by herself on the face of the deep. The steward went to call -the captain as usual, but could get no response. Alarmed, he came -and reported the matter to the mate, whose watch on deck it was at -the time. The mate went down, and, after repeated knockings at the -captain’s door which failed to obtain any response, took violent -measures, and burst the door open. - -The captain was not there. A search was immediately made without -result, but presently, to the horror of every one on board, the -steward, a rather feeble-minded mulatto, rushed on deck shouting -“Fire!” It need not be said how terrible this cry at sea always is, -but it is never more so than when on board a badly-found wooden ship. -However, all hands rushed aft at the call of the mate, and prepared to -do everything that was possible for the subdual of the fire when it -should be located. The smoke appeared to be rising from the lazarette, -a store-room in the after part of the ship beneath the cabin. The mate -and a couple of men tore off the hatch, and, half choked with the smoke -that burst up in a great volume, made their way below, only to scramble -out again in double quick time and fall fainting on the deck. - -Meanwhile everybody was wondering what had become of the captain, until -suddenly an awful-looking figure was seen emerging from a ventilator on -deck at the fore part of the cabin. It was the captain, who announced -his presence with a series of horrible yells. His clothes were in -ribands, his face was black, his eyeballs glared. Several of us made a -rush at him, conceiving him to have suddenly gone mad, but he eluded -our grasp, and, nimble as a monkey, rushed up aloft, and sat mowing on -the mainyard. A couple of us started after him, but were recalled by -the second mate, who said-- - -“Let the old ---- alone. We have got something else to do if we want to -save our lives.” - -And indeed we had. The feeble pump in the bows of the ship, which -we used for washing decks, was not of the slightest service as a -fire-engine, and drawing water overside by buckets is a tedious -process. We could hear the roaring of the flames underneath our feet, -we could feel the decks getting hot, and as it appeared that our labour -was utterly in vain, and that if we wished to save our lives we must -waste no time in getting the boats provisioned and lowered, we turned -all our energies in that direction. By the most tremendous exertions -we succeeded in getting a fairly satisfactory amount of food and water -into the two boats, along with some clothing, a compass, and a sextant. -Hardly had we done so before a sudden outburst of flame from the cabin -of furious violence warned us that it was time to be gone. - -Meanwhile the skipper had been raging, a howling madman, on the -mainyard. What was to be done about him? Truth compels me to state that -the majority of us were for leaving him to his fate, realizing that -to him we owed all our misfortunes. But still, _that_ we could hardly -bring ourselves to do when the time came. The ship herself solved the -question for us. She seemed to suddenly burst into flame fore and aft, -the inflammable cargo, most of which was of cotton and various grasses, -burning almost like turpentine. Indeed, some of us were compelled to -spring into the sea and clamber on board the boats as best we could. -Having done so, it became necessary to put a goodly distance between us -and the ship with little delay, for the heat was terrible. And there -sat the skipper on the mainyard, while the long tongues of flame went -writhing up the well-tarred rigging. Suddenly we saw him spring to his -feet, balancing himself for a moment on the yard, and then, with a -most graceful curve, he sprang into the sea. He reappeared, swimming -strongly, and the mate’s boat picked him up. And here occurred the -strangest part of the whole matter, for no sooner was he in the boat -than all the previous occurrences seemed to be wiped clean out of his -mind, and he was as sane as any man among us. We stared at him in -amazement, but he took no notice, saying a word or two on the handling -of the boat or the direction in which she was to be steered, but making -no comment upon the sudden catastrophe that had overtaken us. - -Fortunately for us all, the weather remained perfectly fine, and as -we knew we were directly in the track of ships, we were under no -apprehensions as to our safety, but we certainly looked upon the -skipper as, to say the least of it, uncanny. We watched him closely by -day and by night, lest in some new maniacal outbreak he should endanger -the lives of us all once more, and this time without hope of recovery. -But he remained perfectly quiet and sensible, nor did he betray by any -sign whatever any knowledge of what had happened. On the third day we -sighted a barque right astern. She came up grandly, and very soon we -were all safely on board of the same vessel from which we had received -the provisions. Then we found that the two cases we had supposed to -contain lime-juice had really been full of lime-juice bottles of -rum--which explained matters somewhat. - -And now another astonishing thing happened. Captain Scott suddenly -conceived the notion that the Jocunda was his own ship, nor could any -arguments convince him that he was wrong. The captain humoured him for -a while, but at last his mania reached such a height that it became -necessary to confine him in irons, and thus he was kept under restraint -until our arrival in Plymouth, where no time was lost in placing him in -a lunatic asylum. - -What became of him I do not know, but at the Board of Trade inquiry all -hands had the greatest difficulty in persuading the officials that we -were not joined in a conspiracy of lying, and I for one felt that we -could hardly blame them. - - - - -MAC’S EXPERIMENT - - -“Mahn, A’am nae carin’ a snap wut ye think aboot ma. A’am a Scoetchman, -ye ken, fra Fogieloan; an’ them ’at disna laik ma th’ wye Ah aam, c’n -juist dicht ther nebs an’ ma bachle-vamps. Tha rampin’, roarin’ lion -uv Auld Scoetland aye gaed his ain wye, an’ A’am thinkin’ ’at maist -o’ his weans ’ll dae the same thing. An’ if tha canna dae’t yin day, -they’ll dae’t the neist, an’ muckle Auld Hornie himsel’ winna stap them -a’thegither.” - -It was a long speech for Jock MacTavish, our taciturn shipmate aboard -the Yankee whaling-barque Ursus. Like several other luckless deep-water -sailors, he had been “shanghaied” in San Francisco, awaking from the -combined effects of a drug that would have killed anybody but a sailor, -and sundry ugly blows on the head, to find himself booked for a cruise -in a “spouter” for an indefinite length of time, and at a remuneration -that none of us were ever able to understand. This was bad enough, in -all conscience, but it might easily have been much worse, for the Ursus -was a really good ship, as whalers go. - -At the time when this yarn begins, we had been employing a slackness -in the fishing by having a thorough clean up. It was very nearly time, -for she was beginning to stink so badly that every morsel of food we -ate seemed saturated with rancid whale-oil. So we worked, if possible, -harder than usual, with sand and ley, to remove the clotted fat from -decks, bulwarks, and boats, until on Christmas Eve she was almost her -old clean self again. There remained only the tryworks, but they were -certainly in a vile condition of black grease. - -At knock-off time (all hands had been working all day) we began -discussing our chances of having a merry Christmas on the morrow, and, -with the usual argumentativeness of sailors, had got a dozen different -theories started. But running through them all there seemed to be a -fixed idea that no notice whatever would be taken of a day that we all -regarded as the one festival of the year which could, by no possible -means, be allowed to pass unhonoured. - -No, not all, for when the discussion was at its height, Conkey, a -lithe Londoner, whose epithet of Cockney had somehow taken this form, -suddenly looked straight to where Mac was sitting stolidly munching a -gigantic fragment of prime East India mess beef (it hadn’t been round -Cape Horn more than four times), and said, “Wot d’yer sye, Mac? Ain’t -’erd from yer. ’Ow d’yer feel abart workin’ a Crissmuss dye?” - -There was an instant silence, while every one fastened his eyes on Mac -and awaited his answer. Slowly, as if the words were being squeezed out -of him, he replied, “It disna matter a snuff tae me what wye ’tis. Ah -belong tae the Free Kirk o’ Scoetland, an’ she disna gie ony suppoert -tae siccan heathen practusses as th’ obsairvin’ o’ days, an’ months, -an’ yeers.” - -Conkey sprang to his feet full of fury, and, in choicest Mile End, -informed Mac that, “hif ’e thawt ’e wuz blanky well goin’ ter call -’im a bloomin’ ’eathen an’ not goin’ ter git bashed over it, ’e wuz a -bigger blank fool then ’e’d ever seen a-smokin’ tea-leaves ter sive -terbacker.” To this outburst Mac only said what begins this yarn, -and, in so saying, brought all hands down on him at once. Conkey was -restrained from his meditated attack while one after another tried to -argue the point with Mac, and to convince him that no man who neglected -to keep Christmas Day as a feast of jollity and respite from all work, -except under the direst pressure of necessity, could possibly be a -Christian. - -The contract we had on hand, though, was much too large for us. -Metaphorically speaking, Mac wiped the fo’c’sle deck with each of us in -succession. His arguments, in the first place, were far too deep for -our capacity, had they been intelligible; but couched in the richest -Aberdeenshire dialect, and bristling with theological terminology -utterly foreign to us, we stood no chance. One by one we were reduced -to silence. It was broken by Conkey, who said finally, “Hi don’t know -wot ’e bloomin’ well sez, but Hi c’n punch ’is hugly carrotty mug for -’im, an’ ’ere goes.” - -Again we restrained our shipmate’s primitive instincts, while Mac -slowly rose from his donkey, wiped his sheath-knife deliberately on -his pants, put it away, and then, quietly as if it had just occurred -to him, turned to the raging Conkey, saying, “See heer, ma laddie, -A’al mak’ y’ an oafer. A’al fecht ye. If ye gie ma a lickin’ A’al -hae naethin’ mair tae dae wi’ the business; bud if Ah lick you, A’al -dae aal Ah can tae get, no juist the day aff, but a guid blow-out o’ -vittles in the bairgin, altho’ Ah misdoot ma muckle ther’s naethin’ aft -that ye cud mak’ a decent meal o’. Hoo diz that shoot ye?” - -For all answer Conkey, breaking away from those who had held him, -sprang at Mac, dealing, as he came, two blows, right and left, like -flashes. Mac did not attempt to parry them, but seemed to stoop -quietly; and suddenly Conkey’s heels banged against the beam overhead. -Immediately afterwards there came the dull thump of his head upon the -floor. Mac just disengaged himself, and stood waiting till his opponent -should feel able or willing to resume. - -Truly the latter’s head must have been as thick as his courage was -high, for, before any of us had begun to offer assistance, he had -struggled to his feet, looking a bit dazed, it is true, but evidently -as full of fight as ever. He had learned a lesson, however--that -caution in dealing with his sturdy adversary was necessary, and that he -must accommodate his undoubted boxing powers to new conditions. - -In a crouching attitude, and with two arms held bow-wise in front, -he moved nearer the rugged, square-set figure of the Scotchman, who, -as before, stood strictly on the defensive. There was a feint by -Conkey--we saw Mac’s head go down again--but then came a sharp thud -and a swinging, sidelong blow from Conkey, and Mac seemed to crumble -into a heap, for, as he stooped to repeat his former successful grip, -Conkey had shot upward his right knee with such force that Mac’s nose -was a red ruin, and the blow on the ear from Conkey’s left could have -done Mac very little good. So far, the advantage undoubtedly lay with -the Londoner, but, after a brief spell, Mac pulled himself together, -and the two clinched again. Locked together like a pair of cats, except -that they neither bit, scratched, nor made a sound, they writhed all -over the fo’c’sle unable to strike, but so equally matched that neither -could loose himself. Had they been alone, I believe only death would -have parted them; but at last, in sheer admiration for the doggedness -of their pluck, we laid hold on them and tore them apart, declaring -that two such champions ought to be firm friends. As soon as they got -their breath, Conkey held out his hand, saying, “Scotty, me cock, -ye’re as good a man as me, but Hi’m----hif ye’re a better. If yer -think y’are, wy, we’ll just ply the bloomin’ ’and art, but if ye’re -satisfied, Hi am.” Taking the proffered hand, Scotty replied, “Mahn, -A’am no thet petickler. Ah haena a pickle o’ ambeeshun tae be thocht a -better mahn than ma neebours, neither am Ah a godless fule that henkers -aefther fechtin’ for fechtin’s sake; but as ye say, we’re baith’s -guid’s yin anither, an’ there’s ma han’ upo’ th’ maetter. Ah dinna see -’at we’re ony forrader wi’ oor bairgin tho’.” - -Then a regular clamour of voices arose, all saying the same thing, viz. -that the heroes should “pull sticks”--that is, one should hold two -splinters of wood concealed in his hand with the ends just protruding -for the other to choose from, and whichever got the shortest piece -should be the loser. It is a time-honoured fo’c’sle way of settling -disputes or arranging watches. - -They drew, and Scotty won. All faces fell at this, for if we were -going to make a bold bid for our Christmas privileges we needed unity, -and especially we wanted such a tough nut as Jock MacTavish actively -enlisted on our side. The winner lifted our gloom by saying quietly, -“Sae A’m with ye, aefther aal, ut seems.” Then, noting the surprise on -our faces, he went on, “What’s the differ, think ye, whether Ah win at -fechtin’ or drawin’. Ah said Ah’d be with ye if Ah won, sae that’s a’ -richt.” And, easy in our minds, we separated, the watch below to their -bunks, and the rest to their stations. - - * * * * * - -Morning broke in glory, such a day as we see, perhaps, two of during a -year in our hard, grey climate at home. After wetting down the decks as -usual, the mate gave the order to turn-to at cleaning the tryworks--a -step which brought us all up “with a round turn,” as we say. Closing -together we faced the amazed officer, and Mac, stepping a little in -advance, said, “Div ye no ken, Maister Winsloe, ’at this is the day o’ -days tae all true Chreestyin’ men. Suner than Ah’d dae ae han’s turrn -on Chrissmus Day--except, af coorse, in the wye o’ neceesary seamen’s -duties, sic as a trick at the wheel, furrlin’ sail, or the like--Ah’d -gae ashore this meenut!” - -At this we couldn’t help chuckling, for the nearest land was about -three miles beneath our keel, vertically, and at least a thousand -horizontally. But the mate was like Lot’s wife after she looked back. -The thing was outside his mental dimension altogether. As the real -significance of it filtered through, his eyes gleamed, and, with a yell -like a Pawnee, he leaped for Scotty--and missed him; for Scotty was a -born dodger, and had an eye like a gull’s. The officer’s spring carried -him right into our midst, however; and, with a perfect hurricane of -bad words, he struck out right and left as if we were the usual mixed -gang of Dagoes, Dutchmen, and Kanakas he had been used to. Pluck he -certainly did not lack, but his judgment had turned sour. - -[Illustration: The skipper produced from his hip-pocket a revolver.] - -In a minute he was flat on deck on his face, with Conkey sitting on his -head, and the rest of us were marching aft to make an end of the matter -with the old man. He reached the deck from below just as we arrived; -and, although the most unusual sight might well have given him pause, -he showed no sign of surprise. - -Advancing to meet us, he said quietly, “Well?” Again Mac was to the -fore, and, facing the stately, impassive figure of the skipper, he -said, “We’ve juist daundert aeft, sir, tae wuss ye a Murry Chrismuss, -an’ tae thenk ye in advance-like for the bit extry vittles, an’ maybe -a drap o’ somethin’ cheerin’ tae drink ye’re health in an sic an -ahspeeshus occashin.” - -For an answer the skipper produced from his hip-pocket a revolver, -which he pointed straight at Scotty’s head, while with the other hand -he made a comprehensive gesture, which we obeyed by falling back from -that dangerous vicinity. As we did so, there was a rioting behind us, -and into our midst burst the mate and Conkey, fiercely struggling. - -In a moment there was as pretty a rough-and-tumble among us as any -fighting-man would wish to see, for the harpooners and the other three -mates had sprung in from somewhere, and were making up for lost time -with vigour. - -Apart from the struggling crowd the skipper stood fingering his -shooting-iron, apparently irresolute--indeed, it was hard to decide -for a moment what to do. Bloodshed was evidently most distasteful to -him, yet there could be no doubt that he would not shrink from it if -necessary. But the whole affair was so grotesque, so causeless, that he -was undecided how to deal with it, the more especially as his officers -were every one mixed inextricably with the crew in a writhing mass. - -The problem was solved for him and for us in a most unexpected way. In -the midst of the riot there was a tremendous shock, as if the Ursus -had suddenly struck a rock while going at full speed; but, as she -had barely been going through the water at the rate of two knots an -hour, that was an impossible explanation. The concussion, whatever it -was, flung every man to the deck, and in one moment all thoughts were -switched off the conflict with one another and on to this mysterious -danger. All hands rushed to the side and looked overboard, to see -the blue of the sea streaked with bands of blood, while not twenty -feet away, on the starboard beam, a huge sperm whale lay feebly -exhaling breath that showed redly against the blue of the water. Like -a trumpet-blast the old man’s voice rang out, “Lower ’way boats!” and -with catlike celerity every man flew to his station, the falls rattled, -and with an almost simultaneous splash three boats took the water. - -“Hold on, starboard bow boat!” roared the old man again, seeing that -there was no need of it, and taking that advantage of keeping it in its -place given him by the third mate being a few seconds slower than the -others in getting away. - -Before we had time to realize what a change had come over us all, we -were furiously assaulting the monster, but he was in no condition to -retaliate. Had we left him alone, he must have died in a few minutes, -for protruding from the side of his massive head was a jagged piece of -timber, showing white and splintered where it had been freshly broken -away. - -We had little time to speculate upon the strangeness of the occurrence, -for suddenly we were aware that urgent signals were being made from the -ship; and, leaving one boat to pass the fluke-line ready for hauling -our prize alongside, the other two sped back to the ship. Arriving -alongside, we clambered swiftly on board, to hear the skipper’s deep -voice calling, “Leave the boats and man the pumps!” A cold shudder -ran through us at the words, for in a moment all knew that our ship -had received a deadly blow from the wounded whale, and that it was -a portion of her that we had seen protruding from his head. And we -remembered the awful loneliness of that part of the Pacific, far away -from the track of all ships except an occasional whaler, so occasional -that our chances of falling in with one was infinitesimal. - -The wind fell to a dead calm. There was not a cloud in the heavens, and -the sea in our immediate vicinity was not only smooth, but silky, from -the slight oiliness we exuded, so that looking down into it was almost -like looking up at the sky. After the first alarm had subsided it was -evident that we could have several relays at the pumps, their structure -not admitting of more than eight men working conveniently at one time. -The skipper stood by with the sounding-rod, waiting, in grim silence, -to see whether we or the leak were gaining, when Mac, sidling up to -him, made some remark that we could not hear. The skipper turned to him -and nodded; and immediately we saw our pawky shipmate shedding his two -garments. Next thing we knew he was climbing over the side, and those -of us who were resting mounted the rail and watched him. I have seen -Kanakas diving for pearl-shell, and Malays diving for pearls, but never -an olive-skinned amphibian of them all could have held a candle to Jock -MacTavish. He swam about under the ship’s bottom, examining her just -as coolly as if in Lambeth Baths, his wide, open eyes glaring upward -through the water with a most uncanny look in them--like the eyes of a -man long dead. Suddenly he popped up alongside, not at all distressed, -and, wringing the water from his nose, mounted the side and approached -the skipper. - -With one accord the clang of the pumps ceased to hear his words, for we -felt that they were a verdict of life or death for all of us. “She’ll -be a’ recht, sir,” said he. “Ther’s a muckle hole in th’ garburd -straake, an’ aboot twenty fit o’ the fause keel awa’; bit a poke fu’ -o’ shakins ’ll bung it up brawly wi’ a len’th o’ chain roond her tae -keep it in’s plaace.” The pumping was resumed with all the energy of -hope renewed, while busy hands made ready a bagful of soft rope-yarns -and got up a spare fluke-chain. The bag was made fast in the bight of a -rope, which, weighted with a lump of sandstone attached by a slipping -lashing of spunyarn, was passed under her bottom. Again Mac went -overboard and guided the plug into its place. - -Then the chain was passed round her, and placed over the plug by -Scotty. On deck we hove it taut, and in four hours we had sucked her -out. - -Then the skipper called all hands aft, and said, “Boys, ye’re the -whitest crowd I’ve ever struck. The best dinner I k’n scare up ’s -waitin’ for ye,’n I’ve raided the medsun chest for the only drop of -licker thar is aboard. I don’t tech fire-water meself, but I’ll wish -ye a Merry Christmas with all me heart. Ther’s only one thing I’d like -t’ know; an’ that is, haow a Scotchman comes to risk his life for a -Christmas dinner?” “We’el, cap’n,” drawled Mac, “’twus juist a wee bit -seekoeloegical expeerimunt.” - -Time’s up; but I must add that we humoured the old barky back to -’Frisco--and we didn’t lose that whale either. - - - - -ON THE VERTEX - - -Not the least curious to the uninitiated of the ways by which -shipmasters navigate their vessels over the trackless wastes of -ocean is that known to the navigator by the name of Great Circle -Sailing. Lest the timid reader take alarm at the introduction of so -high-sounding a technical term, let me hasten to assure him or her -that I have no deep-laid designs upon innocent happiness by imposing -a trigonometrical treatise upon them in the guise of an amusing or -interesting story. To such baseness I cannot stoop, for one very -good reason at any rate, because I have such a plentiful lack of -trigonometry myself. Nevertheless, I do think that much more interest -might be taken in the ways of our ships and their crews by the people -of this essentially maritime nation than is at present the case if, -in the course of sea-story telling, the narrators were not averse -to giving a few accurate details as to the why and how of nautical -proceedings. - -Having, I trust, allayed all tremors by these preliminary remarks, let -me go on to say that while all sane civilized persons believe this -earth of ours to be more or less globular in shape, it probably occurs -to but few that the shortest distance from point to point on a globe -is along a curve. But in order to get any substantial gain out of -this knowledge in the direction of shortening a ship’s passage, it is -necessary first of all to have a considerable stretch of sea whereon to -draw your curve, which is after all a straight line, since it is the -shortest distance between two points. Even the fine open ocean between -England and America is hardly sufficient to induce navigators to make -use of Great Circle Sailing on outward or homeward passages, the gain -being so small. When, however, the captain of an outward bound ship -has wriggled through the baffling belt of hesitating winds that have -hindered his progress southward from the equator to Cape, and begins -to look for the coming of the brave westerly gales that shall send him -flying before them to Australia or New Zealand, an opportunity occurs -as in no other part of the world for putting the pretty Great Circle -theory into practice. - -It may be necessary to remind the reader that Great Circles are those -which divide a globe into two equal parts, such as the equator and the -meridians. If, then, the navigator at Cape in South America draws a -thread tightly on a terrestrial globe between that point and, say, the -south-east cape of Tasmania, the line it describes will be the arc of -a Great Circle, and consequently the shortest distance between the two -places. But when he comes to lay down the track which that thread has -described upon his Mercator chart he finds that, instead of steering -almost a straight course between the two places, he must describe a -huge curve, with its vertex or highest southerly point well within the -Antarctic circle. Now, no sane seaman would dream of seeking such a -latitude upon any voyage but one of exploration, since it is well known -what kind of weather awaits the unfortunate mariner there. But, without -saying that Captain Jellico was a lunatic, it is necessary to remark -that he was no ordinary shipmaster, and those who knew him best often -prophesied that one day his persistent pursuit of hobbies and fads -would involve him and all his unfortunate crew in some extraordinary -disaster. - -On the present voyage he commanded an ancient teak built barque that -had long ago seen her best days, and was, besides, so slow that any of -the ordinary methods of economizing time were a ridiculous waste of -energy when applied to her. Of course, she carried stunsails, those -infernal auxiliaries that are or were responsible for more sin on board -ship than any other invention of man. She was bound to Auckland, and -by the time she had waddled as far south as Cape had already consumed -as many days as a smart clipper ship would have needed to do the whole -passage. Yet Captain Jellico was so proud of the ugly old tub (bathing -machine, the men called her), principally because he was half-owner -of her, that he was perfectly blind to her slothful and unhandy -qualities. Day by day he held forth to his disgusted mate upon the -beauty of the Great Circle problem, and the desirability of putting -it into practice, announcing his firm intention of carrying it out in -its entirety this trip. He wasn’t going to piffle with any “composite” -Great Circle track, not he. Half-hearted seamen might choose to follow -the great curve down as far as 50° S. or so, and then shirk the whole -business by steering due east for a couple of thousand miles, but he -would do the trick properly, and touch the vertex, unless, indeed, it -happened to be on the mainland of Antarctica. After an hour or two -of this sort of talk the mate would go on deck feeling mighty sick, -and muttering fervent prayers that his commander would meet with some -entirely disabling accident soon, one that would effectually hinder him -from carrying out his oft-reiterated intention. But no such answer was -afforded to Mr. Marline’s impious aspirations. The steadfast westerly -wind began as usual, and the clumsy old Chanticleer, under every rag of -canvas, stunsails and all, began to plunder along that hateful curve, -steering about south-east by south. Gradually the wind strengthened, -until, much to the delight of the scanty crew, the fluttering rags -that hung precariously at the yard-arms were taken in and stowed -snugly away, the booms and irons were sent down from aloft, and lashed -along the scuppers with the spare spars and stunsail carrying, for -that passage, at any rate, became only a wretched memory. Sterner and -stronger blew the wind as day succeeded day and higher latitudes were -successively reached, until, although it was the Antarctic summer, all -hands were wearing nearly every garment they possessed in the vain -endeavour to keep a little warmth in their thin blood. - -One topic now overlaid every other in the endless causeries that were -held in the gloomy den where the sailors lived. It was the course -steered. The position of the ship is always more or less a matter of -conjecture to the men forward, except when some well-known island or -headland is sighted, but all sailors are able to judge fairly well -from the courses steered what track is being made, and the present -persistence in a southerly direction was disquieting in the extreme -to them all. The weather worsened every day, and occasional icebergs -showed their awful slopes through the surrounding greyness, making -every man strain his eyes when on the look-out or at the wheel in -painful anxiety lest the ship should suddenly come full tilt upon one -of them. A deep discontent was heavy upon the heart of every member of -the crew, with the sole exception of the skipper. Snugly wrapped in a -huge fur-lined jacket, and with an eared sealskin cap drawn down over -his ears, he paced the poop jauntily, as merry as Father Christmas, -and utterly oblivious of everything and everybody but the grand way -in which he was following up his Great Circle. At last, when a dull -settled misery seemed to have loaded all hands so that they appeared -to have lost the heart even to growl, a dense mist settled fatefully -down upon the ship, a white pall that was not dispelled again by -the strong, bitter wind. The skipper hardly ever left the deck, but -his almost sleepless vigilance had no effect upon his high spirits. -Suddenly at mid-day, when by dead reckoning he was within a day’s sail -of the vertex, the sea, which had been running in mountainous masses -for weeks past, occasionally breaking over all and seething about the -sodden decks, became strangely smooth and quiet, although the wind -still howled behind them. Such a change sent a thrill of terrible -dread through every heart. Even the skipper, with all his stubborn -fortitude, looked troubled, and faltered in his unresting tramp fore -and aft the poop. Then gradually the wind failed until it was almost -calm, and the enshrouding mist closed down upon the ship so densely -that it was hardly possible to see a fathom’s length away. The silence -became oppressive, all the more so because underlying it there was the -merest suggestion of a sound that always has a fateful significance for -the mariner, the hoarse, unsatisfied murmur of the sea sullenly beating -against an immovable barrier. And thus they waited and endured all the -agony and suspense born of ignorance of the dangers that they knew -must surround them, and utter incapability to do anything whatever. -Full thirty-six hours crept leaden-footed away before there came any -lightening of their darkness. Then gradually the rolling wreaths of -mist melted away and revealed to them their position. At first they -could hardly credit the evidence of their senses, believing that what -they saw hemming them in on every side was but the reluctant fog taking -on fantastic shapes of mountain, valley, and plateau. But when at last -the wintry sun gleamed palely, and they could discern the little surf -glittering against the bases of the ice-cliffs, all elusive hopes fled, -and they became fully aware of their horrible position. The vessel -lay motionless in a blue lake bounded on every side by white walls of -ice, the snowy glare of their cliffs contrasting curiously with the -deep blue of the sea. Some of the peaks soared to a height of over one -thousand feet, others again rose sheer from the water for several -hundreds of feet, and then terminated in flat table-like summits of -vast area. But all were alike in their grim lifelessness. They looked -as if they had thus existed for ages; it was impossible to imagine any -change in their terrible solidity. - -After the first shock of the discovery had passed, the relief that -always comes from knowing the worst came to them, and they began -to speculate upon the manner in which they could have entered this -apparently ice-locked lake. Presently the skipper, in a strangely -altered voice, ordered the long boat to be got out, a task of great -difficulty, since, as in most vessels of the Chanticleer’s class, the -long boat was, besides being hampered up by a miscellaneous collection -of all the rubbish in the ship, secured as if she was never intended -to be used under any circumstances. But the tough job gave the hands -something to take their minds off their unhappy position, while the -exertion kept off the icy chill of their surroundings. When at last the -boat was in the water, although she was so leaky that one man was kept -constantly baling, the skipper entered her, and, with four oarsmen, -started to explore their prison. With the utmost caution, they surveyed -every fathom of the sea line, no detail of the ice-barrier escaping -their anguished scrutiny; but when at last, after six hours’ absence, -they returned on board, they had been unable to discover the slightest -vestige of a passage, no, not so much as would admit their boat. The -only conclusion that could be arrived at was that they had passed in -through the opening of a horseshoe-shaped berg of enormous area, and -that another smaller berg had drifted in after them and turned over in -the channel, effectually closing it against their return. Slowly and -sadly they had returned to the ship, the skipper looking heartbroken at -this tragic termination to his enthusiastic scheme of navigation. After -ascertaining his position by means of an artificial horizon, he called -all hands aft, and thus addressed them, “Men, we’m all fellow-sufferers -now, I reckon, and the only thing to do ’es to wait God’s good time for -lettin’ us get out. I find we’m in 61° S., 50° E., and I reckon our -only hope lies in the fact that this can’t be no shore ice; it must be -a floatin’ berg, ef ’tes a most amazin’ big un. Consequently it must be -a driftin’ to the norrard a little; they all do, and sooner or later -the sun ’ll melt us out. One good job, we got ’nough pervisions in the -cargo ter las’ us six years, an’ as for water, well, I reckon there’s -more fresh water froze around us than all the ships in the world ’ud -ever want. So we’ll just take care of ourselves, try an’ keep alive,’n -look after the old barky, for we shall certinly sail away in her yet.” -His speech was received in silence, but all hands looked brighter and -happier than they had done for a long time. They towed the vessel -into a sort of cove, and moored her firmly with kedges and hawsers to -the ice, then turned their attention to the invention of all sorts of -expedients for preventing the time hanging too heavily. Better feeding -became the order of the day, for the old man at once drew upon the -cargo, which included an immense assortment of preserved food of the -best brands, as well as many luxuries. And every day there was a slight -change in the position, showing that, as the skipper had said, the -whole body of ice was drifting north as well as east. So uneventfully -and tediously two months passed away, leaving everything pretty much -the same, except that the skipper seemed to have aged ten years. - -Then one afternoon, when the enwrapped mist was so thick that even the -deck beneath their feet was scarcely visible, there came a tremendous -crash that made the old vessel quiver from keel to truck. It was -followed by loud splashes as of falling blocks of ice, and strange -sounds that resembled human voices. Presently the fog lifted, and -revealed a great gap in the ice-wall just ahead of the vessel, and on -one side of its cliffs the wreck of a splendid ship, whose crew were -huddled upon the precipitous crags of the berg. The sight sent all -hands into frantic activity on the instant. Toiling like giants, they -rescued all the nearly frozen men, who were in such evil case that -they could hardly ask whence their rescuers had come, and then, as -if incapable of fatigue, they strained every ounce of strength they -possessed to warp their long-imprisoned ship out of that terrible dock. -Once escaped, it is hardly necessary to say that Captain Jellico lost -no time in getting north and running his easting down upon a parallel -of 42° S. Great Circle Sailing had lost all its charms for him. And in -due time the Chanticleer arrived at Auckland, two hundred and forty-six -days out from home, with all her passengers and crew in the best of -health and mutually pleased with each other. - - - - -A MONARCH’S FALL - - -Glorious in all his splendid majesty, the great sun issued forth of -his chamber, and all the wide sea basked in his beams with a million -million smiles. Save the sea and the sun and the sky, there was nought -apparently existing--it might well have been the birthday of Light. -Also the one prevailing characteristic of the scene to a human eye, had -one been there to see, was peace--perfect stainless peace. But we are, -by the very fact of our organization, true impressionists, and only -by a severe course of training, voluntary or otherwise, do we realize -aught but the present fact, the past is all forgotten, the future all -unknown. So it was here, beneath that sea of smiling placid beauty -a war of unending ferocity was being waged, truceless, merciless; -for unto the victors belong the spoils, and without them they must -perish--there was none other food to be gotten. - -But besides all this ruthless warfare carried on inevitably because -without it all must die of hunger, there were other causes of conflict, -matters of high policy and more intricate motive than just the blind -all-compelling pressure of hunger. The glowing surface of that morning -sea was suddenly disturbed simultaneously at many points, and like -ascending incense the bushy breathings of some scores of whales became -visible. Perfectly at their ease since their instincts assured them -that from this silent sea their only enemy was absent, they lay in -unstudied grace about the sparkling waters, the cows and youngsters -gambolling happily together in perfect freedom from care. Hither they -had come from one of their richest feeding-grounds, where all had laid -in a stock of energy sufficient to carry them half round the globe -without weariness. So they were fat with a great richness, strong -with incalculable strength, and because of these things they were -now about to settle a most momentous question. Apart from the main -gathering of females and calves by the space of about a mile lay five -individuals, who, from their enormous superiority in size, no less than -the staid gravity of their demeanour, were evidently the adult males -of the school. They lay almost motionless in the figure of a baseless -triangle whereof the apex was a magnificent bull over seventy feet in -length, with a back like some keelless ship bottom up, and a head huge -and square as a railway car. He it was who first broke the stillness -that reigned. Slowly raising his awful front with its down-hanging, -twenty-foot lower jaw exposing two gleaming rows of curved teeth, -he said, “Children, ye have chosen the time and the place for your -impeachment of my overlordship, and I am ready. Well, I wot that ye -do but as our changeless laws decree, that the choice of your actions -rests not with yourselves, that although ye feel lords of yourselves -and desirous of ruling all your fellows, it is but under the compelling -pressure of our hereditary instincts. Yet remember, I pray you, -before ye combine to drive me from among ye, for how many generations -I have led the school, how wisely I have chosen our paths, so that we -are still an unbroken family as we have been for more than a hundred -seasons. And if ye must bring your powers to test now, remember, too, -that I am no weakling, no dotard weary of rule, but mightiest among all -our people, conqueror in more than a thousand battles, wise with the -accumulated knowledge of a hundred generations of monarchy. Certainly -the day of my displacement must come; who should know that better -than I? but methinks it has not yet dawned, and I would not have ye -lightly pit your immature strength against mine, courting inevitable -destruction. Ponder well my words, for I have spoken.” - -A solemn hush ensued, just emphasized by the slumbrous sound of -the sparkling wavelets lapping those mighty forms as they lay all -motionless and apparently inert. Yet it had been easy to see how along -each bastion like flank the rolling tendons, each one a cable in -itself, were tense and ready for instantaneous action, how the great -muscle mounds were hardened around the gigantic masses of bone, and the -flukes, each some hundred feet in area, did not yield to the heaving -bosom of the swell, but showed an almost imperceptible vibration as of -a fucus frond in a tide rip. After a perfect silence of some fifteen -minutes an answer came--from the youngest of the group, who lay remote -from the chief. “We have heard, O king, the words of wisdom, and our -hearts rejoice. Truly we have been of the fortunate in this goodly -realm, and ingrates indeed should we be had our training under so -terrible a champion been wasted upon us. But therefore it is that we -would forestall the shame that should overtake us did we wait until thy -forces had waned and that all-conquering might had dwindled into dotage -ere we essayed to put thy teaching into practice. Since thy deposition -from this proud place must be, to whose forces could’st thou more -honourably yield than to ours, the young warriors who have learned of -thee all we know, and who will carry on the magnificent traditions thou -hast handed down to us in a manner worthy of our splendid sire! And if -we be slain, as well may be, remembering with whom we do battle, the -greater our glory, the greater thine also.” - -A deep murmur like the bursting of a tidal wave against the sea-worn -lava rocks of Ascension marked the satisfaction of the group at this -exposition of their views, and as if actuated by one set of nerves the -colossal four swung round shoulder to shoulder, and faced the ocean -monarch. Moving not by a barnacle’s breadth, he answered, “It is well -spoken, oh my children, ye are wiser than I. And be the issue what -it will, all shall know that the royal race still holds. As in the -days when our fathers met and slew the slimy dragons of the pit, and, -unscared by fathom-long claws or ten-ply coats of mail, dashed them in -pieces and chased them from the blue deep they befouled, so to-day when -the world has grown old, and our ancient heritage has sorely shrunken, -our warfare shall still be the mightiest among created things.” - -Hardly had the leviathan uttered the last word when, with a roar like -Niagara bursting its bonds in spring, he hurled his vast bulk headlong -upon the close gathered band of his huge offspring. His body was like -a bent bow, and its recoil tore the amazed sea into deep whirls and -eddies as if an island had foundered. Full upon the foremost one he -fell, and deep answered unto deep with the impact. That awful blow -dashed its recipient far into the soundless depths while the champion -sped swiftly forward on his course, unable to turn until his impetus -was somewhat spent. Before he could again face his foes, the three were -upon him, smiting with Titanic fluke strokes, circling beneath him with -intent to catch the down-hanging shaft of his lower jaw, rising swiftly -end on beneath the broad spread of his belly, leaping high into the -bright air and falling flatlings upon his wide back. The tormented sea -foamed and hissed in angry protest, screaming sea-birds circled low -around the conflict, ravening sharks gathered from unknown distances, -scenting blood, and all the countless tribes of ocean waited aghast. -But after the first red fury had passed came the wariness, came the -fruitage of all those years of training, all the accumulated instincts -of ages to supplement blind brutal force with deep laid schemes of -attack and defence. As yet the three survivors were but slightly -injured, for they had so divided their attack even in that first -great onset, that the old warrior could not safely single out one for -destruction. Now the youngest, the spokesman, glided to the front of -his brethren, and faced his waiting sire-- - -“What! so soon weary. Thou art older than we thought. Truly this -battle hath been delayed too long. We looked for a fight that should -be remembered for many generations, and behold----” Out of the corner -of his eye he saw the foam circles rise as the vast tail of the chief -curved inward for the spring, and he, the scorner, launched himself -backwards a hundred fathoms at a bound. After him, leaping like any -salmon in a spate, came the terrible old warrior, the smitten waves -boiling around him as he dashed them aside in his tremendous pursuit. -But herein the pursued had the advantage, for it is a peculiarity of -the sperm whale that while he cannot see before him, his best arc of -vision is right astern. So that the pursuer must needs be guided by -sound and the feel of the water, and the very vigour of his chase -was telling far more upon his vast bulk than upon the lither form -of his flying enemy. In this matter the monarch’s wisdom was of no -avail, for experience could not tell him how advancing age handicaps -the strongest, and he wondered to find a numbness creeping along -his spine--to feel that he was growing weary. And suddenly, with an -eel-like movement the pursued one described a circle beneath the water, -rising swift as a dolphin springs towards his pursuer, and dashing -at the dangling, gleaming jaw. These two great balks of jaw met in -clashing contact, breaking off a dozen or so of the huge teeth, and -ripping eight or ten feet of the gristly muscle from the throat of -the aggressor. But hardly had they swung clear of each other than -the other two were fresh upon the scene, and while the youngest one -rested, they effectually combined to prevent their fast-weakening foe -from rising to breathe. No need now for them to do more, for the late -enormous expenditure of force had so drained his vast body of its prime -necessity that the issue of the fight was but a question of minutes. -Yet still he fought gallantly, though with lungs utterly empty--all the -rushing torrent of his blood growing fetid for lack of vitalising air. -At last, with a roar as of a cyclone through his head, he turned on his -side and yielded to his triumphant conquerors, who drew off and allowed -him to rise limply to the now quiet sea-surface. For more than an hour -he lay there prone, enduring all the agony of his overthrow, and seeing -far before him the long, lonely vista of his solitary wanderings, a -lone whale driven from his own, and nevermore to rule again. - -Meanwhile the three had departed in search of their brother, smitten so -felly early in the fight that he had not since joined them. When they -found that which had been him it was the centre of an innumerable host -of hungry things that fled to air or sea-depths at their approach. A -glance revealed the manner of his end--a broken back, while already, -such had been the energy of the smaller sea people, the great framework -of his ribs was partly laid bare. They made no regrets, for the doing -of useless things finds no place in their scheme of things. Then the -younger said-- - -“So the question of overlordship lies between us three, and I am -unwilling that it should await settlement. I claim the leadership, and -am prepared here and now to maintain my right.” - -This bold assertion had its effect upon the two hearers, who, after a -long pause, replied-- - -“We accept, O king, fully and freely, until the next battle-day -arrives, when the succession must be maintained by thee in ancient -form.” - -So the matter was settled, and proudly the young monarch set off to -rejoin the waiting school. Into their midst he glided with an air of -conscious majesty, pausing in the centre to receive the homage and -affectionate caresses of the harem. No questions were asked as to the -whereabouts of the deposed sovereign, nor as to what had become of the -missing member of the brotherhood. These are things that do not disturb -the whale-people, who in truth have a sufficiency of other matters to -occupy their thoughts besides those inevitable changes that belong to -the settled order of things. The recognition complete, the new leader -glided out from the midst of his people, and pointing his massive front -to the westward moved off at a stately pace, on a straight course for -the coast of Japan. - -Long, long lay the defeated one, motionless and alone. His exertions -had been so tremendous that every vast muscle band seemed strained -beyond recovery, while the torrent of his blood, befouled by his long -enforced stay beneath the sea, did not readily regain its normally -healthful flow. But on the second day he roused himself, and raising -his mighty head swept the unbroken circle of the horizon to satisfy -himself that he was indeed at last a lone whale. Ending his earnest -scrutiny he milled round to the southward and with set purpose and -steady fluke-beat started for the Aucklands. On his journey he passed -many a school or smaller “pod” of his kind, but in some mysterious -manner the seal of his loneliness was set upon him, so that he was -shunned by all. In ten days he reached his objective, ten days of -fasting, and impelled by fierce hunger ventured in closely to the -cliffs, where great shoals of fish, many seals, with an occasional -porpoise, came gaily careering down the wide-gaping white tunnel of -his throat into the inner darkness of dissolution. It was good to -be here, pleasant to feel once more that unquestioned superiority -over all things, and swiftly the remembrance of his fall faded from -the monster’s mind. By day he wandered lazily, enjoying the constant -easy procession of living food down his ever-open gullet; by night he -wallowed sleepily in the surf-torn margin of those jagged reefs. And -thus he came to enjoy the new phase of existence, until one day he rose -slowly from a favourite reef-patch to feel a sharp pang shoot through -his wide flank. Startled into sudden, violent activity, he plunged -madly around in the confined area of the cove wherein he lay in the -vain endeavour to rid himself of the smart. But he had been taken at a -disadvantage, for in such shallow waters there was no room to manœuvre -his vast bulk, and his wary assailants felt that in spite of his -undoubted vigour and ferocity he would be an easy prey. But suddenly he -headed instinctively for the open sea at such tremendous speed that the -two boats attached to him were but as chips behind him. He reached the -harbour’s mouth, and bending, swiftly sought the depths. Unfortunately -for him a huge pinnacle of rock rose sheer from the sea bed some -hundred fathoms below, and upon this he hurled himself headlong with -such fearful force that his massive neck was broken. And next day a -weary company of men were toiling painfully to strip from his body its -great accumulation of valuable oil, and his long career was ended. - - - - -THE CHUMS - - -What a depth of mystery is concealed in the phenomena of likes and -dislikes! Why, at first sight, we are attracted by one person and -repelled by another, independently, to all outward seeming, of personal -appearance or habits of observation. This is, of course, a common -experience of most people, but one of the strangest instances I have -ever known was in my own affection for Jack Stadey and all that grew -out of it. - -Stadey was a Russian Finn, one of a race that on board ship has always -had the reputation of being a bit wizard-like, credited with the -possession of dread powers, such as the ability to raise or still a -storm, become invisible, and so on. The bare truth about the seafaring -Finns, however, is that they make probably the finest all-round -mariners in the world. No other sea-folk combine so completely all the -qualities that go to make up the perfect seaman. Many of them may be -met with who can build a vessel, make her spars, her sails, and her -rigging, do the blacksmith work and all the manifold varieties of odd -workmanship that go to complete a ship’s equipment, take her to sea, -and navigate her on soundest mathematical principles, and do all these -strange acts and deeds with the poorest, most primitive tools, and -under the most miserable, poverty-stricken conditions. But, as a rule, -they are not smart; they must be allowed to do their work in their -own way, at their own pace, and with no close scrutiny into anything -except results. Now, Jack Stadey was a typical Finn, as far as his slow -ungainly movements went, but none of that ability and adaptiveness -which is characteristic of his countrymen was manifest in him. To the -ordinary observer he was just a heavy, awkward “Dutchman,” who couldn’t -jump to save his life, and who would necessarily be put upon all the -heaviest, dirtiest jobs, while the sailorizing was being done by -smarter men. With a long, square head, faded blue eyes, and straggling -flaxen moustache, round shoulders, and dangling, crooked arms, he -seemed born to be the butt of his more favoured shipmates. Yet when I -first became acquainted with him in the fo’c’sle of the old Dartmouth, -outward bound to Hong Kong, something about him appealed to me, and we -became chums. The rest of the crew, with one notable exception, were -not bad fellows, and Jack shuffled along serenely through the voyage, -quite undisturbed by the fact that no work of any seamanlike nature -ever came to his share. I came in for a good deal of not ill-natured -chaff from the rest for my close intimacy with him, but it only had the -effect of knitting us closer together, for there is just that strain of -obstinacy about me that opposition only stiffens. And as I studied that -simple, childlike man, I found that he had a heart of gold, a nature -that had no taint of selfishness, and was sublimely unconscious of its -own worth. - -We made the round voyage together, and on our return to London I -persuaded him to quit the gloomy environment of sailor-town to come -and take lodgings with me in a turning out of Oxford Street, whence we -could sally forth and find ourselves at once in the midst of clean, -interesting life, free from the filthy importunities of the denizens of -Shadwell that prey upon the sailor. My experiences of London life were -turned to good account in those pleasant days, all too short. Together -we did all the sights, and it would be hard to say which of us enjoyed -ourselves most. At last, our funds having dwindled to the last five -pounds, we must needs go and look for a ship. I had “passed” for second -mate, but did not try very hard to get the berth that my certificate -entitled me to take, and finally we both succeeded in getting berths -before the mast in a barque called the Magellan, bound for New Zealand. -To crown the common-sense programme we had been following out, we did a -thing I have never seen deep-water sailors do before or since--we took -a goodly supply of such delicacies on board with us as would, had we -husbanded them, have kept us from hunger until we crossed the line. But -sailor Jack, with all his faults, is not mean, and so all hands shared -in the good things until they were gone, which was in about three days. -To our great disgust, Jack and I were picked for separate watches, so -that our chats were limited to the second dog-watch, that pleasant time -between six and eight p.m. when both watches can fraternize at their -ease, and discuss all the queer questions that appeal to the sailor -mind. - -Jack never complained, it wasn’t his habit, but, unknown to me, he -was having a pretty bad time of it in the starboard watch. Of course, -the vessel was short-handed--four hands in a watch to handle an -over-sparred brute of nearly a thousand tons--and as a consequence -Jack’s ungainly want of smartness was trying to his over-worked -watchmates, who were, besides, unable to understand his inability -or unwillingness to growl at the hardness of the common lot. The -chief man in that watch was a huge Shetlandman, Sandy Rorison, who, -broadly speaking, was everything that Jack was not. Six feet two in -his stocking vamps, upright as a lower mast, and agile as a leading -seaman on board a man-o’-war, there was small wonder that Sandy was -sorely irritated by the wooden movements of my deliberate chum. But -one day, when, relieved from the wheel, I came into the forecastle -for a “verse o’ the pipe,” I found Sandy bullying him in a piratical -manner. All prudential considerations were forgotten, and I interfered, -although it was like coming between a lion and his kill. Black with -fury, Sandy turned upon me, tearing off his jumper the while, and in -choking monosyllables invited me to come outside and die. I refused, -giving as my reason that I did not feel tired of life, and admitting -that I was fully aware of his ability to make cracker-hash of me. But -while he stood gasping, I put it to him whether, if he had a chum, any -consideration for his own safety would stop him from risking it in -the endeavour to save that chum from such a dog’s life as he was now -leading Jack Stadey. Well, the struggle between rage and righteousness -in that big rough man was painful to see. It lasted for nearly five -minutes, while I stood calmly puffing at my pipe with a numb sense of -“what must be will be” about me. Then suddenly the big fellow went and -sat down, buried his face in his hands, and was silent. I went about my -work unmolested, but for nearly a week there was an air of expectation -about the whole of us--a sense that an explosion might occur at any -moment. Then the tension relaxed, and I saw with quiet delight that -Rorison had entirely abandoned his hazing of Jack. - -After a most miserable passage of a hundred and ten days we arrived at -our port, and almost immediately after came an opening for me to join -a fine ship as second mate. It could not be disregarded, although I -had to forfeit to the knavish skipper the whole of my outward passage -earnings for the privilege of being discharged. So Jack and I parted, -making no sign, as is the custom of men, of the rending pain of our -separation. When next I saw Jack, several years after, I had left the -sea, but on a periodical visit to the docks--a habit I was long curing -myself of--I met him, looking for a ship. How triumphantly I bore him -westward to my little home I need not say, but when in the course of -conversation I found that he and Rorison had been chums ever since I -left the Magellan, I was dumbfounded. The more because, in spite of -the change in Rorison after my risky interference on that memorable -afternoon, I had passed many unhappy hours, thinking, in my conceit and -ignorance of the nobleness of which the majority of human kind are -capable, given the proper opportunity for showing it, that Jack would -have but a sorry time of it after _I_ had left him. Malvolio thought -nobly of the soul, and I have had reason, God knows, to think nobly -of my fellow-men, even of those who upon a casual acquaintance seemed -only capable of exciting disgust. I believe that few indeed are the -men and women who have not within them the germ of as heroic deeds as -ever thrilled the hearts and moistened the eyes of mankind, although, -alas! myriads live and die wanting the occasion that could fructify the -germ. Made in His own image, although sorely battered out of the Divine -likeness, the Father does delight in showing how, in spite of the -distance men generally have placed between themselves and Him, the type -still persists, and self-sacrifice, soaring above the devilish cynicism -that affects to know no God but self-interest, blazes forth to show to -all who will but open their eyes that “God’s in His Heaven, all’s right -with the world.” - -Two more strangely assorted chums surely seldom foregathered than -Sandy and Jack. I remember none in real life, though the big trooper -George Rouncewell and Phil have been immortalized by Dickens in “Bleak -House,” and the probability is that such a friendship had been known to -that marvellous man. How the bond between the Shetlandman and the Finn -gradually grew and toughened I had no means of knowing, for Jack was -a man of so few words, that even my eager questioning never succeeded -in drawing from him the information that I thirsted for. However, to -resume my story, the pair succeeded in obtaining berths in the same -ship again, a big iron clipper, the Theodosia, bound to Melbourne. I -did not succeed in meeting Sandy before they sailed, though I tried -hard in my scanty leisure to do so. But I determined that when they -returned I would have them both home to my little place, and devote -some of my holidays to entertaining them. I watched carefully the -columns of the Shipping Gazette for news of the ship, and succeeded in -tracing her home to Falmouth for orders from Port Pirie. Thence in due -time she departed, to my great disappointment, for Sunderland. And the -rest of the story must be told as I learned it long afterwards. - -It was in the late autumn that they sailed from Falmouth, leaving -port on a glorious afternoon with that peerless weather known to -west-country fishermen as a “fine southerly.” Up the sparkling Channel -they sped with every stitch of canvas set, and a great contentment -reigning on board at the prospect of the approaching completion of the -voyage under such favourable conditions. Being foul, the Theodosia made -slow progress, but so steady was the favouring wind that in two days -she picked up her Channel pilot off Dungeness. He was hardly on board -before a change came. One of those sudden gales came howling down the -stern North Sea, and gradually the labouring ship was stripped of her -wings, until in a perfect whirl of freezing spindrift she was groping -through the gloom across the Thames estuary. But no uneasiness was -felt, because the pilot was on board, and the confidence felt in the -well-known skill and seamanship of those splendid mariners makes even -the most timid of deep-water sailors feel secure under their charge. -No man is infallible, however, and just before midnight a shock, -which threw all hands, then standing by to wear ship, off their feet, -brought the huge vessel up all standing. Not many minutes were needed -to show every man on board that she was doomed. Lying as she was on -the weather edge of the Galloper Sand (though her position was unknown -even to the pilot), she was exposed to the full fury of the gale, and -the blue lights and rockets made but the faintest impression upon the -appalling blackness. All hands worked with feverish energy to free the -long-disused boats from their gripes, although they were often hurled -headlong from this task by the crushing impact of those inky masses -of water that rose in terrible might all around. And as the boats -were cleared, so they were destroyed until but one remained seaworthy -and afloat upon the lee-side, fast by the end of the forebrace. One -by one the beaten, bruised, and almost despairing men succeeded in -boarding that tiny ark of refuge as it strained and plunged like -a terrified creature striving to escape from the proximity of the -perishing leviathan. When it appeared that all hands were crowded into -the overburdened boat, the watchful skipper mounted the lee rail, and, -waiting his opportunity, leapt for his life. - -“Cast off, cast off,” shouted a dozen voices as the captain struggled -aft to the place of command, but one cry overtopped them all, the -frenzied question of Rorison, “Where’s Jack Stadey?” A babel of -replies arose, but out of that tumult one fact emerged, he was not -among them. The next moment, as a mountainous swell lifted the boat -high above the ship’s rail, Rorison had leapt to his feet, and, -catching hold of the drooping mainbrace above his head, was hauling -himself back on board again. And the boat had gone. Doubtless in the -confusion, some man had succeeded in casting the end of the rope adrift -that held her, not knowing what had happened, so that the next vast -roller swept her away on its crest a hundred fathoms in an instant. The -wide mouth of the dark engulfed her. All unheeding the disappearance of -the boat, Rorison fought his way about the submerged and roaring decks, -peering with a seaman’s bat-like power of vision through the dark -for any sign of his chum. Buffeted by the scourging seas, conscious -that he was fast losing what little strength remained to him, he yet -persisted in his search until, with a cry of joy, he found poor Stadey -jammed between the fife-rail and the pumps, just alive, but with a -broken leg and arm. Not a word passed between them, but with a sudden -accession of vigour, Sandy managed to drag his chum aft and lash his -limp body to one of the poop hen-coops. He then cast another coop -adrift, and secured it to the side of the first. Having done this, he -lashed himself by Stadey’s side, and with one hand feeling the languid -pulsation of his chum’s heart, awaited the next comber that should -sweep their frail raft away into the hissing sea. - -Next morning, under a sky of heavenly glory, two Harwich fishermen -found the tiny raft, still supporting the empty husks of those two -faithful souls, undivided even unto the end of their hard life, and -together entered into rest. - -With these two exceptions all hands were saved. - - - - -ALPHONSO M’GINTY - - -Who is there among British seafarers that does not know the -“chain-locker”--that den just opposite the Mint like an exaggerated -bear-pit? The homeward-bounder, his heart light as thistle-down with -the first taste of liberty after his voyage’s long imprisonment, -takes no heed of its squalor; no, not even in the drear December -slushiness, following upon a Shadwell snowstorm. If he does glance -around shudderingly at the haggard faces of the unshipped for a moment, -the feel of the beloved half-sheet of blue foolscap ostentatiously -displayed in his club-fingered right hand brings the departing look of -satisfaction back swiftly enough. It is his “account of wages,” his -passport within the swing doors of the office, which he will presently -exchange for the few pieces of gold for which he has given such a -precious slice of his life. - -But the outward-bounder, his hands thrust deep into empty pockets, the -bitter taste of begrudged bread parching his mouth, and the scowling -face of his boarding master refusing to pass from his mind’s eye; he it -is who feels the utter desolation of the crowded “chain-locker” corrode -his very soul. After a long day’s tramp around the docks, sneaking on -board vessels like a thief, and asking the mate for a “chance” with -bated breath, as if begging for pence, unsuccessful and weary, he -returns to this walled-in pit of gloom, and jealously eyes the company -of miserables like himself, as if in each one he saw a potential -snatcher of his last hope of a berth. - -Outward-bounders have little to say to each other in the -“chain-locker.” They wait, not like honest labourers seeking legitimate -employment, but like half-tried prisoners awaiting sentence. This -characteristic is so universal that, although we who bided the coming -of the Gareth’s skipper had all got our discharges in, and so felt -reasonably sure of her, we had not exchanged half a dozen words among -the fourteen of us. - -But there suddenly appeared in our midst a square-built, rugged-faced -man of middle height, whose grey eyes twinkled across his ruined -nose, and whose mouth had that droll droop of the lower lip that -shows a readiness, not only to laugh in and out of season, but almost -pathetically invites the beholder to laugh too. He it was who broke the -stony silence by saying in the richest brogue, “Is it all av us bhoys -that does be goin’ in the wan ship, I wondher?” Even the most morose -among us felt an inclination to smile, we hardly knew why, but just -then the swing door of the engaging office burst open, and a hoarse -voice shouted, “Crew o’ the Gareth here.” - -The words, like some irresistible centripetal force, sucked in from the -remotest corner of the large area every man, and in a moment all of us, -who had, as we thought, secured our chances by lodging our discharges -beforehand, were seized with something of a panic lest we should lose -the ship after all. Heavens! how we thrust and tore our way into the -office, past the burly policeman who held every one of us at the pinch -of the door until he was satisfied of our right to enter. Once within, -we felt safe, and stood nervously fingering our caps while the clerk -gabbled over the usual formula, to which none of us gave the slightest -heed. “Signing on” began and proceeded apace, to the accompaniment of a -running fire of questions as to age, nationality, last ship, etc., to -which answers, if not promptly forthcoming, were, I am afraid, supplied -by the questioner. There was a subdued chuckle, and the man who had -spoken outside stood at the counter. - -“What name?” snapped the clerk. - -“Alphonso M’Ginty, yer anner,” was the answer. No exquisite witticism -ever raised a more wholesome burst of laughter. It positively -brightened that dull hole like a ray of sea-sunshine. - -“How old?” said the clerk, in a voice still tremulous. - -“God befrind me, I forgot! Say tirty-five, sor.” - -“Your discharge says twenty-five?” returned the clerk. - -“Ah yes, yer anner, but it’s said that for the last tirty years!” - -“Isn’t it time it was altered then?” retorted the clerk, magisterial -again, as he entered fifty-five on the articles. The old fellow’s -quaint speech, added to an indefinable aureole of good humour about -him, had completely changed the sullen aspect of our crowd, so that -for the moment we quite forget that but fourteen of us were engaged to -take the 4000-ton ship Gareth to New Zealand first, and then to any -other part of the world, voyage not to exceed three years. - -So, with even the Dutchmen laughing and chuckling in sympathy with -the fun they felt, but didn’t understand, we all dispersed with our -advance notes to get such discount as fate and the sharks would allow. -In good time we were all aboard, for ships were scarce, and all of us -anxious to get away. But when we saw the vast, gaunt hull well down -to Plimsoll’s Mark, and the four towering steel giants of masts with -their immense spreading branches, and thought of the handful we were to -manage them, we felt a colder chill than even the biting edge of the -bitter east wind had given us. - -We mustered in the dark, iron barn of the fo’c’sle, and began selecting -bunks temporarily, until we were picked for watches, when our attention -was arrested by the voice of M’Ginty, saying-- - -“Bhoys!” - -All turned towards him where he stood, with a bottle of rum and a -tea-cup, and no one needed a second call. When the bottle was empty, -and our hearts had gone out to the donor, he said, clearing his throat -once or twice-- - -“Bhoys, fergive me, I’m a ---- imposhtor. I broke me right knee-cap -an’ five ribs comin’ home from ’Frisco in the Lamech--fell from the -fore-t’galant yard--an’ I bin three months in Poplar Hospital. I can’t -go aloft, but I didn’t think what a crime it wuz goin’ to be agin ye -all until I see this awful over-sparred brute here. Don’t be harrd on -me, bhoys; ye wouldn’t have me starrve ashore, wud yez now, or fret me -poor owld hearrt out in the wurrkhouse afther forty-five year on the -open sea?” - -He stopped and looked around distressfully, and in that moment all our -hearts warmed to him. We were a mixed crowd, of course, but nearly -half of us were British, and there would have been a stormy scene if -any of the aliens had ventured to raise a protest against M’Ginty’s -incapacity. We didn’t express our sympathy, but we felt it, and he with -native quickness knew that we did. And never from that day forward did -the brave old chap hear a word of complaint from any of us about having -to do his work. - -Just then the voice of the bos’un sounded outside, “Turn to!” and as we -departed to commence work, although not a word was said, there was a -fierce determination among us to protect M’Ginty against any harshness -from the officers on account of his disablement. There was too much of -a bustle getting out of dock for any notice to be taken of his stiff -leg, which he had so cleverly concealed while shipping, but the mate -happening to call him up on to the forecastle head for something, his -lameness was glaringly apparent at once to the bos’un, who stood behind -him. For just a minute it looked like trouble as the bos’un began to -bluster about his being a ---- cripple, but we all gathered round, and -the matter was effectually settled at once. - -We never regretted our consideration. For, while it was true that he -couldn’t get aloft, and those mighty sails would have been a handful -for double our number in a breeze of wind, there never was a more -willing, tireless worker on deck, and below he was a perfect godsend. -His sunny temper, bubbling fun, and inexhaustible stock of yarns, made -our grey lives happier than they had ever been at sea before. If we -would have allowed it, he would have been a slave to all of us, for -we carried no boys, and all the odd domestic jobs of the fo’c’sle had -to be done by ourselves. As it was, he was always doing something for -somebody, and as he was a thorough sailor in his general handiness and -ability, his services were highly appreciated. He made the Gareth a -comfortable ship, in spite of her manifold drawbacks. - -In due time we reached the “roaring forties” and began to run the -easting down. The long, tempestuous stretch of the Southern Ocean lay -before us, and the prospect was by no means cheering. The Gareth, -in spite of her huge bulk, had given us a taste of her quality when -running before a heavy breeze of wind shortly after getting clear -of the Channel, and we knew that she was one of the wettest of her -class, a vessel that welcomed every howling sea as an old friend, and -freely invited it to range the whole expanse of her decks from poop -to forecastle. And, in accordance with precedent, we knew that she -would be driven to the last extremity of canvas endurance, not only in -the hope of making a quick passage, but because shortening sail after -really hard running was such an awful strain upon the handful of men -composing the crew. So that when once the light sails were secure, an -attempt would always be made to “hang on” to the still enormous spread -of sail remaining, until the gale blew itself out, or we had run out of -its vast area. But for some days the brave west wind lingered in its -lair, and we slowly crept to the s’uthard and east’ard with trumpery -little spurts of northerly and nor’-westerly breeze. We had reached 47° -S. and about 10° E. when, one afternoon, it fell calm. - -One of the most magnificent sunsets imaginable spread its glories over -the western sky. Great splashes of gorgeous colouring stained the pale -blue of the heavens, and illuminated the fantastic crags and ranges -of cloud that lay motionless around the horizon, like fragments of a -disintegrated world. A long, listless swell came solemnly from the west -at regular intervals, giving the waiting ship a stately rhythmical -motion in the glassy waters, and making the immense squares of canvas -that hung straight as boards from the yards slam against the steel -masts with a sullen boom. Except for that occasionally recurring sound, -a solemn stillness reigned supreme, while the wide mirror of the ocean -reflected faithfully all the flaming tints of the sky. Quietly all of -us gathered on the fo’c’sle head for the second dog-watch smoke, but -for some time all seemed strangely disinclined for the desultory chat -that usually takes place at that pleasant hour. Pipes were puffed in -silence for half an hour, until suddenly M’Ginty broke the spell (his -voice sounding strangely clear and vibrant), by saying-- - -“I had a quare dhrame lasht night.” - -No one stirred or spoke, and after a few meditative pulls at his pipe, -he went on-- - -“I dhreamt that I was a tiny gorsoon again, at home in owld Baltimore. -I’d been wandherin’ and sthrayin’, God alone knows where, fur a -dhreadful long while, it seemed, until at lasht, whin I wuz ready t’ -die from sheer weariness an’ fright, I hearrd me dear mother’s sweet -voice cryin’, ‘Where’s Fonnie avic iver got to this long while?’ -Oh!’twas as if an angel from hiven shpoke to me, an’ I cried wid all me -hearrt an’ me tongue, ‘Here, mother, here I am!’ An’ she gathered me -up in her arrums that wuz so soft an’ cosy, till I felt as if I was a -little tired chick neshtlin’ into its mother’s feathers in the snuggest -of nests. I didn’t go to sleep, I just let meself sink down, down -into rest, happy as any saint in glory. An’ thin I woke up wid a big, -tearin’ ache all over me poor owld broken-up body. But bad as that wuz, -’twuz just nothin’ at all to the gnawin’ ache at me hearrt.” - -Silence wrapped us round again, for who among us could find any words -to apply to such a story as that? And it affected us all the more -because of its complete contrast to M’Ginty’s usual bright, cheery, -and uncomplaining humour. Not another word was spoken by any one until -the sharp strokes on the little bell aft cleft the still air, and, in -immediate response, one rose and smote the big bell hanging at the -break of the forecastle four double blows, ushering in the first watch -of the night. The watch on deck relieved wheel and look-out, and we -who were fortunate enough to have the “eight hours in,” lost no time -in seeking our respective bunks, since in those stern latitudes we -might expect a sudden call at any moment. We had hardly been asleep -five minutes, it seemed, when a hoarse cry came pealing in through -the fo’c’sle door of “All hands on deck! Shorten sail!” And as we all -started wide awake, we heard the furious voice of the southern tempest -tearing up the face of the deep, and felt the massive fabric beneath -our feet leaping and straining under the tremendous strain of her great -breadths of canvas, that we had left hanging so idly at eight bells. - -Out into the black night we hurried, meeting the waiting mate at the -foremast, and answering his first order of “man the fore tops’ls -downhaul” with the usual repetition of his words. Weird cries arose as -we hauled with all our strength on the downhauls and spilling lines, -while overhead we could hear, even above the roar of the storm, the -deep boom of the topsails fiercely fighting against the restraining -gear. Then, with a hissing, spiteful snarl, came snow and sleet, -lashing us like shotted whips, and making the darkness more profound -because of the impossibility of opening the eyes against the stinging -fragments of ice. But, after much stumbling and struggling, we got the -four huge tops’ls down, and, without waiting for the order, started -aloft to furl, the pitiful incapacity of our numbers most glaringly -apparent. The pressure of the wind was so great that it was no easy -matter to get aloft, but clinging like cats, we presently found -ourselves (six of the port watch) on the fore topsailyard. - -The first thing evident was that the great sail was very slightly -subdued by the gear; it hovered above the yard like a white balloon, -making it both difficult and dangerous to get out along the spar. The -storm scourged us pitilessly, the great round of the sail resisted all -our attempts to “fist” it, and we seemed as helpless as children. Some -bold spirits clutched the lifts, and, swinging above the sail, tried -to stamp a hollow into it with their feet; but against the increasing -fury of the tempest we seemed to be utterly impotent. We were so widely -separated, too, that each man appeared to be essaying a giant’s task -single-handed, and that horrible sense of fast-oozing strength was -paralyzing us. Feeling left our hands; we smote them savagely against -that unbending sail without sensation, and still we seemed no nearer -the conclusion of our task. But suddenly the ship gave a great lurch to -windward, and just for one moment the hitherto unyielding curve of the -sail quivered. In that instant every fist had clutched a fold, and with -a flash of energy we strained every sinew to conquer our enemy. - - * * * * * - -Tugging like a madman to get the sail spilled, I glanced sideways, and -saw to my horror, by a jagged flash of lightning, the rugged face of -M’Ginty. - -[Illustration: He gasped “In manus tuas, Domine,” and fell.] - -I had hardly recognized him when, with a roar like the combined voices -of a troop of lions, the sail tore itself away from us, and with -bleeding hands I clutched at the foot-rope stirrup as I fell back. But -at the same moment M’Ginty’s arms flew up. He caught at the empty gloom -above him, gasping, “_In manus tuas, Domine_----” and fell. Far beneath -us the hungry sea seethed and whirled, its white glare showing -ghastly against the thick darkness above. For two or three seconds I -hung as if irresolute whether to follow my poor old shipmate or not; -then the heavy flapping of the sail aroused me, and springing up again, -I renewed my efforts. The ship had evidently got a “wipe up” into the -wind, for the sail was now powerless against us, and in less than five -minutes it was fast, and we were descending with all speed to renew our -desperate fight with the mizen and jigger topsails. The decks were like -the sea overside, for wave after wave toppled inboard, and it was at -the most imminent risk to life and limb that we scrambled aft, quite a -sense of relief coming as we swung out of that turbulent flood into the -rigging again. - -But I was almost past feeling now. A dull aching sense of loss clung -around my heart, and the patient, kindly face of my shipmate seemed -branded upon my eyes, as he had lifted it to the stormy skies in his -last supplicatory moan. I went about my work doggedly, mechanically; -indifferent to cold, fatigue, or pain, until, when at last she was -snugged down, and, under the fore lower topsails and reefed foresail, -was flying through the darkness like some hunted thing, I staggered -wearily into the cheerless fo’c’sle, dropped upon a chest, and stared -moodily at vacancy. - -Somebody said, “Where’s M’Ginty?” That roused me. It seemed to put new -life and hope into me, for I replied quite brightly, “He’s gone to the -rest he was talking about in the dog-watch. He’ll never eat workhouse -bread, thank God!” - -Eager questioning followed, mingled with utter amazement at his getting -aloft at all. But when all had said their say one feeling had been -plainly manifested--a feeling of deep thankfulness that such a grand -old sailor as our shipmate M’Ginty was where he fain would be, taking -his long and well-earned rest. - - - - -THE LAST STAND OF THE DECAPODS - - -Probably few of the thinking inhabitants of dry land, with all their -craving for tales of the marvellous, the gloomy, and the gigantic, -have in these later centuries of the world’s history given much -thought to the conditions of constant warfare existing beneath the -surface of the ocean. As readers of ancient classics well know, the -fathers of literature gave much attention to the vast, awe-inspiring -inhabitants of the sea, investing and embellishing the few fragments -of fact concerning them which were available with a thousand fantastic -inventions of their own naïve imaginations, until there emerged, chief -and ruler of them all, the Kraken, Leviathan, or whatever other local -name was considered to best convey in one word their accumulated -ideas of terror. In lesser degree, but still worthy compeers of the -fire-breathing dragon and sky-darkening “Rukh” of earth and sky, a -worthy host of attendant sea-monsters were conjured up, until, apart -from the terror of loneliness, of irresistible fury and instability -that the sea presented to primitive peoples, the awful nature of -its supposed inhabitants made the contemplation of an ocean journey -sufficient to appal the stoutest heart. A better understanding of -this aspect of the sea to early voyagers may be obtained from some -of the artistic efforts of those days than anything else. There you -shall see gigantic creatures with human faces, teeth like foot-long -wedges, armour-plated bodies, and massive feet fitted with claws like -scythe-blades, calmly issuing from the waves to prey upon the dwellers -on the margin, or devouring with much apparent enjoyment ships with -their crews, as a child crunches a stick of barley-sugar. Even such -innocent-looking animals as the seals were distorted and decorated -until the contemplation of their counterfeit presentment is sufficient -to give a healthy man the nightmare, while such monsters as really were -so terrible of aspect that they could hardly be “improved” upon were -increased in size until they resembled islands whereon whole tribes -might live. To these chimæras were credited all natural phenomena such -as waterspouts, whirlpools, and the upheaval of submarine volcanoes. -Some imaginative people went even farther than that by attributing the -support of the whole earth to a vast sea-monster; while others, like -the ancient Jews, fondly pictured Leviathan awaiting in the solitude -and gloom of ocean’s depths the glad day of Israel’s reunion, when the -mountain ranges of his flesh would be ready to furnish forth the family -feast for all the myriads of Abraham’s children. - -Surely we may pause awhile to contemplate the overmastering courage of -the earliest seafarers, who, in spite of all these terrors, unappalled -by the comparison between their tiny shallops and the mighty waves -that towered above them, set boldly out from shore into the unknown, -obeying that deeply rooted instinct of migration which has peopled -every habitable part of the earth’s surface. Those who remember their -childhood’s dread of the dark, with its possible population of bogeys, -who have ever been lost in early youth in some lonely place, can have -some dim conception, though only a dim one, after all, of the inward -battle these ancients fought and won, until it became possible for the -epigram to be written in utmost truth-- - - “The seas but join the nations they divide.” - -But, after all, we are not now concerned with the warlike doings -of men. It is with the actualities of submarine struggle we wish -to deal--those wars without an armistice, where to be defeated is -to be devoured, and from the sea-shouldering whale down to the -smallest sea-insect every living thing is carnivorous, dependent -directly upon the flesh of its neighbours for its own life, and -incapable of altruism in any form whatever, except among certain of -the mammalia and the sharks. In dealing with the more heroic phases -of this unending warfare, then, it must be said, once for all, that -the ancient writers had a great deal of reason on their side. They -distorted and exaggerated, of course, as all children do, but they did -not disbelieve. But moderns, rushing to the opposite extreme, have -neglected the marvels of the sea by the simple process of disbelieving -in them, except in the case of the sea-serpent, that myth which seems -bound to persist for ever and ever. Only of late years have the savants -of the world allowed themselves to be convinced of the existence of -a far more wondrous monster than the sea-serpent (if that “loathly -worm” were a reality), the original Kraken of old-world legends. Hugest -of all the mollusca, whose prevailing characteristics are ugliness, -ferocity, and unappeasable hunger, he has lately asserted himself so -firmly that current imaginative literature bristles with allusions to -him, albeit oftentimes in situations where he could by no possibility -be found. No matter, he has supplied a long-felt want; but the curious -fact remains that he is not a discovery, but a re-appearance. The -gigantic cuttle-fish of actual, indisputable fact is, in all respects -except size, the Kraken; and any faithful representation of him will -justify the assertion that no imagination could add anything to the -terror-breeding potentialities of his aspect. That is so, even when -he is viewed by the light of day in the helplessness of death or -disabling sickness, or in the invincible grip of his only conqueror. -In his proper realm, crouching far below the surface of the sea in -some coral cave or labyrinth of rocks, he must present a sight so -awful that the imagination recoils before it. For consider him but -a little. He possesses a cylindrical body reaching in the largest -specimens yet recorded as having been seen, a length of between -sixty and seventy feet, with an average girth of half that amount. -That is to say, considerably larger than a Pullman railway-car. Now, -this immense mass is of boneless gelatinous matter capable of much -greater distension than a snake; so that in the improbable event of -his obtaining an extra-abundant supply of food, it is competent to -swell to the occasion and still give the flood of digestive juices -that it secretes full opportunity to dispose of the burden with -almost incredible rapidity. Now, the apex of this mighty cylinder--I -had almost said “tail,” but remembered that it would give a wrong -impression, since it is the part of the monster that always comes first -when he is moving from place to place, is conical, that is to say, it -tapers off to a blunt point something like a whitehead torpedo. Near -this apex there is a broad fin-like arrangement looking much like the -body of a skate without its tail, which, however, is used strictly -for steering purposes only. So far there is nothing particularly -striking about the appearance of this mighty cylinder except in colour. -This characteristic varies in different individuals, but is always -reminiscent of the hues of a very light-coloured leopard; that is to -say, the ground is of a livid greenish white, while the detail is in -splashes and spots of lurid red and yellow, with an occasional nimbus -of pale blue around these deeper markings. But it is the head of the -monster that appals. Nature would seem in the construction of this -greatest of all molluscs to have combined every weapon of offence -possessed by the rest of the animal kingdom in one amazing arsenal, -disposing them in such a manner that not only are they capable of -terrific destruction, but their appearance defies adequate description. - -The trunk at the head end is sheath-like, its terminating edges forming -a sort of collar around the vast cable of muscles without a fragment -of bone which connects it with the head. Through a large opening -within this collar is pumped a jet of water, the pressure of which -upon the surrounding sea is sufficiently great to drive the whole bulk -of the creature, weighing perhaps sixty or seventy tons, _backwards_ -through the water, at the rate of sixteen to twenty miles per hour, -not in steady progression, of course, but by successive leaps. At -will, this propelling jet is deeply stained with sepia, a dark-brown -inky fluid, which, mingling with the encompassing sea, fills all the -neighbourhood of the monster with a gloom so deep that nothing, save -one of its own species, can see either to fight or whither to fly. The -head itself is of proportionate size. It is rounded underneath, and of -much lighter hue than the trunk. On either side of it is set an eye, of -such dimensions that the mere statement of them sounds like the efforts -of one of those grand old mediæval romancers, whose sole object was -to make their reader’s flesh creep. It is perfectly safe to say that -even in proportion to size, no other known creature has such organs of -vision as the cuttle-fish, for the pupils of such an one as I am now -describing are fully two feet in diameter. They are perfectly black, -with a dead white rim, and cannot be closed. No doubt their enormous -size is for the purpose of enabling their possessor to discern what is -going on amidst the thick darkness that he himself has raised, so that -while all other organisms are groping blindly in the gloom, he may work -his will among them. Then come the weapons which give the cuttle-fish -its power of destruction, the arms or tentacles. These are not eight -in number, as in the octopus, an ugly beast enough and spiteful -withal, but a babe of innocence compared with our present subject. -Every schoolboy should know that _octopus_ signifies an eight-armed or -eight-footed creature, and yet in nine cases out of ten where writers -of fiction and would-be teachers of fact are describing the deadly -doings of the gigantic cuttle-fish they call _him_ an octopus; whereas -he is nothing of the kind, for, in addition to the eight arms which -the octopus possesses, the cuttle-fish flaunts two, each of which is -double the length of the eight, making him a _decapod_. This confusion -is the more unpardonable, because even the most ancient of scribes -always spoke of this mollusc as the “ten-armed one,” while a reference -to any standard work on Natural History will show even the humbler -cuttle-fish with their full complement of arms--that is, ten. But this -is digression. - -Our friend has, then, ten arms springing from the crown of his head, of -which eight are forty feet in length, and two are seventy to eighty. -The eight each taper outward from the head, from the thickness of a -stout man’s body at the base to the slenderness of a whip-lash at the -end. On their inner sides they are studded with saucer-like hollows, -each of which has a fringe of curving claws set just within its rim. So -that in addition to their power of holding on to anything they touch -by a suction so severe that it would strip flesh from bone, these -cruel claws, large as those of a full-grown tiger’s, get to work upon -the subject being held, lacerating and tearing until the quivering -body yields up its innermost secrets. Each of these destroying, -serpent-like arms is also gifted with an almost independent power of -volition. Whatever it touches it holds with an unreleasable grip, but -with wonderful celerity it brings its prey inwards to where, in the -centre of all those infernal purveyors lies a black chasm, whose edges -are shaped like the upper and lower mandibles of a parrot, and these -complete the work so well begun. The outliers, those two far-reaching -tentacles, unlike the busy eight, are comparatively slender from their -bases to near (within two feet or so of) their ends. There they expand -into broad paddle-like masses, thickly studded with _acetabulæ_, those -holding sucking-discs that garnish the inner arms for their entire -length. So, thus armed, this nightmare monstrosity crouches in the -darkling depths of ocean, like some unimaginable web, whereof every -line is alive to hold and tear. Its digestion is like a furnace of -dissolution, needing a continual inflow of flesh, and nothing living -that inhabits the sea comes amiss to its never-satisfied cravings. It -is very near the apex of the pyramid of interdependence into which -sea-life is built, but not quite. For at the summit is the sperm whale, -the monarch of all seas, whom man alone is capable of meeting in fair -fight and overcoming. - -The head of the sperm whale is of heroic size, being in bulk quite -one-third of the entire body, but in addition to its size it has -characteristics that fit it peculiarly to compete with such a dangerous -monster as the gigantic decapod. Imagine a solid block of crude -indiarubber, between twenty and thirty feet in length, and eight feet -through, in shape not at all unlike a railway-carriage, but perfectly -smooth in surface. Fit this mass beneath with a movable shaft of solid -bone, twenty feet in length, studded with teeth, each protruding nine -inches, and resembling the points of an elephant’s tusks. You will then -have a fairly complete notion of the equipment with which the ocean -monarch goes into battle against the Kraken. And behind it lies the -warm blood of the mammal, the massive framework of bone belonging to -the highly developed vertebrate animal, governed by a brain impelled -by irresistible instinct to seek its sustenance where alone it can -be found in sufficiently satisfying bulk. And there for you are the -outlines of the highest form of animal warfare existing within our ken, -a conflict of Titans, to which a combat between elephants and rhinoceri -in the jungle is but as the play of schoolboys compared with the -gladiatorial combats of Ancient Rome. - -This somewhat lengthy preamble is necessary in order to clear the -way for an account of the proceedings leading up to the final -subjugation of the huge molluscs of the elder slime to the needs of -the great vertebrates like the whales, who were gradually emerging -into a higher development, and, finding new wants oppressing them, -had to obey the universal law, and fight for the satisfaction of -their urgent needs. Fortunately, the period with which we have to -deal was before chronology, so that we are not hampered by dates; -and, as the disposition of sea and land, except in its main features, -was altogether different to what we have long been accustomed to -regard as the always-existing geographical order of things, we need -not be greatly troubled by place considerations either. What must be -considered as the first beginning of the long struggle occurred when -some predecessors of the present sperm whales, wandering through the -vast morasses and among the sombre forests of that earlier world, -were compelled to recognize that the conditions of shore life were -rapidly becoming too onerous for them. Their immensely weighty bodies, -lumbering slowly as a seal over the rugged land surface, handicapped -them more and more in the universal business of life, the procuring -of food. Not only so, but as by reason of their slowness they were -confined for hunting-grounds to a very limited area, the slower -organism upon which their vast appetites were fed grew scarcer and -scarcer, in spite of the fecundity of that prolific time. And in -proportion as they found it more and more difficult to get a living, -so did their enemies grow more numerous and bolder. Vast dragon-like -shapes, clad in complete armour that clanged as the wide-spreading -bat-wings bore them swiftly through the air, descended upon the -sluggish whales, and with horrid rending by awful shear-shaped jaws, -plentifully furnished with foot-long teeth, speedily stripped from -their gigantic bodies the masses of succulent flesh. Other enemies, -weird of shape and swift of motion although confined to the earth, -fastened also upon the easily attainable prey that provided flesh in -such bountiful abundance, and was unable to fight or flee. - -Well was it, then, for the whales that, living always near the sea, -they had formed aquatic habits, finding in the limpid element a medium -wherein their huge bulk was rather a help than a hindrance to them. -Gradually they grew to use the land less and less as they became more -and more accustomed to the food provided in plenty by the inexhaustible -ocean. Continual practice enabled them to husband the supplies of air -which they took in on the surface for use beneath the waves; and, -better still, they found that whereas they had been victims to many -a monster on land whose proportions and potentialities seemed far -inferior to their own, here in their new element they were supreme, -nothing living but fled from before them. But presently a strange -thing befell them. As they grew less and less inclined to use the dry -land, they found that their powers of locomotion thereon gradually -became less and less also, until at last their hind legs dwindled -away and disappeared. Their vast and far-reaching tails lost their -length, and their bones spread out laterally into flexible fans of -toughest gristle, with which they could propel themselves through the -waves at speeds to which their swiftest progress upon land had been -but a snail’s crawl. Also their fore legs grew shorter and wider, -and the separation of the toes disappeared, until all that was left -of these once ponderous supports were elegant fan-like flippers of -gristle, of not the slightest use for propulsion, but merely acting -as steadying-vanes to keep the whole great structure in its proper -position according to the will of the owner. All these radical physical -changes, however, had not affected the real classification of the -whales. They were still mammals, still retained in the element which -was now entirely their habitat the high organization belonging to the -great carnivora of the land. Therefore it took them no long period of -time to realize that in the ocean they would be paramount, that with -the tremendous facilities for rapid movement afforded them by their -new habitat they were able to maintain that supremacy against all -comers, unless their formidable armed jaws should also become modified -by degeneration into some such harmless cavities for absorbing food as -are possessed by their distant relatives, the mysticetæ, or toothless -whales. - -With a view to avoiding any such disaster, they made good use of their -jaws, having been taught by experience that the simple but effectual -penalty for the neglect of any function, whether physical or mental, -was the disappearance of the organs where such functions had been -performed. But their energetic use of teeth and jaws had a result -entirely unforeseen by them. Gradually the prey they sought, the -larger fish and smaller sea-mammals, disappeared from the shallow seas -adjacent to the land, from whence the whales had been driven; and in -order to satisfy the demands of their huge stomachs, they were fain to -follow their prey into deeper and deeper waters, meeting as they went -with other and stranger denizens of those mysterious depths, until -at last the sperm whale met the Kraken. There in his native gloom, -vast, formless, and insatiable, brooded the awful Thing. Spread like -a living net whereof every mesh was armed, sensitive and lethal, -this fantastic complication of horrors took toll of all the sea-folk, -needing not to pursue its prey, needing only to lie still, devour, and -grow. Sometimes, moved by mysterious impulses, one of these chimæras -would rise to the sea-surface and bask in the beams of the offended -sun, poisoning the surrounding air with its charnel-house odours, and -occasionally finding within the never-resting nervous clutching of its -tentacles some specimens of the highest, latest product of creation, -man himself. Ages of such experiences as these had left the Kraken -defenceless as to his body. The absence of any necessity for exertion -had arrested the development of a backbone; the inability of any of -the sea-people to retaliate upon their sateless foe had made him -neglect any of those precautions that weaker organisms had provided -themselves with, and even the cloud of sepia with which all the race -were provided, and which often assisted the innocent and weaker members -of the same great family to escape, was only used by these masters of -the sea to hide their monstrous lures from their prey. - -Thus on a momentous day a ravenous sperm whale, hunting eagerly for -wherewithal to satisfy his craving, suddenly found himself encircled -by many long, cable-like arms. They clung, they tore, they sucked. -But whenever a stray end of them flung itself across the bristling -parapet of the whale’s lower jaw it was promptly bitten off, and a -portion having found its way down into the craving stomach of the big -mammal, it was welcomed as good beyond all other food yet encountered. -Once this had been realized, what had originally been an accidental -entrapping changed itself into a vigorous onslaught and banquet. True, -the darkness fought for the mollusc, but that advantage was small -compared with the feeling of incompetence, of inability to make any -impression upon this mighty impervious mass that was moving as freely -amid the clinging embarrassments of those hitherto invincible arms -as if they were only fronds of seaweed. And then the foul mass of -the Kraken found itself, contrary to all previous experience, rising -involuntarily, being compelled to leave its infernal shades, and, -without any previous preparation for such a change of pressure, to -visit the upper air. The fact was that the whale, finding its stock -of air exhausted, had put forth a supreme effort to rise, and found -that, although unable to free himself from those enormous cables, he -was actually competent to raise the whole mass. What an upheaval! Even -the birds that, allured by the strong carrion scent, were assembling -in their thousands, fled away from that appalling vision, their wild -screams of affright filling the air with lamentation. The tormented -sea foamed and boiled in wide-spreading whirls, its deep sweet blue -changed into an unhealthy nondescript tint of muddy yellow as the wide -expanse of the Kraken’s body yielded up its corrupt fluids, and the -healthful breeze did its best to disperse the bad smells that rose from -the ugly mass. Then the whale, having renewed his store of air, settled -down seriously to the demolition of his prize. Length after length of -tentacle was torn away from the central crown and swallowed, gliding -down the abysmal throat of the gratified mammal in snaky convolutions -until even that great store-room would contain no more. The vanquished -Kraken lay helplessly rolling upon the wave while its conqueror in -satisfied ease lolled near, watching with good-humoured complacency the -puny assault made upon that island of gelatinous flesh by the multitude -of smaller hungry things. The birds returned, reassured, and added by -their clamour to the strangeness of the scene, where the tribes of air -and sea, self-bidden to the enormous banquet, were making full use of -their exceptional privilege. So the great feast continued while the -red sun went down and the white moon rose in placid beauty. Yet for -all the combined assaults of those hungry multitudes the tenacious -life of that largest of living things lay so deeply seated that when -the rested whale resumed his attentions he found the body of his late -antagonist still quivering under the attack of his tremendous jaws. -But its proportions were so immense that his utmost efforts left store -sufficient for at least a dozen of his companions, had they been -there, to have satisfied their hunger upon. And, satisfied at last, -he turned away, allowing the smaller fry, who had waited his pleasure -most respectfully, to close in again and finish the work he had so well -begun. - -Now, this was a momentous discovery indeed, for the sperm whales -had experienced, even when fish and seals were plentiful, great -difficulty in procuring sufficient food at one time for a full meal, -and the problem of how to provide for themselves as they grew and -multiplied had become increasingly hard to solve. Therefore this -discovery filled the fortunate pioneer with triumph, for his high -instincts told him that he had struck a new source of supply that -promised to be inexhaustible. So, in the manner common to his people, -he wasted no time in convening a gathering of them as large as could -be collected. Far over the placid surface of that quiet sea lay gently -rocking a multitude of vast black bodies, all expectant, all awaiting -the momentous declaration presently to be made. The epoch-making -news circulated among them in perfect silence, for to them has from -the earliest times been known the secret that is only just beginning -to glimmer upon the verge of human intelligence, the ability to -communicate with one another without the aid of speech, sight, or -touch--a kind of thought transference, if such an idea as animal -thought may be held allowable. And having thus learned of the treasures -held in trust for them by the deep waters, they separated and went, -some alone and some in compact parties of a dozen or so, upon their -rejoicing way. - -But among the slimy hosts of the gigantic Mollusca there was raging -a sensation unknown before--a feeling of terror, of insecurity born -of the knowledge that at last there had appeared among them a being -proof against the utmost pressure of their awful arms, who was too -great to be devoured, who, on the other hand, had evinced a greedy -partiality for devouring them. How this information became common -property among them it is impossible to say, since they dwelt alone, -each in his own particular lair, rigidly respected by one another, -because any intrusion upon another’s domains was invariably followed -by the absorption of either the intruder or the intruded upon by the -stronger of the two. This, although not intended by them, had the -effect of vastly heightening the fear with which they were regarded by -the smaller sea-folk, for they took to a restless prowling along the -sea-bed, enwreathing themselves about the mighty bases of the islands, -and invading cool coral caverns where their baleful presence had been -till then unknown. Never before had there been such a panic among the -multitudinous sea-populations. What could this new portent signify? -Were the foundations of the great deep again about to be broken up, and -the sea-bed heaved upward to replace the tops of the towering mountains -on dry land? There was no reply, for there were none that could answer -questions like these. - -Still the fear-smitten decapods wandered, seeking seclusion from the -coming enemy, and finding none to their mind. Still the crowds of -their victims rushed blindly from shoal to shoal, plunging into depths -unfitted for them, or rising into shallows where their natural food was -not. And the whole sea was troubled, until at last there appeared, grim -and vast, the advance-guard of the sperm whales, and hurled itself with -joyful anticipation upon the shrinking convolutions of those hideous -monsters that had so long dominated the dark places of the sea. For the -whales it was a time of feasting hitherto without parallel. Without any -fear, uncaring to take even the most elementary precautions against a -defeat which they felt to be an impossible contingency, they sought -out and devoured one after another of these vast uglinesses, already -looked upon by them as their natural provision, their store of food -accumulated of purpose against their coming. Occasionally, it is true, -some rash youngster, full of pride, and rejoicing in his pre-eminence -over all life in the depths, would hurl himself into a smoky network of -far-spreading tentacles which would wrap him round so completely that -his jaws were fast bound together, his flukes would vainly essay to -propel him any whither, and he would presently perish miserably, his -cable-like sinews falling slackly and his lungs suffused with crimson -brine. Even then, the advantage gained by the triumphant Kraken was a -barren one, for in every case the bulk of the victim was too great, his -body too firm in its build, for the victor, despite his utmost efforts, -to succeed in devouring his prize. So that the disappointed Kraken -had perforce to witness the gradual disappearance of his lawful prize -beneath the united efforts of myriads of tiny sea-scavengers, secure in -their insignificance against any attack from him, and await with tremor -extending to the remotest extremity of every tentacle, the retribution -that he felt sure would speedily follow. - -This desultory warfare was waged for long, until, driven by despair -to a community of interest unknown before, the Krakens gradually -sought one another out with but a single idea--that of combining -against the new enemy; for, knowing to what an immense size their -kind could attain in the remoter fastnesses of ocean, they could -not yet bring themselves to believe that they were to become the -helpless prey of these new-comers, visitors of yesterday, coming from -the cramped acreage of the land into the limitless fields of ocean, -and invading the immemorial freeholds of its hitherto unassailable -sovereigns. From the remotest recesses of the ocean they came, that -grisly gathering--came in ever-increasing hosts, their silent progress -spreading unprecedented dismay among the fairer inhabitants of the sea. -Figure to yourselves, if you can, the advance of this terrible host. -But the effort is vain. Not even Martin, that frenzied delineator of -the frightful halls of hell, the scenes of the Apocalypse, and the -agonies of the Deluge, could have done justice to the terrors of such -a scene. Only dimly can we imagine what must have been the appearance -of those vast masses of writhing flesh, as through the palely gleaming -phosphorescence of the depths they sped backwards in leaps of a hundred -fathoms each, their terrible arms, close-clustered together, streaming -behind like Medusa’s hair magnified ten thousand times in size, and -with each snaky tress bearing a thousand mouths instead of one. - -So they converged upon the place of meeting, an area of the sea-bed -nowhere more than 500 fathoms in depth, from whose rugged floor rose -irregularly stupendous columnar masses of lava hurled upwards by the -cosmic forces below in a state of incandescence and solidified as they -rose, assuming many fantastic shapes, and affording perfect harbourage -to such dire scourges of the sea as were now making the place their -rendezvous. For, strangely enough, this marvellous portion of the -submarine world was more densely peopled with an infinite variety -of sea-folk than any other; its tepid waters seemed to bring forth -abundantly of all kinds of fish, crustacea, and creeping things. Sharks -in all their fearsome varieties prowled greasily about, scenting -for dead things whereon to gorge, shell-fish from the infinitesimal -globigerina up to the gigantic clam whose shells were a yard each in -diameter; crabs, lobsters, and other freakish varieties of crustacea -of a size and ugliness unknown to day lurked in every crevice, while -about and among all these scavengers flitted the happy, lovely fish -in myriads of glorious hues matching the tender shades of the coral -groves that sprang from the summits of those sombre lava columns -beneath. Hitherto this happy hunting-ground had not been invaded by -the sea-mammals. None of the air-breathing inhabitants of the ocean -had ventured into its gloomy depths, or sought their prey among the -blazing shallows of the surface-reefs, although no more favourable -place for their exertions could possibly have been selected over all -the wide sea. It had long been a favourite haunt of the Kraken, for -whom it was, as aforesaid, an ideal spot, but now it was to witness a -sight unparalleled in ocean history. Heralded by an amazing series of -under-waves, the gathering of monsters drew near. They numbered many -thousands, and no one in all their hosts was of lesser magnitude than -sixty feet long by thirty in girth of body alone. From that size they -increased until some--the acknowledged leaders--discovered themselves -like islands, their cylindrical carcases huge as that of an ocean -liner, and their tentacles capable of overspreading an entire village. - -In concentric rings they assembled, all heads pointing outward, the -mightiest within, and four clear avenues through the circles left for -coming and going. Contrary to custom, but by mutual consent, all the -tentacles lay closely arranged in parallel lines, not outspread to -every quarter of the compass, and all a-work. They looked, indeed, in -their inertia and silence, like nothing so much as an incalculable -number of dead squid of enormous size neatly laid out at the whim of -some giant’s fancy. Yet communication between them was active; a subtle -interchange of experiences and plans went briskly on through the medium -of the mobile element around them. The elder and mightier were full of -disdain at the reports they were furnished with, utterly incredulous as -to the ability of any created thing to injure them, and, as the time -wore on, an occasional tremor was distinctly noticeable through the -whole length of their tentacles, which boded no good to their smaller -brethren. Doubtless but little longer was needed for the development -of a great absorption of the weaker by the stronger, only that, -darting into their midst like a lightning streak, came a messenger -squid, bearing the news that a school of sperm whales, numbering at -least ten thousand, were coming at top-speed direct for their place of -meeting. Instantly to the farthest confines of that mighty gathering -the message radiated, and as if by one movement there uprose from the -sea-bed so dense a cloud of sepia that for many miles around the clear -blue of the ocean became turbid, stagnant, and foul. Even the birds -that hovered over those dark-brown waves took fright at this terrible -phenomenon, to them utterly incomprehensible, and with discordant -shrieks they fled in search of sweeter air and cleaner sea. But below -the surface under cover of this thickest darkness there was the silence -of death. - -Twenty miles away, under the bright sunshine, an advance-guard of about -a hundred sperm whales came rushing on. Line abreast, their bushy -breath rising like the regular steam-jets from a row of engines, they -dashed aside the welcoming wavelets, every sense alert, and full of -eagerness for the consummation of their desires. Such had been their -despatch that throughout the long journey of 500 leagues they had not -once stayed for food, so that they were ravenous with hunger as well -as full of fight. They passed, and before the foaming of their swift -passage had ceased, the main body, spread over a space of thirty miles, -came following on, the roar of their multitudinous march sounding like -the voice of many waters. Suddenly the advance-guard, with stately -elevation of the broad fans of their flukes, disappeared, and by one -impulse the main body followed them. Down into the depths they bore, -noting with dignified wonder the absence of all the usual inhabitants -of the deep, until, with a thrill of joyful anticipation which set all -their masses of muscle a-quiver, they recognized the scent of the prey. -No thought of organized resistance presented itself; without a halt, -or even the faintest slackening of their great rush, they plunged -forward into the abysmal gloom; down, down withal into that wilderness -of waiting devils. And so, in darkness and silence like that of the -beginning of things, this great battle was joined. Whale after whale -succumbed, anchored to the bottom by such bewildering entanglements, -such enlacement of tentacles, that their vast strength was helpless -to free them; their jaws were bound hard together, and even the wide -sweep of their flukes gat no hold upon the slimy water. But the -Decapods were in evil case. Assailed from above while their groping -arms writhed about below, they found themselves more often locked in -unreleasable hold of their fellows than they did of their enemies. And -the quick-shearing jaws of those enemies shredded them into fragments, -made nought of their bulk, revelled and frolicked among them, slaying, -devouring, exulting. Again and again the triumphant mammals drew off -for air and from satiety, went and lolled upon the sleek oily surface, -in water now so thick that the fiercest hurricane that ever blew would -have failed to raise a wave thereon. - -So through a day and a night the slaying ceased not, except for -these brief interludes, until those of the Decapods left alive had -disentangled themselves from the débris of their late associates and -returned with what speed they might to depths and crannies, where they -fondly hoped their ravenous enemies could never come. They bore with -them the certain knowledge that from henceforth they were no longer -lords of the sea, that instead of being, as hitherto, devourers of all -things living that crossed the radius of their outspread toils, they -were now and for all time to be the prey of a nobler race of creatures, -a higher order of being, and that at last they had taken their rightful -position as creatures of usefulness in the vast economy of Creation. - - - - -THE SIAMESE LOCK - - -Even in these prosaic days of palatial passenger steamers, running -upon lines from port to port almost as definite as railway metals, and -keeping time with far more regularity than some railway trains that it -would be easy to name, there are many eddies and backwaters of commerce -still remaining where the romance of sea-traffic retains all the old -pre-eminence, and events occur daily that are stranger than any fiction. - -Notably is this the case on the Chinese coast, in whose innumerable -creeks and bays there is a never-ceasing ebb and flow of queer craft, -manned by a still queerer assortment of Eastern seafarers. And if it -were not for that strange Lingua Franca of the Far East, to which our -marvellous language lends itself with that ready adaptability which -makes it one of the most widely-spoken in the world, the difficulties -awaiting the white man who is called upon to rule over one of those -motley crews would be well-nigh insuperable. As it is, men of our race -who spend any length of time “knocking about” in Eastern seas always -acquire an amazing _mélange_ of tongues, which they themselves are -totally unable to assign to their several sources of origin, even if -they ever were to seriously undertake such a task. Needless, perhaps, -to say that they have always something more important on hand than -that. At least I had when, after a much longer spell ashore in Bangkok -than I cared for, I one day prevailed upon a sturdy German skipper -to ship me as mate of the little barque he commanded. She flew the -Siamese flag, and belonged, as far as I was ever able to ascertain, to -a Chinese firm in the humid Siamese capital, a sedate, taciturn trio -of Celestials, who found it well worth their while to have Europeans -in charge of her, even though they had to pay a long price for their -services. My predecessor had been a “towny” of the skipper’s, a -Norddeutscher from Rostock, who, with the second mate, a huge Dane, had -been with the skipper in the same vessel for over two years. On the -last voyage, however, during his watch on deck, while off the Paracels, -he had silently disappeared, nor was the faintest inkling of his fate -obtainable. When the skipper told me this in guttural German-English, I -fancied he looked as if his air of indifference was slightly overdone, -but the fancy did not linger--I was too busy surmising by what one -of the many possible avenues that hapless mate had strolled out of -existence. I was glad, if the suggestion of gladness over such a grim -business be admissible, to have even this scanty information, since -any temptation to taking my position at all carelessly was thereby -effectually removed. Before coming on board I invested a large portion -of my advance in two beautiful six-shooters and a good supply of -ammunition, asking no questions of the joss-like Chinaman I bought -them from as to how he became possessed of two U. S. Navy weapons and -cartridges to match. I had, besides, a frightfully dangerous looking -little kris, only about nine inches long altogether, but inlaid with -gold, and tempered so that it would almost stab into iron. I picked it -up on the beach at Hai-phong six months before, but had only thought of -it as a handsome curio until now. - -Thus armed, but with all my weapons well out of sight, I got aboard, -determined to take no more chances than I could help, and to grow -eyes in the back of my head if possible. The old man received me as -cordially as he was able--which isn’t saying very much--introduced me -to Mr. Boyesen, the second mate, and proposed a glass of schnapps and -a cheroot while we talked over business. I was by no means averse to -this, for I wanted to be on good terms with my skipper, and I also had -a strong desire upon me to know more about the kind of trade we were -likely to be engaged in, for I didn’t even know what the cargo was, -or what port she was bound to--the only information the skipper gave -me when I shipped being that she was going “up the coast,” and this -state of complete ignorance was not at all comfortable. I hate mystery, -especially aboard ship--it takes away my appetite; and when a sailor’s -off his feed he isn’t much good at his work. But my expectations -were cruelly dashed, for, instead of becoming confidential, Captain -Klenck gave me very clearly to understand that no one on board the -Phrabayat--“der Frau” _he_ called her--but himself ever knew what -was the nature of the trade she was engaged in or what port she was -bound to. More than that, he told me very plainly that he alone kept -the reckoning; the second mate and myself had only to carry out his -instructions as to courses, etc., and that so long as we kept her -going through our respective watches as he desired, he was prepared to -take all the risk. And all the time he was unloading this stupefying -intelligence upon me, he kept his beady eyes on mine as if he would -read through my skull the nature of my thoughts. Had he been able so -to do, they would have afforded him little satisfaction, for they were -in such a ferment that I “wanted out,” as the Scotch say, to cool down -a bit. I wanted badly to get away from Bangkok, but I would have given -all I had to be ashore there again and well clear of the berth I had -thought myself so lucky to get a day or two ago. But that was out of -the question. The old man helped himself to another bosun’s nip of -square-face, and, rising as he shipped it, said-- - -“Ve ked her onder vay mit vonce, Meesder Fawn, und mindt ju keeb dose -verdammt schwein coin shtrong. Dey vants so mooch boot as dey can get, -der schelm.” - -Glad of any chance of action to divert my mind, I answered cheerily, -“Ay, ay, sir!” and, striding out of the cabin, I shouted, “Man the -windlass!” forgetting for the moment that I was not on board one of -my own country’s ships, free from mysteries of any kind. My mistake -was soon rectified, and for the next hour or so I kept as busy as I -knew how, getting the anchor and making sail. The black, olive, and -yellow sailors worked splendidly, being bossed by a “serang” or “bosun” -of herculean build and undiscoverable nationality. I think he must -have been a Dyak. Now, it has always been my practice in dealing with -natives of any tropical country to treat them as men, and not, as too -many Europeans do to their loss, behave towards them as if they were -unreasoning animals. I have always found a cheery word and a smile go -a long way, especially with negroes, wherever they hail from--and, -goodness knows, unless you are liverish, it is just as easy to look -pleasant as glum. At any rate, whether that was the cause or not, the -work went on greased wheels that forenoon, and I felt that if they were -all the colours the human race can show, I couldn’t wish for a smarter -or more willing crowd. When she was fairly under way and slipping down -to the bar at a good rate, I went aft for instructions, finding the old -man looking but sourly as he conned her down stream. Before I had time -to say anything he opened up with-- - -“Bei Gott, Meesder Fawn, ju haf to do diffrunt mit dese crout ef ju -vaunts to keep my schip coin. I tondt vant ter begin ter find fault, -but I ain’t coin to haf no nicker-cottlin abordt de Frau. Ju dake id -from me.” - -This riled me badly, for I knew no men could have worked smarter or -more willingly than ours had, so I replied quietly, “Every man knows -his work and does it, Cap’n Klenck. I know mine, and I’ll do it, but I -must do it my own way, or not at all. If you’ve got any fault to find, -find it, but don’t expect me to spoil a decent crew and chance getting -a kris between my brisket bones in the bargain.” - -He gave me one look, and his eyes were like those of a dead fish. -Then he walked away, leaving me standing simmering with rage. But no -more was said, and at dinner he seemed as if he had forgotten the -circumstance. And I, like a fool, thought he had, for the wish was ever -father to the thought with me, especially in a case of this kind, where -what little comfort I hoped to enjoy was entirely dependent upon the -skipper. He, astuteness itself, gave no sign of his feelings towards -me, being as civil as he was able in all our business relations; but -beyond those he erected a barrier between us, all the more impassable -because indefinite. Thrown thus upon my own resources, I tried to -cultivate an acquaintance with Mr. Boyesen; but here again I was -baffled, for he was the greatest enigma of all. I never knew a man -possessing the power of speech who was able to get along with less use -of that essentially human faculty. He was more like a machine than -a man, seeming to be incapable of exhibiting any of the passions or -affections of humanity. I have seen him grasp a Siamese sailor by the -belt and hurl him along the deck as if he were a mere bundle of rags; -but for any expression of anger in his pale blue eyes or flush upon his -broad face, he might as well have been a figure-head. So that after -a brief struggle with his immobility I gave up the attempt to make a -companion of him, coming to the conclusion that he was in some way -mentally deficient. - -Thus I was perforce driven to study my crew more than I perhaps should -have done, particularly the neat-handed, velvet-footed Chinese steward, -Ah Toy, who, although at ordinary times quite as expressionless as the -majority of his countrymen, generally developed a quaint contortion -of his yellow visage for me, which, if not a smile, was undoubtedly -meant for one. We were the best of friends; so great, indeed, that -whenever I heard the old man beating him--that is, about once a day--I -felt the greatest difficulty in restraining myself from interference. -I was comforted, however, by noticing that Ah Toy seemed to heed these -whackings no more than as if he had been made of rubber; he never -uttered a cry or did anything but go on with his work as if nothing had -happened. I had eight men in my watch: two Chinese, four Siamese, one -Tagal, and a Malay; a queer medley enough, but all very willing and -apparently contented. For some little time I was hard put to it to gain -their confidence, their attitude being that of men prepared to meet -with ill-treatment and to take the earliest opportunity of resenting it -(although they accepted hearty blows from the Serang’s colt with the -greatest good nature). But gradually this sullen, watchful demeanour -wore off, and they became as cheerful a lot of fellows as I could -wish, ready to anticipate my wishes if they could, and as anxious to -understand me as I certainly was them. This state of things was so far -satisfactory that the time, which had at first hung very heavily, now -began to pass pleasantly and quickly, although I slept, as the saying -is, with one eye open, for fear of some development of hostility on -the skipper’s part. Because, in spite of my belief that he meant me -no ill, having, indeed, no reason to do so as far as I knew, I could -not rid myself of an uneasy feeling in my mind that all was not as it -should be with him. - -We had wonderfully fine weather, it being the N.E. monsoon, but made -very slow progress, the vessel being not only a dull sailer at the best -of times, but much hindered by the head wind. This tried my patience -on account of my anxiety to get some inkling of our position, which -the old man kept as profound a secret as if millions depended upon no -one knowing it but himself. And although we sighted land occasionally, -I was not sufficiently well up in China coast navigation to do more -than guess at the position of the ship. At last, when we had been a -fortnight out, I was awakened suddenly in my watch below one night by -the sound of strange voices alongside. I sprang out of my bunk in the -dark, striking my head against the door, which I always left open, but -which was now closed and locked. I felt as I should imagine a rat feels -in a trap. But the first thrill of fear soon gave place to indignation -at my treatment, and, after striking a light, I set my back against -the door and strove with all my might to burst it open. Failing in the -attempt, I remembered my little bag of tools, and in a few seconds -had a screw-driver at work, which not only released me, but spoiled -the lock for any future use. Of course, my revolvers were about me; I -always carried _them_. Still hot with anger, I marched on deck to find -the ship hove-to, a couple of junks alongside, the hatches off, and -a rapid exchange of cargo going on. Silence and haste were evidently -the _mots d’ordre_, but, besides, the workers were the smartest I had -ever seen; they handled the stuff, cases, bags, and bales of all sorts -and sizes, with a celerity that was almost magical. I stood looking on -like a fool for quite two or three minutes, in which every detail of -the strange scene became indelibly stamped upon my brain. The brilliant -flood of moonlight paling all the adjacent stars, the wide silvern path -of the moon on the dark water broken by a glistening sand-bank over -which the sullen swell broke with an occasional hollow moan, every -item in the arrangement of the sails, and the gliding figures on deck; -all helped to make a marvellous picture. The brief spell was broken by -a hand upon my shoulder that made me leap three feet forward. It was -the skipper, and in that moment I felt how helpless I was if this man -desired to do me hurt. We stood facing each other silently for a breath -or two, when he said quietly-- - -“Meesder Fawn, I tondt vant my offcers to keeb only dere own vatch. I -nefer make dem vork oferdime. Ven ids your vatch an deg yu vill be gall -as ushal. Goot nacht,” and he stood aside to let me pass. - -“But, Captain Klenck,” I blurted out, “why did you lock me in my berth?” - -“Ey good man, du bist nod vell, or ellas you bin hafin a--vat you call -im--night-pig, ain’d it?” Then, suddenly changing his tone, he made a -step towards me, and said, “Go below mid vonce, er I’m tamt ef ju see -daylight any more dis foyge!” - -To tell the truth, I didn’t quite see my way to defying him. I felt -like a beastly cur, and I knew there was some devilish business going -on, but the whole thing had come on me so suddenly that I was undecided -how to act, and indecision in such a predicament spells defeat. So -I just inclined my head and sauntered off to my cabin in a pretty -fine state of mind. Needless to say, I got no more sleep. A thousand -theories ran riot in my brain as to the nature of the business we were -doing, and I worried myself almost into a fever wondering whether -Boyesen was in it. By the time eight bells (four a.m.) was struck I -was almost crazy, a vile taste in my mouth, and my head throbbing like -a piston. The quiet appearance of Ah Toy at my door murmuring “eight -bell” gave me relief, for I took it as a sign that I might reappear, -and I wasted no time getting on deck. I found the watch trimming the -yards under the skipper’s direction, but no sign of the second mate. -All trace of the junks had vanished. I went for’ard to trim the yards -on the fore by way of slipping into my groove, and being in that -curious mental state when in the presence of overwhelmingly serious -problems the most trivial details demand attention, some small object -that I kicked away in the darkness insisted upon being found before -I did anything else. It only lay a yard or two in front of me, a key -of barbarous make with intricate wards on either side. Mechanically I -picked it up and dropped it in my pocket, imagining for the moment that -it must belong to one of the seamen, who each had some sort of a box -which they kept carefully locked. Then I went on with my work, getting -everything shipshape and returning to the poop. The skipper greeted me -as if nothing had happened, giving me a N.N.E. course if she would lay -it, and, bidding me call him at once in the event of any change taking -place, went below. - -Left alone upon the small poop with the vessel calmly gliding through -the placid sea, and the steadfast stars eyeing me solemnly, I felt -soothed and uplifted. I reviewed the situation from every possible -point of view I could take of it, until, sick and weary of the vain -occupation, I unslung a bucket and went to the lee-side with the -intention of drawing some water to cool my aching head. As I leaned -over the side I saw a sampan hanging alongside, and a figure just in -the act of coming aboard. By this time I was almost proof against -surprises of any kind, so I quietly waited until the visitor stepped -over the rail, and saluted me as if boarding a vessel in the dark -while she was working her way up the China Sea was the most ordinary -occurrence in the world. He was a gigantic Chinaman, standing, I -should think, fully 6ft. 6in. or 6ft. 7in., and built in proportion. -In excellent English he informed me that he had business with Captain -Klenck, who was expecting him, and without further preliminary walked -aft and disappeared down the cabin-companion quietly as if he had been -an apparition. In fact, some such idea flitted across my mind, and I -stepped back to the rail and peered down into the darkness alongside to -see if the sampan was a reality. It was no longer there. Like one in a -dream I walked aft to where one of the Siamese stood at the wheel, and -after a casual glance into the compass, from sheer force of habit, I -asked the man if he had seen the visitor. He answered, “Yes,” in a tone -of surprise, as if wondering at the question. Satisfied that at least I -was not the victim of some disorder of the brain, I went for’ard again, -noting with a sense of utmost relief the paling of the eastern horizon -foretelling the coming of the day. - -No one realizes more than a sailor what a blessing daylight is. In a -gale of wind the rising sun seems to lighten anxiety, and the prayer -of Ajax trembles more frequently upon the lips of seafarers than -any other. I watched the miracle of dawn with fervent thanksgiving, -feeling that the hateful web of mystery that was hourly increasing in -complexity around me would be less stifling with the sun upon it. And -in the homely duties of washing decks, “sweating-up,” etc., I almost -forgot that I was not in an orderly, commonplace English ship, engaged -in honest traffic. The time passed swiftly until eight bells, when a -double portion of horror came upon me at the sight of Captain Klenck -coming on deck to relieve me. Before I knew what I was saying I had -blurted out, “Where’s Mr. Boyesen?” The cold, expressionless eyes of -the skipper rested full upon me as he replied slowly-- - -“Ju tondt seem to learn mooch, Meesder Fawn. I dells ju one dime more, -undt only one dime, dat ju nodings to do mit der peezness auf dis -scheep. Verdammt Englescher schweinhund, de nexd dime ju inderferes -mit mein affaires will pe der lasd dime ju efer do anythings in dees -vorl’. Co pelow!” - -Again I had to own myself beaten, and the thought was just maddening. -To be trampled on like a coolie, abused like a dog. Great heavens! how -low had I fallen. I never seemed to be ready or able to keep end up -when that man chose to put forth his will against mine. But, unknown -even to myself, I was being educated up to the work that was before -me, and the training was just what was necessary for me. I ate my -breakfast alone, Ah Toy waiting on me with almost affectionate care. -Several times I caught his eye, and fancied that there was a new light -therein. Once I opened my mouth to speak to him, but his finger flew -to his lips, and his look turned swiftly towards the skipper’s berth, -that closely-shut room of which I had never seen the inside. As soon -as my meal was over I retreated to my cabin, closed the door, and -busied myself devising some means of fastening it on the inside. For -now I felt sure that for some reason or other Boyesen had been made -away with, and in all probability my turn was fast approaching. Is it -necessary to say that I felt no want of sleep? Perhaps not; at any -rate, I spent the greater part of my watch below in such preparations -as I could make for self-defence. My two revolvers now seemed precious -beyond all computation as I carefully examined them in every detail, -and made sure they were ready for immediate use. - -While thus employed a sudden appalling uproar on deck sent my blood -surging back to my heart, and, after about a second’s doubt, I flung -wide the door and rushed on deck, flinging off Ah Toy, who caught at -me as I passed his pantry door. Springing out of the cabin, I saw the -colossal Chinaman who had boarded us on the previous night standing -calmly looking on, while the crew fought among themselves with a -savagery awful to witness. I did not see the skipper at first, but, -glancing down, I caught sight of his face distorted beyond recognition -by the foot of the huge Celestial, which was planted on his throat. -In that moment all my detestation of him vanished. He was a white man -at the mercy of Mongols, and drawing my revolvers, I sprang towards -his foe. Click went the trigger, but there was no flash or report. -Both were alike useless, and my brain working quietly enough now, -I realized that the man I would have saved had rendered my weapons -useless while I slept, to his own bitter cost. Flinging them from me, I -snatched at a hand-spike that lay at my feet; but before I could grasp -it the combatants divided, half a dozen of my watch flung themselves -upon me, and in a minute I was overpowered. Of course I was somewhat -roughly handled, but there was no anger against me in the faces of my -assailants. As for the giant, he might as well have been carved in -stone for all the notice he appeared to take of what was going on. - -Two Siamese carefully lashed me so that I could not move, then carried -me, not at all roughly, aft to the cabin door, and sat me on the -grating, where they left me and returned to the fight, which seemed to -be a life and death struggle between two parties into which the crew -were divided. I have no taste for horrors, and do not propose serving -up a dish of them here, although the temptation to describe the wild -beast fury of those yellow and black men is very great. But it must -suffice to say that those who were apparently friendly to me were the -victors, and having disposed of the dead by summarily flinging them -overboard, they busied themselves of their own accord in trimming sail -so as to run the vessel in towards the coast. - -Meanwhile, the gigantic Chinaman, whose advent had so strangely -disturbed the business of our skipper, quietly lifted that unhappy -German as if he had been a child, and carried him into the cabin. Ah -Toy, doubtless ordered by some one in authority, came and set me free, -his face fairly beaming upon me as he told me that it was entirely -owing to my humane treatment of the fellows that my life had been -spared. To my eager questionings as to what was going to be done with -the skipper and the ship, he returned me but the Shibboleth of the -East, “No shabee him; no b’long my pidgin.” - -I went on with the work of the ship as usual, finding the survivors -quite as amenable to my orders as they had ever been, and contenting -myself with keeping her on the course she was then making until some -way of taking the initiative should present itself. I had given up -studying the various problems that had so recently made me feel as if I -had gone suddenly mad, and went about in a dull, animalized state, too -bewildered to think, and prepared for any further freak of Fate. While -thus moodily slouching about, Ah Toy came on deck and informed me that -the huge Chinaman was anxious to see me in the cabin. Instinctively -I felt that whatever, whoever he was, I could not afford to offend -him, so I went on the instant, finding him sitting in the main cabin -contemplating the lifeless body of Captain Klenck, which lay on the -deck by his side. Although prepared for anything, as I thought, I could -not repress a shudder of horror at this spectacle, which did not pass -unnoticed by the giant. Turning a grave look upon me, he said, in easy, -polished diction-- - -“This piece of carrion at my feet had been my paid servant for the last -two years. He was necessary to me, but not indispensable, and he fell -into the fatal error of supposing that not only could I not do without -him, but that, in spite of the enormous salary I paid him, he could rob -me with impunity. I am the senior partner in the Bangkok firm owning -this vessel, and also a fleet of piratical junks that range these seas -from Singapore to Hong Kong, and prey upon other junks mostly, although -wherever it is possible they have no scruples in attacking European -vessels. It is a lucrative business, but a good deal of business acumen -is needed in order to dispose of the plunder realized. In this the late -Captain Klenck was a very useful man, and, knowing this, we paid him so -well that he might very soon have realized a fortune from his salary -alone. Now my men, who, as you have seen, without any assistance from -me, have easily disposed of the gang Klenck had engaged to further -his ends, tell me that they are very fond of you. They say that you -have treated them like men, of your own free will, and I am prepared -to offer you the command of the Phrabayat at the same salary as Klenck -enjoyed. What do you say?” - -For a moment I was stunned at the story told me, and, besides, very -much annoyed because I hadn’t seen it all before. It looked so simple -now. But one thing dominated all the rest--who or what was this suave, -English educated Celestial, who trafficked in piracy and yet spoke as -if imbued with all the culture of the West? He actually seemed as if he -read my thoughts, for with something approaching a smile he said-- - -“I see you are wondering at my English. I am a graduate of Cambridge -University, and was at one time rather lionized in certain fashionable -circles in London. But circumstances made it necessary for me to go -into this business, which pleases me very well. You have not yet -answered my question, though.” - -“I am aware that I run considerable risk at present by so doing,” -I replied; “but, in spite of that, I must give you an unqualified -refusal. I am rather surprised at your offer!” - -A look of genuine astonishment came over his face as he said, “Why? -Surely you are not so well off that you can afford to play fast and -loose with such a prospect as I hold out to you?” - -Then, as if it had suddenly dawned upon him, he shrugged his shoulders -and murmured, “I suppose you have some more scruples. Well, I do not -understand them, but for the sake of my foolish men I suppose I must -respect them. There is one other point, however, upon which I think -you can enlighten me or help me. This carrion here,” and he kicked -contemptuously at the skipper’s dead body, “has secreted quite a -treasure in pearls and gold, and I cannot now compel him to tell me -where. Did you enjoy his confidence at all?” - -I hastened to assure my questioner that nothing could well be farther -from the late skipper’s thoughts than to place any confidence in me; -but, as I was speaking, I suddenly remembered the odd-looking key I had -picked up, and diving into my pocket I produced it, saying, “This may -open some secret locker of his. I found it on deck last night, just -after the transhipment of cargo in the middle watch.” - -His eyes gave one flash of recognition, and he said quietly, “I know -that key. Come, let us see what we can find by its aid.” - -Then, for the first time, I saw the inside of the skipper’s state-room. -No wonder he kept it fast closed. It was honeycombed with lockers of -every shape and size; but, strangest of all, there were three rings -in the deck as if to lift up level-fitting hatches. These took my eye -at once, and, upon my pointing them out, the Chinaman stooped and -essayed to lift one. He had hardly taken hold of the ring, though, -when he saw a keyhole at one edge, and muttering, “I didn’t know of -this, though,” he tried my key in it. It fitted, unlocking the hatch at -once. But neither he nor I was prepared for what we found. There, in a -space not more than four feet square and five feet deep, was a white -man, a stranger to me. The giant at my side reached down and lifted -the prisoner out of his hole as if he had been a child, and, placing -him gently on a settee, regarded him with incurious eyes. He was just -alive, and moaning softly. I called Ah Toy, who evinced no surprise at -seeing the stranger; but, after he had brought some water at my order, -and given the sufferer some drink, he told me that this was the missing -mate. Ah Toy assisted me to get the unfortunate man into my berth, -where I left him to the ministrations of the steward, while I hurried -back to the skipper’s state-room. When I reached it the calm searcher -had laid bare almost all its secrets. - -Boyesen, the second mate, was there, looking like a man just awaking -from a furious debauch, and blinking at the light like a bat. And -around him on the deck were heaped treasures beyond all my powers of -assessment. But their glitter had no effect upon me; I suppose I must -have been saturated with surprises, so that my clogged brain would -absorb no more. I turned to Boyesen and offered him my hand, which he -took, and, by assistance, crawled out of that infernal den, leaving the -Chinaman to sort out his wealth. - -I tried hard to get some explanation of the second mate’s strange -disappearance from him, but, in addition to his habitual taciturnity, -he was in no condition to talk; so, after a few minutes’ ineffectual -effort, I left him and returned on deck. Ah, how delightful was the -pure air. I drew in great draughts of it, as if to dispel the foulness -of that place below; I looked up at the bright sky and down at the -glittering sea, over which the Phrabayat was bounding at the rate of -six or seven knots an hour, and blessed God that I was still alive, and -for the moment forgot how great was the danger still remaining. - -Far ahead I could see the loom of the China coast. By my reckoning she -would be in touch with the land before nightfall if the present fresh -breeze held--and what then? A sudden resolve came upon me to ask the -evident master of my destinies; for, although I felt quite sure that -any compunction for whatever sufferings we white men might endure would -be impossible to him, there would be a certain amount of satisfaction -in knowing his intentions. I turned to go and seek him, but he was -standing by my side. Without waiting for me to speak to him, he said -gravely-- - -“In a few hours I hope to reach the creek where my agents are waiting -to tranship the cargo. What then will happen depends largely upon -yourself. Should you persist in refusing to take command of this vessel -it may be the easiest plan to cut your throat, as you would be greatly -in the way. Of course, your two companions would be disposed of in the -same manner. But for the present, if you will have the goodness to call -the hands aft, there are some precautions to be taken with reference -to the valuables you have seen, which represent the loot that Captain -Klenck anticipated making off with presently. That reminds me----” And, -disappearing from my side, he slid rather than walked below. I called -the hands aft, walking to the break of the poop as I did so. As I stood -looking down on to the main deck, my late companion appeared with the -skipper’s body in his arms, which he cast over the lee-rail as if it -had been a bundle of rags. - -Then, turning to the waiting crew, he gave a few quiet orders, and at -once they began preparing the two boats for lowering. Some of them -dived below and brought up armfuls of small boxes, bags, and mats, -within which coarse coverings I knew were concealed that mass of wealth -lately exposed upon the deck of the state-room below. - -Quite at a loss what to do, I stood listlessly watching the busy scene, -until I suddenly remembered the two white men below, who had been so -strangely rescued from an awful death. And as I was clearly not wanted -on deck I went into the cabin, finding, with the first thrall of -satisfaction I had felt for a long time, that they were both rapidly -mending. It is hardly necessary to say that I soon found the stranger -to be my predecessor, whose mysterious disappearance had worried me -not a little. Neither he nor Boyesen were able to talk much, had they -been willing; but I learned that they had both incurred the wrath of -the skipper from having obtained too much knowledge of his proceedings, -that they had both been drugged (at least, only in that way could they -account for his being able to deal with them as he had done), and -they had suffered all the torments of the lost until the yellow giant -had let in the blessed daylight upon them again. But neither they -nor I could understand why the skipper had not killed them offhand. -That was a puzzle never likely to be unravelled now. Neither of them -appeared to take a great deal of interest in the present state of -affairs, certainly not enough to assist me in concerting my plans for -our safety. I was quite satisfied that we were in no immediate danger, -so that I was content, having established a bond of good-fellowship -between us, to wait until they were more fit for active service. - -We sat quietly smoking and dropping an occasional word, when a sudden -hurried pattering of bare feet overhead startled me. I rushed on deck, -roused at last into something like vigorous interest, to find that all -hands were quitting the ship. We were now some twenty miles (by my -estimate) from the land, and what this sudden manœuvre could mean was -beyond me until, looking astern, I saw a long smoke-wreath lying like -a soft pencil smudge along a low mass of cumulous cloud. Not one of -the departing heathen took the slightest notice of me as they shoved -off, so I darted out, snatched up the glasses, and focused them on -the approaching steamer. I could not make her out, but I felt sure it -was her advent that had rid us of our parti-coloured masters. Down I -went and told the invalids what had happened, begging them, if they -could, to come on deck and lend a hand to get her hove-to, so that the -steamer might the more rapidly overhaul us. Boyesen managed to make a -start, but the late mate was too feeble. And Ah Toy, to my surprise, -also showed up. I had no time to ask him why he had not gone with the -rest, but together we hurried on deck, finding that a thick column of -smoke was rising from the main hatch--those animals had set her on -fire! There were, of course, no boats, and unless that vessel astern -got in some pretty good speed we stood no bad chance of being roasted -alive. However, we rigged up an impromptu raft, after letting go all -the halyards so that her way might be deadened--we knew better than to -waste time trying to put out such a fire as was raging below. - -Why enlarge upon the alternations of hope and fear until the -Ly-ee-moon, Chinese gunboat, overhauled us? She did do so, but not -until we were cowering on the taffrail watching the hungry flames -licking up the mizen-rigging. And when rescued I would not have given a -dozen “cash” for our lives, but that the gunboat had an Englishman in -command, to whom I was able to tell my story. He put the coping-stone -upon my experiences when he told me that he had been watching for the -Phrabayat for the past six months, having received much information as -to her doings. And he used language that made the air smell brimstone -when he realized that, after all, his prize had escaped him. I told him -all I could--it was not much--of the disappearance of the crew, but he -was indifferent. He “didn’t expect to clap eyes on ’em any more,” he -said. Nor did he. Where they landed, or whether they sank, no one but -themselves knew. And we three unfortunate wretches were landed in Hong -Kong three weeks afterwards almost as bare of belongings as when we -began the world. Ah Toy fell on his feet, for he shipped in the gunboat -as the commander’s servant upon my recommendation. - -I had all the experience of the China coast I wanted, and shipped -before the mast in a “blue-funnelled” boat for home two days after, -glad to get away on any terms. The two Danes went their way, and I saw -them no more. - - - - -THE COOK OF THE CORNUCOPIA - - -A square-set little Norwegian with a large head, puffy face, faded -blue eyes, and a beard that, commencing just below them, flowed in -wavy masses nearly to his waist; the “Doctor” had already achieved a -reputation among us for taciturnity and gruffness quite out of keeping -with his appearance. - -As a cook he was no better or worse than the average, except in one -particular, his cleanliness; and as the majority of sailors in British -ships do not expect such a miracle as would be necessary in order to -change the bad, scanty provisions supplied into tasty food by cooking, -a clean cook is pretty certain of becoming a prime favourite for’ard. - -But Olaf Olsen courted no man’s company or favour. To all such sociable -advances as were made him by various members of the crew he returned -the barest answer possible, letting it plainly be seen that he -considered his own society amply sufficient for all his desires. One -of the most difficult positions to maintain, however, on board ship is -that of a misanthrope. Sooner or later the need of human fellowship -always asserts itself, and the most sullen or reserved of men let fall -their self-contained garment. Olsen was no exception to this rule. - -Before we had been a month at sea, I was sitting on the spare spars -opposite the galley door silently smoking during the last half-hour -of the second dog-watch, in full enjoyment of the delicious evening -freshness, when the cook suddenly leaned out over the half-door of his -den and said-- - -“You looks fery quiet dis efening, ain’t id?” - -I was so taken aback by his offering any remark that I let my pipe fall -out of my mouth, but stooping to pick it up gave me time to collect -myself and reply in a cheery word or two, feeling curiously anxious to -draw him out. One word brought on another, as the common phrase has -it, and five minutes after his first remark he was sitting by my side -yarning away as if trying to make up for lost time. I let him talk, -only just dropping a word or two at intervals so as to keep him going -by showing him that I was paying attention. Presently he broke off some -rambling remarks by saying abruptly-- - -“You efer bin t’ Callyo?” - -“No, but I’ve heard a lot about it,” I replied. “Pretty hard citizens -around there, ain’t they?” - -“Id’s de las’ place Gott Allamitey efer made, my boy, an’ de -deffel’s ben a dumpin’ all de leff-overs in de vorl’ down dere efer -since,” grunted he. “I vas dere las’ voy’ge. You know a ship call de -Panama--big wooden ship’bout fourteen hundred ton? Yell, I vas cook -apoard her, ben out in her over two yere ven ve come ofer frum Melbun -in ballas’. Ve schip a pooty hard crout in de Colonies, leas, dey fancy -demsellufs a tough lot, but mie Gott! dey tidn’ know’ Capn Tunn. No, -dey tidn’, ner yet de tree mates,’n’ leas’ of all dey tidn’ know _me_. -I like de afterguard fus’-class, me an’ dem allvus ked along bully, an’ -ve vas all lef’ of de fus’ crew ship’ in London. - -“De Bosun, Chips, an’ Sails wa’nt any count; square-heads all tree ov’ -em. P’raps you’se tinkin’ I’m a square-head, too? Yus, but I’m f’m -Hammerfes’, an’ dey don’ breed no better men in de vorl, dan dere. -Veil, I see how tings vas coin’ t’be, ’fore ve ked out of Bass’s -Straits,’n I dells you, my poy, dere vas dimes pooty soon. De ole -man vas a Kokney, but he looks so much like me as if he been my dvin -broder. He speak fery low an’ soft--de mate alvus done de hollerin’; -but de fus’ time one of de fellers gif him some slack, he pick him from -de veel like he bin a crab, unt schling him forrut along de poop so he -fall ofer de break onto de main-deck vere de mate vus standin’ ready -ter kig him fur fallin’. De noise bring de vatch below out, an’ dey all -rush af’, fur a plug mush. I come too, but I sail in an he’p de ole -man, un’ I dell you id vas a crate fight, dere vas blut unt hair flyin’. - -“In den minnits ve hat it all ofer, de olt man vas de boss, unt -eferybody know it. All de fellers get forrut like sheeps, un’ ven -de ole man sing out, ‘Grog oh!’ presently, dey come aft so goot as -a Suntay-school. Ve haf no more trouble mit dem, but ven ve ket ter -Callyo de ole man say, ‘Py Gott! I ain’t coin ter keep dis crout -loafin’ rount here fur two tree mont’ vile ve vaitin’ fur our turn at -de Chinchees. Run’em out, Misder Short; ve ket plenty men here ven -ve vant ’em quite so goot as dese, un some blut money too!’ So de -mate, he vork ’em up, make ’em rouse de cable all ofer de ballas’, -schling ’em alof’, tarrin’ un schrapin’ an’ slushin’ all day long frum -coffee-time till eight bells at night, unt I feet ’em yoost de same as -at sea. - -“In tree day efery galoot ov ’em vas gone, unt den ve haf goot times, I -dell you, de Bosun unt Chips unt Sails vashin’ decks unt keepin’ tings -shipshape. Ve lay dere tree mont’, an’ den de olt man ket his per-mit -fur de islan’s. He vent to Bucko Yoe, de Amerigan boarding-master -dat kill so many men--you hear of him before, ain’t it?--unt he say, -‘Yoe, I vant fifteen men to-morrow. I ton’d care a tarn who dey vas -s’long’s dey’s life sailormen, put py Gott, ef you schanghai me enny -’longshoremen, alla det men, I fills you so full of holes dat you mage -a No. 1 flour tretger. Dat’s all I’m coin t’ say t’ you.’ Bucko Yoe he -larf, but he know de olt man pefore, unt he pring us fifteen vite men, -all blind, paralytic tronk, but anybody see dey vas sailormen mit von -eye.” - -Just at this juncture, Sandy McFee, my especial chum, came strolling -out of the fo’c’sle, his freshly-loaded pipe glowing and casting a -grateful odour upon the quiet evening air. He was, like the cook, -a square-set, chunky man, but he was also, in addition, one of the -smartest men I ever knew. He brought up all standing at the unusual -sight of the Doctor and myself enjoying a friendly cuffer, so surprised -that he allowed his pipe to go out. The cook froze up promptly, and -stared at the intruder stonily. It was an uncomfortable silence that -ensued, broken at last by the rasping voice of the Aberdonian, -saying, “Man Tammas, hoo d’ye manach t’ open th’ lips o’ yon Dutch -immuj? Ah’d a noshin’ ut he couldna speyk ony ceevil language. Ye micht -tell ma hoo ye manached it.” - -[Illustration: He clutched his insulter by the beard and belt.] - -A certain quivering about the cook’s broad shoulders was the only -visible sign that he had heard and understood the mocking little speech -made by Scotty, but the latter had hardly finished when the Doctor rose -to his feet, remarking with a yawn, as of a man who took no interest in -the subject-- - -“I allvus t’ought Scossmen vas dam’ pigs, und now I knows it. But I -nefer hear von crunt before. Vy tondt you co unt scradge yorselluf? You -findt un olt proom forrut.” - -Down went Sandy’s pipe, an articulate growl burst from his chest, and, -with a spring like a grasshopper, he had clutched his insulter by the -beard and belt. There was a confused whirl of legs and arms, a panting -snarl deep down in the men’s throats, and suddenly, to my horror, I -saw the cook go flying over the rail into space, striking the sea -almost immediately afterwards with a tremendous splash. It was all so -sudden that for the instant I was helpless. But the splash alongside -started me into life, and, grabbing the coil of the fore-sheet behind -me, I hurled it overside without looking. At the same moment Sandy, -horror-struck at his mad action, sprang on to the pin-rail and dived -after his victim. - -The ship was just forging ahead through an oily smoothness of sea to a -faint upper current of air, so that there was no great danger except -from a prowling shark, but the short twilight was fading fast. As -if intuitively, all hands had rushed on deck and aft to the quarter, -while the helmsman jammed the wheel hard down. The vessel turned -slowly to meet the wind, while we watched the man who had just hurled -a fellow-creature to what might easily be his death, fighting like a -lion to rescue him. The cook could not swim, that was evident, but it -was still more evident that he had no thought of his own danger if only -he might take his enemy along with him to death. He had, however, to -deal with one who was equally at home in the water as on deck, and it -was wonderful to see how warily, yet with what determination the little -Scotchman manœuvred until he had the furious Norwegian firmly pinned -by the arms at his back, and how coolly he dipped him again and again -beneath the surface, until he had reduced him to quiescence. - -Getting the boat out is usually in those ships a formidable task, and -it was nearly half an hour before we had the two men safely on board -again. The skipper was a quiet, amiable man, and this strange outbreak -puzzled him greatly. Sandy, however, expressed his contrition, and -promised to avoid the Doctor and his bitter tongue in future. So with -that the skipper had to be content, especially as the cook recovered so -rapidly from his ducking that we heard him in another half-hour’s time -grinding coffee for the morning as if nothing had happened. But the -strangest part of the affair to me was its outcome. Next morning, in -our watch below, the Doctor came into the fo’c’sle, and, walking up to -Sandy, put out his hand, saying-- - -“Santy, you vas a coot man, pedder as me, unt I tond vant any more row -longer you. I ben coot man, too, bud I ain’t any longer, only I forkedd -it somedimes. I cot my soup unter vay for dinner, unt if you likes I -finish dot yarn I vas tellin’ Tom here lasd night.” - -Now Sandy was all over man, and jumping up from his chest he gripped -the Doctor’s paw, saying-- - -“Weel, Doctor, A’am as sorry as a maan can be ’at I lost ma temper wi’ -ye. W’en Ah see ye i’ th’ watter Ah feelt like a cooard, and Ah’d a -loupit owerboord afther ye, even ef Ah couldna ha soomt a stroak. Ah -wisht we’d a bottle o’ fhuskey t’ drink t’ yin anither in; but never -mind, we’ll hae two holl evenin’s thegither in Melburrun when we got -thonder. But you an’ me’s chums fra this oot.” - -This happy conclusion pleased us all, and, in order to profit by this -loosening of the Doctor’s tongue, I said, passing over my plug of -tobacco-- - -“Now then, Doctor, we’re all anxious to hear the rest of that cuffer -you was tellin’ me last night. I’ve told the chaps all you told me, and -they are just hungry for the rest, so fill up and go ahead.” - -“Vell, poys, you nefer see a hantier crout dan dat lot Amerigan Yoe cot -schanghaied abord of us in Callyo. How he ked ’em all so qviet I ton’t -know. But dey vas all ofer blut, unt dere close vas tore to shakin’s, -so I kess dey vas some pooty hart fightin’ pefore he put ’em to sleep -so he could pring dem alonkside. De olt man unt his bucko crout of -off’cers ton’t let ’em haf time to ked spry pefore dey pegin roustin’ -’em erroun’--dey know de ropes too vell fer dot. So as soon as de -boardin’ marsder vas gone, oudt dey comes, unt aldough it vas keddin’ -tark, I be tamt ef dey vasn’t sdarted holystonin’ de deck fore ’n aft. -Dey vas haluf tedt mit knoggin’ about, dey hadn’t been fed, unt dey vas -more as haluf poison mit bad yin, unt den to vork ’em oop like dat, I -dells you vat, poys, id vas tough. - -“Dey let oop on ’em ’bout twelluf o’clock unt told ’em to co below, but -de poor dyfuls yoost ked into de fo’c’sle unt fall down--anyveres--unt -dere dey schleep till coffee-dime. Perhaps you ton’d pelief me, but -I dells you de trut, dem fellers come out ven de mate sinks oudt, -‘Turn-to’ like anoder crout altogeder. Efen de mate look mit all his -eyes cos he don’t aspect to see ’em like dat. Dey ton’t do mooch till -prekfuss-dime, unt den dey keds a coot feet; mags dem quite sassy. - -“Unt so off ve goes to de Chinchees, unt from dat day out ve nefer done -fightin’. You talk apout Yankee blood-poats unt plue-nose hell-afloats, -dey wan’t in it ’longside de Panama. Dem fellers vas all kinds; but dey -vas all on de fight, unt, if de could only haf hang togedder, dey’d -haf murder de whole lot of us aft. But dey couldn’t; leas’, dey didn’t -until long after ve lef de island, an slidin’ up troo de soud-east -trades tords de line. Den one afternoon I ketch one of ’em diggin’ a -lot er slush[A] outer one er my full casks. ’Course I vas mat, unt I -dells him to get t’ hell out er dat, unt leave my slush alone. He don’t -say nuthin’, but he schlings de pot at me. Den it vas me un him for it, -un ve fight like two rhinosros. - - [A] “Slush” in the merchant service is the name given to the - coarse dripping, lumps of waste fat, etc., which the - ship’s cook has over after preparing the men’s food. He - is entitled to this as his perquisite, and is naturally - careful to cask it down during the voyage for sale ashore, - after the voyage, to wholesale chandlers and soap-boilers, - or their middlemen. - -“Ve fight so hardt ve don’t know dat all hants haf choin in, efen de -man run from de veel un chip in. I bin dat mat ’bout my slush I fight -like six men, unt ven de fight vas ofer I fall down on teck right vere -I am, unt go to sleep. Ven I vake up aken de olt man haf got de hole -crout in ierns. He say he be tam ef he coin’t t’ haf any mo’ fightin’ -dis voy’ge; liddle’s all fery vell, but ’nough’s a plenty. So ve vork -de ship home oursellufs--qvite ’nough t’ do, I tell you, t’ keep her -coin ’n look after dat crout so vell. - -“De olt man dell me he bin fery font of me,’n he coin’ t’ gif me dupple -pay; but ven ve ket to Grafesent ’n sent all de crout ashore in ierns, -I vant t’ sell my slush to a poatman--I haf fifteen parrels--unt de -poatman offer me £25 for it. But de olt man he say he want haluf--haluf -_my_ slush vat I ben safin fery near tree years! I say to him, ‘Look -here, Cap’n Tunn, I luf you petter as mineselluf; but pefore I led you -take away haluf my slush, I coin to see vich is de pest man, you alla -me.’ He don’t say no more, but he valk up to me unt make a crab at -my peard, unt den it vas us two for it. But he vasn’t a man, he vas -ten deffels stuff into von liddle man’s body. I tondt know how long -ve fight, I tondt know how ve fight; but ven I vake oop I ain’t any -fightin’ man no more. My het is crack unt haluf my teet gone, unt I -haf some arms unt legs break pesides. But he gomes to see me in de -’ospital, unt he ses, ‘Olsen, my poy, you bin a tam goot man, ’n I haf -sell your slush for tirty poun’ unt pring you de money. You haf £120 -to take, unt ven you come out, tondt you go to sea no more; you puy a -cook-shop in de Highvay; you make your fortune.’ Den he go avay, unt I -never see him any more. - -“Ven I come out I traw my 150 soffrins unt puy a pelt to carry dem -rount me. Unt I pig up mit a nice liddle gal from de country, unt ve -haf a yolly time. Ve make it oop to ked marrit righd off, unt dake dat -cook-shop so soon as I haf yoost a liddle run rount. Den I sdart on -de spree unt I keep it oop for tree veeks, until I ked bad in my het, -allvus dirsty unt nefer can’t get any trinks dat seems vet. Afterwards -I co vat you call oudt--off my het, unt I tond’t know vedder I isn’t -back in de Panama agen, fightin’, fightin’ all day unt all night. Ven -I ked vell agen, I got nuthin’, no money, no close, no vife. So I tink -I petter go unt look for a ship, unt ven I ked dis von I ain’t eat -anyting for tree days.” - -Then, as abruptly as he had opened the conversation, he closed -it by getting up and leaving us, having, I supposed, obeyed the -uncontrollable impulse to tell his story that comes now and then upon -every man. - - - - -A LESSON IN CHRISTMAS-KEEPING - - -Morning broke bleakly forbidding on the iron-bound coast of Kerguelen -Island. Over the fantastic peaks, flung broadcast as if from the -primeval cauldron of the world, hung a grim pall of low, grey-black -cloud, so low, indeed, that the sea-birds drifting disconsolately to -and fro between barren shore and gale-tossed sea were often hidden -from view as if behind a fog-bank, and only their melancholy screams -denoted their presence, until they glinted into sight again like huge -snow-flakes hesitating to fall. Yet it was the Antarctic mid-summer, it -was the breaking of Christmas Day. - -As the pale dawn grew less weak, it revealed a tiny encampment, just -a few odds and ends of drifting wreckage piled forlornly together, -and yielding a dubious shelter to a huddled-up group of fourteen -men, sleeping in spite of their surroundings. Presently, there were -exposed, perched upon the snarling teeth of an outlying rock-cluster, -the “ribs and trucks” of a small wooden ship, a barque-rigged craft of -about four hundred tons. Her rigging hung in slovenly festoons from -the drunkenly standing masts, the yards made more angles with their -unstable supports than are known to Euclid, while through many a jagged -gap in her topsides the mad sea rushed wantonly, as if elated with its -opportunities of marring the handiwork of the daring sea-masters. - -The outlook was certainly sufficiently discomforting; yet, as one by -one the sleepers awakened, and with many a grunt and shiver crept -forth from their lair, it would have been difficult to judge from the -expressions upon their weather-beaten countenances how hopeless was the -situation that they were in. - -For they came of a breed that is strong to endure hardness, that takes -its much bitter with little sweet as a matter of course, and, by dint -of steady refusal to be dismayed at Fate’s fiercest frowns, has built -up for itself a most gallantly earned reputation for pluck, endurance, -and success throughout the civilized world. They were Scotch to a man, -rugged and stern as the granite of their native Aberdeenshire. - -They were the crew of the barque Jeanie Deans, of Peterhead, which, -while outward bound from Aberdeen to Otago, New Zealand, had, after -long striving against weather extraordinarily severe for the time of -year, been hurled against that terrific coast during the previous -afternoon. Their escape shoreward had been as miraculous as fifty per -cent. of such escapes are, and, beyond their lives, they had saved -nothing. So the prospect was unpromising. Nothing could be expected -from the break-up of the ship. She was loaded with ironwork of various -sorts, and her stores were not in any water-tight cases which might -bring them ashore in an eatable condition. But the large-limbed, -red-bearded skipper, after a keen look round, said-- - -“Ou, ay, ther isna ower muckle tae back an’ fill on, but A’am thenkin’ -we’ll juist hae to bestir wersells an’ see if we canna get some -breakfas’. Has ony ane got ony matches?” - -It presently appeared that of these simple yet invaluable little -adjuncts to civilization there was not one among the crowd. But even -this grim discovery appeared to make no great impression, and presently -the mate, a tall man from Auchtermuchty, with an expressionless face -and a voice like “a coo’s,” as he was wont to say, remarked casually-- - -“If ye’ll scatther aboot an’ see fat ye can fine tae cuik, I’se warrant -ye Aa’ll get ye some fire tae cuik it wi’.” - -No one spoke another word, but silently they separated for their quest, -leaving Mr. Lowrie, with his blank face, methodically rummaging among -the _débris_. Presently he sat down quietly with a piece of flat board -before him about two feet long by six inches wide. In his hand he held -a piece of broomstick, which in some mysterious way had got included in -the flotsam. This he whittled at one end into a blunt point, carefully -saving the cuttings in his trousers pocket. Then with a steady movement -of his stick he commenced to chafe a groove lengthways in the board, -adding occasionally a pinch of grit from the ground to assist friction. - -By-and-by there was quite a little heap of brown wood-dust collected -at one end of the groove. Then getting on his knees and grasping his -broom-stick-piece energetically in both hands, he pushed it to and fro -in the groove with all his force and speed, until suddenly he flung -away the stick, and stooping over the little pile of dust, he covered -it tenderly with both hands hollowed, and bending his head over it -breathed upon it most gently. And by imperceptible degrees there arose -from it a slender spiral of smoke. - -His right hand stole to his pocket, and fetched therefrom a few slivers -of wood, which he coyly introduced under the shelter of his other hand, -until suddenly the Red Flower blossomed--there was fire. Now it only -needed feeding to rise gloriously into that gloomy air. To this end Mr. -Lowrie worked like a Chinaman, until within an hour he had a pile of -burning driftwood, four feet high and fully six feet round, sending up -ruddy tongues of flame and a column of smoke like a palm tree. - -One by one the adventurers returned with dour faces, empty-handed save -for a sea-bird’s egg or two, a few fronds of seaweed which the bearers -insisted was “dulse” (the edible fucus), and a brace of birds that -looked scarcely enough to furnish an appetizer for one. But just as a -stray sunbeam darted down upon the little gathering, while they huddled -round the grateful warmth, there was a hoarse shout. All started, for -it was the skipper’s voice roaring-- - -“C’way here an’ lend a han’, ye louns. Fat’r ye aal shtannin there -toasting yer taes fur like a pickle o’ weans juist waitin’ on yer -mithers tae cry on ye tae come ben fur yer breakfas’?” - -The men at once obeyed the familiar command, finding the skipper and -the cook wrestling with a huge case, that was so stoutly built that not -a plank of it had come adrift. When they had man-handled it over the -rugged ground to within reach of the warmth the skipper said-- - -“Ah divna ken fats intilt, bit Ah min fine that Mester Broon, fan he -shipped it, said it wis somethin’ Ah wis tae tak unco care o’. And so -’twis lasht under th’ s’loon table. C’wa, le’s open’t; please God ther -may be somethin’ useful inside o’t.” - -Willing hands, regardless of the loss of skin from knuckles and arms, -wrought at the task; but so stoutly did the case resist their efforts -that it was long before they had stripped off the stout planking and -revealed an air-tight lining of thick tin. This was attacked with -sheath-knives, and, after much hacking and breaking of cutlery, yielded -and exposed a number of queer-looking parcels most carefully packed. On -the top was a letter. It ran as follows:-- - - “DEAR JACK, - - “In full recollection of your curious Scottish prejudice - against any celebration of Christmas, and also of that awful - time when you and I were stranded on the Campbells, and - compelled to suck raw sea-birds’ eggs for our Christmas fare, I - have sent you the materials for a good old-fashioned Christmas - dinner, as I understand it, being a Cockney of the Cockniest. I - also send you Dickens’s ‘Christmas Carol’ to read after dinner, - and if you don’t do justice to my loving Christmas Box, I - solemnly swear that I will never regard you as a chum again. - Here’s wishing you a Merry Christmas, and as jolly a Hogmanay - as ever you can get after. - - “Most affectionately yours, - “JOHN BROWN.” - -“Em, ehmm” (no written words can adequately represent the peculiar -Scottish exclamation that stands for anything you like, being strictly -non-committal), “that reads no sae bad. We’ll juist investigate. Fat -hae we here? Et’s a duff, mahn, ou ay, bit et’s a boeny wan.” - -And as he spoke he pulled out of its nest a gorgeous Christmas pudding -weighing some twenty-five pounds. Next came an enormous oblong tin -case, labelled, “Fortnum and Mason. Special Christmas turkey, stuffed -with capon, tongue, and forcemeat,” upon reading which the skipper -murmured again, “Ou ay, that’s no sae dusty, ye ken.” Next came a layer -of bottles of green peas, alternated with bottles labelled “Turtle -soup.” Other queer tin cases followed, bearing inscriptions such as -“Special mince-pies,” “Scotch shortbread,” “American biscuits”--like -foam-flakes--“Dessert fruits,” “York ham, best quality, ready cooked,” -and “Boar’s head.” Finally, on the ground floor, as it were, was -displayed a compact array of bottles, of which six were labelled, -“Extra special Scotch whisky,” six “Special port, bin 50,” two -corpulent ones bore the signature “D.O.M.,” and twelve had big-headed -corks with gold foil adorning them. Followed at last two boxes of -fat-looking cigars, and the book. - -That grim assembly looked down upon this tempting array with their hard -features perceptibly softening, while the skipper said-- - -“Weel a’weel. A’am no’ an advocate for specializin’ Chrismuss masel, -altho’ Ah laik fine tae keep up Hogmanay. But A’am no a bigot, ye -ken, an’ A’am thenkin’ that unner th’ circumstances ’twad juist be -flytin’ Proeveedence no tae accept in a speerut o’ moderashun sichn -a Chrismuss Boex as thon. Bit I’ll not coairce ony man. Them ’at -disna approve o’ keepin’ Chrismuss ava can juist daunder awa’. ’S far -as A’am consairned”--here he deftly knocked the top off one of the -special Scotch bottles, and, looking round benignantly, said--“Here’s -tae wersels, boys, a blessin’ on the giver o’ th’ feast, an’ a Merry -Chrismuss tae us a’.” - -Why particularize the proceedings that ensued? Should it not be -sufficient to say that no conscientious scruples were entertained by -any of those hard-grained men at this almost compulsory wrecking of -their principles? Scarcely; yet passing notice may be given to the -difficulties attendant upon drinking champagne out of bottle-necks, -of eating concentrated turtle-soup warmed in the bottle like Pommard, -of the total want of order and routine evidenced in dealing with the -assorted provisions so providentially to hand--and mouth. Especially -was this the case with the rotund bottles of Benedictine. One and -all agreed that while the contents were “gey an’ oily-like,” they -were “vara seductiv’,” and had the effect of making the partakers -thereof curiously unreserved and open to conviction as to the general -satisfactoriness of things in general. - -When at last, with long-drawn sighs, the unwonted Christmas-keepers -sank down upon their stony seats and lit up their aromatic smokes with -brands passed from hand to hand, it evidently needed no keen judge of -human nature to prophesy that a unanimous vote would be given if asked -for as to the desirability of keeping up Christmas English fashion. - -When all had quietly settled down to the soothing influence of nicotine -in its best form, the skipper lifted up his voice and said-- - -“Weel, ma lads, A’am thenkin’ that we k’n dae nae less than gae through -the haill reetual. This buik, ‘A Christmas Carol,’ is eevidently pairt -o’ th’ programme, an’ as A’am nae that ongratefu’ I’ll juist read it, -fativer it coasts ma.” - -So he opened the volume, and read while the hard lines of the faces -softened under the magic of the Master’s words, and in spite of the -well-worn masks of indifference an occasional dewdrop of sympathy -glittered like a diamond in the furrow of a bronzed visage. - - * * * * * - -“Ah wudna wuss tae interrup ye, sir,” suddenly interjected an ordinary -seaman, “bit Ah thocht ye micht laik tae ken that thers a vessel juist -lookin’ roun’ the point.” - -“Man, ye’re richt, there is that. Weel, A’am neerly throu’, an’ as thon -auld deevil Scrooge has been conveencit o’ th’ errour of’s ways (as we -have), A’am of opingon we ma tak’ th’ lave o’ th’ storey as read. But -’twas a gey guid yarn, was’t no?” - -By this time the ship of deliverance, having hove to, was getting a -boat out. That laborious business over, the boat came at fair speed -towards the only practicable landing-place, until the commiserating -face of the officer in charge took on an expression of bewilderment as -he noted the smug complacency on the countenances of the castaways. - -It did not diminish when the skipper, gravely welcoming him with one -hand, held out invitingly a decapitated bottle of extra special Scotch -with the other, saying, with lingering sweetness in his voice-- - -“Mahn dear, here’s wussin’ ye a Merry Chrismuss.” - - - - -THE TERROR OF DARKNESS - - -“South 70° E., sir, weather’s a bit sulky and inclined to dirt before -daylight, I should think. Lot of ships about. Bishop bore N. 20° W. -fifteen miles off at eight bells (4 a.m.). Good morning.” And as he -uttered the last words the second officer of the Kafirstan, 10,000-ton -cargo steamer, London to Boston, U.S., swung his burly form down the -lee-bridge ladder, and the darkness swallowed him up. The chief, who -had just relieved him, mumbled out “G’mornin’” in the midst of a -cavernous yawn, not because he was churlish or out of humour, but for -the reason that be a man never so seasoned, the sudden transition from -the cosy recesses of a warm bunk and sweet sleep to a narrow platform -some forty feet above the sea, fully exposed to the wrathful edge of a -winter gale at four o’clock in the morning, does not predispose him to -cheerful conversation, or indeed any other of the amenities of life, -until the wonderful adaptability of the human body has had time to -adjust itself to the altered conditions. - -No; John Furness, chief mate, was anything but a sulky man. Buffeted -by the storms of Fate from his earliest youth in far fiercer fashion -than ever the gales of winter had smitten him, he was now by way of -esteeming himself one of the most fortunate of mankind, for, after -serving as second mate for several years with a chief and master’s -ticket, and never getting a better berth than some thousand-ton tramp -could afford him, he had suddenly taken unto himself a wife--a dear -girl, as poor and as friendless as himself--with the quaint remark -that the best thing to do with two lonely people was to make ’em one, -on the principle that like cures like. And with his marriage his luck -seemed to have turned. On the second day of his honeymoon he was taking -his young wife round the docks, and pointing out to her the various -ships--like introducing her to old acquaintances--when suddenly, with -a bound, he left her side and disappeared over the edge of a jetty. He -had caught sight of an old gentleman who had tripped his foot in a coil -of rope and tumbled over it and the edge of the pier at the same time. -John’s promptitude cost him a wetting, but got him his present berth, -the best he had ever held in his life, and his heart beat high with -hope that at last he was on the high road to fortune. - -Still, all these pleasant recollections didn’t prevent him feeling -sleepy and chilly upon relieving his shipmate. Vigorously he called up -his resources of energy, peering through the thick gloom ahead at the -twinkling gleams showing here and there, betokening the presence of -other ships. Far beneath him the untiring engines, with their Titanic -thrust and recover, kept his lofty station a-quiver as they drove the -huge mass of the Kafirstan steadily onward against the fierce and -increasing storm. Again and again he answered cheerily to the look-out -man’s taps on the bells announcing lights “All right,” and as often by -a word to the helmsman behind him, altered his great vessel’s course -a little to port or starboard in order to avoid collision with the -passing ships. All this in the usual course of routine--it is what -hundreds of men like him are doing this morning, thinking no more of -the magnitude of the forces they control than a cabman who navigates -the crowded London streets dwells upon what would happen if he should -spill his fare under a passing waggon. It is, above all things, -necessary at sea to refrain from dwelling upon what _may_ happen. The -one thing needful is to be equal to each duty as it arises. And John -Furness was undoubtedly that. But suddenly an awful crash flung him -backwards; his head struck against a stanchion of the bridge, a myriad -lights gleamed before his glazing eyes, and he knew no more--knew -nothing, that is, of the short, stern agony through which his shipmates -passed as the huge fabric beneath them admitted the supremacy of the -ever-watchful sea. She had met--her mass of 10,000 tons or so being -hurled along at the rate of twelve miles an hour--with the Terror of -the Darkness, a derelict just awash, one of those ancient Norwegian -timber-scows, the refuse of the sea, that crawl to and fro across the -Atlantic on sufferance, until there comes a day when the half-frozen -crew are swept from the top of the slippery deck-load, the sea pours -in through a hundred openings, and she becomes one of the most awful -dangers known to mariners--a water-logged derelict. Floating just awash -at the will of ocean currents, she cannot be located with any degree -of certainty, but solid almost as a rock she drifts silently across the -great ocean highway invisible, unheard, a lier-in-wait for the lives of -men. - -When John Furness returned to consciousness again, he became aware of -acute pains all over his body. Also that he was not drowning, although -at intervals waves washed over him. Gradually he realized that he was -clinging desperately, mechanically, but with such force that he could -hardly unbend the grip of his hands, to a slimy rope. But where? As -his mind cleared, and the certainty of the awful tragedy that had just -passed over him and left him still alive became borne in upon him, he -felt his heart swell. He thought of the handful of brave men, of whom -he had already got to know every one, suddenly hurled into oblivion -with all the hopes and love of which each was the centre. And a few -heavy drops rolled out from his brine-encrusted eyes. Then he thought -of Mary--his Mary--and at the same moment realized his duty: to strive -after life for her sake. The impulse was needed, because that lethargy -that means a loss of the desire to live was fast stealing over him. -With a great effort that sent racking pains through his stiffened body -he turned his face upwards, passed one hand across his face, and saw -where he was. Lying upon the slope of a bank thickly overgrown with -dank green weed like fine hair, and with a strong fishy smell. With -awakening interest he peered at the rope he held--it, too, was thickly -draped with the same growth, but in addition, beneath the weed, it was -encrusted with jagged little shells. More than this he could hardly -discern for the present, because it was still dark; but as his senses -resumed their normal keenness of apprehension, he knew that he was -afloat, and guessed the truth--that by some mysterious means he had -been preserved from drowning by laying hold of the same cause that had -sent all his late shipmates to their sudden end. A low, sullen murmur -smote upon his ears, for the wind had gone down, and the resentful sea -still rolled its broken surface violently in the direction in which it -had been so fiercely driven, making John’s holding-on place roll and -heave in a heavy, lifeless manner. The grey, cheerless dawn struggled -through the thick pall of clouds still draping the sky, and by the cold -light the shivering man saw the full horror of his surroundings. He was -clinging to the last rag of running-gear trailing from the short stump -of the mainmast of a large ship--a ship that must, at least, have been -of seventeen or eighteen hundred tons burden. She lay with one side of -the deck well below the water, and the other some ten feet above it. -Not a vestige of bulwarks, cabin, or fo’c’sle appeared on deck, all was -flush as if mowed off by some gigantic scythe. Only a little forrard of -where John lay was a gash cut into her side at right angles, revealing -within sodden masses of timber also crushed and broken by the terrible -impact of that blow. And as he looked at the wedge-shaped wound there -came back to him, as if in a dream of some former life, the shock, -the few seconds’ realization of that fatal blow dealt herself by the -Kafirstan, before he had lost consciousness to resume it here. And -knowing the build of the steamer as he did, he had not the faintest -hope of her having survived for even an hour. His chief longing was -that sufficient time had been allowed his shipmates to get into the -boats and pull away from the frightful vortex of the sinking Kafirstan. - -The light having become sufficiently strong for him to see thoroughly -well, he made another heroic effort, and commenced to explore his -prison. And as soon as he did so, he realized how long this dangerous -obstruction had been drifting about the ocean. For she was literally -undistinguishable, except to a seaman’s eye, from a worn and sea-beaten -rock. Through the crevices in her deck and the gap made by the -Kafirstan, he could see hosts of fish, legions of crabs of various -kinds, and nowhere, except at the point where she had been run into, -was there a square inch that was not thickly hidden by the sea-growth -of weed and shells. He dragged himself up to the stump of the mainmast, -and, bracing himself erect against it, looked long and earnestly around -the lowering horizon; but he was quite alone. Not a gleam of sail or a -wreath of smoke was to be seen. But he was a man who, while never very -sanguine about his “luck,” had a wonderful fund of hope, and in spite -of the dismal outlook, he felt no despair. Nevertheless, that he might -not brood, he determined to be busy, and dragging himself aft with the -utmost caution that he might not slide off that slimy slope into the -cold sea to leeward, he reached the yawning cavity, where once the -companion or entrance to the lower cabin had been. Peering down, the -sight was not encouraging, although the dark water did not here come so -close up to the deck as forward. But he was bound to explore, even if -he had to swim, if only for the sake of employment; so crawling over -the edge, he dropped below into water up to his waist, and immediately -struggled to windward, where to his content he found he could move -about above water. He entered what he took to be the skipper’s cabin, -noticing with a queer feeling of sympathy the few remnants of clothing -hanging from hooks like silent witnesses of the tragedy of long ago. -To his surprise, he found that everything was left as if in the midst -of ordinary life; the owner had been carried off without a moment in -which to return for anything he might value. Even the bed-clothes, -dank and sodden, lay as they had been jumped out of, well tucked in at -the foot of the bunk by a careful steward. With a sense of sacrilege -that he found it hard to shake off, John tried the drawers, and the -woodwork fell away at his touch. Clothes, papers, photographs within -lay in pulpy masses where the invading sea had so long drained through -on to them. But the searcher turned all over, listlessly, mechanically, -until the hot blood suddenly surged to his head as he heard a musical -jingle. With feverish haste he pulled out the lumps of dank stuff until -at the bottom of the drawer he found a heap of gold coins which he had -evidently disturbed by twitching at the rotted bag which had contained -them. Gathering them all together without counting, he shovelled them -into the two inner pockets of his pea-coat, afterwards tearing open -the lining and securing the necks of the pockets by a piece of roping -twine, of which he was never without a small ball. - -Then with almost frantic haste he scrambled on deck, feeling as if -by being down there another minute he might be risking his chance of -rescue. But when he again reached the mainmast and looked around only -the same blank circle greeted him. And his mind, until then fairly -calm, fiercely rebelled at the idea of being lost now, when the weight -burdening him told him that should he reach home again, he would be -able to secure a position for himself as captain of a ship by the -hitherto impossible means of buying an interest in her. Had he waited -to analyze his feelings, he would no doubt have wondered why the -possession of a little gold should have the power to change his usually -calm and philosophic behaviour into the fretful eager frame in which -he now found himself; but at the time all his hopes, all his energies, -were concentrated upon the one idea, how to save, not merely his life, -but his newly gotten gold for the enjoyment of that dear one bravely -waiting at home. - -The long bitter day passed without other sign of life around, than the -occasional deep breathing of a whale close at hand, or the frolicsome -splash of a passing porpoise. His vitality, great though it was, began -to fail under the combined influences of cold and hunger and thirst. -So that he passed uneasily to and fro between sleeping and waking, -only dimly conscious all the time of decreasing ability to resist the -combined influences of these foes to life. Day faded into night, and -still the wind did not rise, although the sky continually threatened, -being so lowering that the night shade was almost opaque. As he lay -semi-conscious some mysterious premonition smote him to his very -vitals, and raised him erect with such nervous energy that he felt -transformed. There, almost upon him, glared the two red and green eyes -of a great ship, while, high above, the far-reaching electric beams -from her fore masthead made a wide white track through the darkness. He -shouted with, as it seemed to him, ten voices, “Ship ahoy.” And back -like an echo came the reply, “Hullo.” The alarm was taken, and close -aboard of the derelict the huge mail steamer came to a standstill, -saved from destruction. In ten minutes John Furness was in safety, and -three days after he landed in London, bringing the first news of the -loss of the Kafirstan. And in three days more his treasure trove had -secured for him the position he had so long fruitlessly striven to -obtain by merit and hard work. - - - - -THE WATCHMEN OF THE WORLD - - -There is surely high inspiration in the thought that of all the mighty -civilizations that have emerged in these latter days, there is none -that dare claim the comprehensive title given to this paper without -fear of contradiction, save ourselves. For the function of the Watchman -is to keep the peace, to restrain lawlessness, to bring evil-doers to -justice, and to hold himself unspotted from even the tiniest speck -of injustice. At least these should be his functions, and if they -seem to be counsels of perfection, the aiming thereat with persistent -courage is continually bringing them nearer a perfect realization. -And if this be so with individual watchmen, it is infinitely more so -with those typical Watchers of the Empire, of whom I would now speak, -the splendid, ubiquitous, and ever-ready British Navy. It would be an -uplifting exercise for some of us, widening our outlook upon life, and -enlightening us as to the majestic part our country has been called -upon to play at this wonderful period of the world’s history, if we -were to get a terrestrial globe, a number of tiny white flags, and a -list of positions of all our men-o’-war. Then by sticking in a flag -for every ship wherever she was stationed, or on passage at the time, -we should have a bird’s-eye view as it were of the “beats” which our -Empire Watchmen patrol unceasingly. - -From end to end of the great Middle Sea wherein we hold but those dots -upon the map, Gibraltar and Malta and Cyprus, whose shores bristle with -hostile populations, our stately squadrons parade, not on sufferance, -but as a right, none daring to say them nay. Their business is -peaceful, although they have enormous force ready to use if need be, -the duty of keeping Britain’s trade routes clear, that the shuttles -weaving the vast web of world-wide trade that we have built up may -glide to and fro in security even though envious nations gnash upon us -with their teeth, and vainly endeavour by every species of chicane and -underhand meanness to rob us of the fruits of centuries of industry. -In two Mediterranean countries alone are our ships of war heartily -welcome. Italy and Greece remember gratefully our constant friendship. -Italians of all classes are acquainted with the practical good-will -of Great Britain, and so man-o’-war Jack is sure of warm reception -throughout that lovely country. Not that the manner of his reception -troubles the worthy tar at all. Oh no. The keynote of the chorus that -is perpetually being chanted in the British Navy is _duty_. The word -is seldom mentioned, but better than that, it is lived. It enables the -sailor to spend unmurmuringly long periods of absolute torture under -the blazing furnace of the Persian Gulf, an oven that while it burns -does not dry; where the soaking dews of the night lie thickly upon -the decks throughout the scorching day, and are not dispersed because -the molten air is overloaded with moisture, and life is lived in a -vapour-bath. Here you will find the young men of gentle birth who -govern in our fighting ships, forgetting their own physical miseries, -in the brave effort to make the severe conditions more tolerable to the -crews they command. Do their dimmed eyes often in the steaming night -turn wistfully westward to the cool green English country-side, where -the old home lies embowered amid the ancestral oaks? Why, certainly, -but that does not make the young officer’s zeal any weaker, does not -damp his ardour to sustain the great traditions which are the pride and -glory of the service to which it is his greatest delight to belong. - -Or creep down the coast of East Africa, throbbing, palpitating under -that fervent heat glare, and see the St. George’s Cross proudly -waving over the sterns of the gun-boats set by Britain to quell the -bloodthirsty Arab’s lust for slavery. Here is manifest such devotion -to an ideal, albeit that ideal is never formulated in so many words, -as should stir the most prosaic, matter-of-fact minds among us. I -well remember--could I ever forget?--a visit I once paid to H.M.S. -London, sometime depôt ship at Zanzibar. It was a privilege that I -valued highly, not knowing then that with a high courtesy our country’s -men-o’-war are always accessible at reasonable times to any citizen who -would see with his own eyes how his home is defended and by whom. I was -then mate of a trading vessel that had brought supplies from home for -the use of the East Indian fleet, and consequently my business took me -on board the depôt ship often. First of all I was shown the hospital, -a long airy apartment on the upper deck, kept as cool as science could -devise in that burning climate, and fitted with all the alleviations -for sickness that wise skill and forethought could compass. Here they -lay, the heroes of the long, long fight, the never-ending battle of -freedom against slavery, the men who had left their pleasant land for -service under the flag of England against a foreign foe; yes, and -far more than that. For we know that they who fight in the deadliest -combat with lethal weapons are upheld and swept onward by the fierce -joy of strife; so that death when it comes is no terror, and fear -vanishes under the pressure of primitive instincts. But here there is -no glitter, no glamour of battle. Forgotten by the world, unknown to -the immense majority of their countrymen, these Britons suffer and die -that the fair fame of their country may live. There, in that miniature -hospital, on board H.M.S. London, I saw rows of pale, patient figures, -their faces drawn and parchment-like with fever, the deadly malaria -of that poisonous coast, while amongst them passed silently doctors -and sick-bay attendants, each doing his part in the universal warfare. -Passing thence on to the main deck, I came across a bronzed, busy group -hoisting up a steam pinnace that had just returned from a cruise among -the slimy creeks and backwaters of the mainland and adjacent islands, -busily seeking for hunters of human flesh. A dozen men formed her crew, -men who had once been white Anglo-Saxons, but were now, after a week’s -cruise under such conditions as that, so disguised by ingrained dirt, -so scorched and dried by exposure to that terrible sun, that they -were indistinguishable save by their clothing from the Arabs they had -been set to watch. They were not happy, because having chased a dhow, -which they were sure was packed with slaves, throughout a day and a -night, they had been baffled upon coming up with her, by her hoisting -the tricolour of France, the Flag of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, -sold for a few paltry dollars, to cover a traffic which the French -nation had covenanted to assist in putting down. More than that, a -deep gloom pervaded the whole ship on account of their recent loss; a -loss which to them seemed irreparable. Their captain, idolized by them -all, had been killed while engaged in an act of gallantry, typical -of the service. He had gone off like any sub-lieutenant with all his -honours to win, in a chase after a dhow, with only a weak boat’s crew. -The villainous Arabs in the dhow, seeing their advantage, turned and -fought desperately. Outnumbered by five to one, and being moreover the -attacking party, the Britons were beaten off, while a shot from one of -the antiquated guns carried by an Arab slaver slew Captain Brownlow on -the spot. And all his men mourned him most deeply and sincerely. - -But cross over the Indian Ocean, and thread the tortuous ways of the -East Indian Archipelago, and you shall find the beautiful white flag -with its red cross flying in the most out-of-the-way nooks among -that tremendous maze. Here with never-ceasing labours the highly -trained officers of our navy work with loving care to make perfect our -geographical knowledge of those intricate current-scoured channels. By -reason of this long-drawn-out toil our merchant ships are enabled to -pursue their peaceful way with perfectly trustworthy charts to guide -them. Not only so, but, owing to the dauntless courage, energy, and -perseverance of these nameless seafarers, those tortuous waters have -been cleansed of the human tigers that had for so long infested them, -swooping down upon hapless merchantmen of all nations, pitiless and -insatiable as death itself. Within the lifetime of men of middle age -those seas were like a hornet’s nest. In every creek, estuary, and -channel lurked Portuguese, Malay, and Chinese pirates, the terror of -the Eastern seas. Now, solely through the exertions of our countrymen, -or by their good example putting heart into the Chinese sailors, those -waters are as safe as the English Channel. So, too, have the coasts -of China itself been purged of pirates, although there, since every -Chinese, of whatever grade, is a potential pirate or brigand given -the opportunity, immunity from piratical raids is only purchased at -the price of incessant vigilance. In the far Eastern seas, however, -our stalwart fighting sailors are more than mere keepers of the peace -of Britain, they stand between the crumbling Celestial Empire and the -greed of the world.[B] Ever ready in diplomacy as in war, and with a -force always sufficient to command respect as well as breed envy, they -make the might of our island nation felt in all the affairs of the Far -East. - - [B] This sentence was written before the recent outbreak of - hostilities in China. - -Cross the Pacific, and on the western sea-board of our vast American -possessions find a naval station fully equipped for the maintenance of -a fleet so far from home. From thence the peace-keepers sally forth -all over the length and breadth of Northern Oceania and all down the -western littoral of the great American continent, a mobile body of -peace-keepers, whose business it is to keep widely opened eyes upon all -the doings of other people, no matter how great or how small they may -be. Hailed with delight by dusky populations, who hate impartially the -Germans and the French, and look upon the war-canoes of the great white -Queen of Belitani as the adjusters of disputes and the even-handed -dispensers of justice between them, dreaded by the rascaldom of the -Pacific; the robbers of men’s bodies as well as the robbers of their -produce, truly the lads under the White Ensign have a wide field in the -“peaceful” ocean for their beneficent labours. Guarding that Greater -England in the Southern seas, where men of every nation under heaven -find the same security, the same opportunities to grow rich that men -of our own race enjoy, clustering closely around that storm-centre (in -a double sense), the Cape Colony, patrolling Western Africa, as well -as Eastern, and ready at a word to send off a compact little army into -the interior, mobile and manageable as no shore troops can ever be; -among West Indian islands, as warm and fruitful as the most northerly -American station is cold and arid, the great patrol goes on. - -One does not need to be a rabid Imperialist or a raving Jingo to -feel in every fibre of his frame the debt that we Britons owe to -our navy. These brave, stalwart men, the very pick and flower of the -British race, stand continually on sentry on all the shores of all the -world--stand to guard our freedom, and, so far as one nation may do, -strive to secure freedom for all other peoples. We see but little of -them, for their parades are not held amid shouting crowds, but on the -lonely waters, under an Admiral’s eye, keen to discover defects where -all seems to an untrained observer perfection of power and movement; -their greatest deeds, done by steady presentation of an unmistakable -object-lesson to our enemies--that is to say, to a full half of the -world, bursting with envy at our comfort and prosperity--are hidden -from most of us. - -In God’s name, then, let us see that we do not forget, amid the -security and plenty that we enjoy, the labours of those who are -watching, far out of our sight, to see that these blessings are not -filched from us. Let the officers and men of the Royal Navy see that -they are ever in our thoughts, that out of sight out of mind is not -true in their case, but that stay-at-home Britons are fully conscious -that the outposts of our Empire, the piquets of our power, are in very -truth to be found on board the ships of the Royal Navy, the Watchmen of -the World. - - - - -THE COOK OF THE WANDERER - - -One of the oldest, truest, and most often quoted of all sea-sayings -is that “God sends meat, but the devil sends cooks.” The first part -of this saw is really a concession on the sailor’s part, for few of -them truly believe that the Deity has much to do with the strange -stuff usually served out as meat on board ship. The latter half of -the proverb is taken for granted, and while admitting to the full the -thanklessness of the task of endeavouring to dish up tasteful meals -with such unpromising materials as are usually given to sea-cooks to -work upon, it certainly does seem truer than the majority of such -sayings are apt to be. - -But in justice even to sea-cooks let it be said that they have but a -hard life of it. Cooking is a hobby of my own, and I feel a positive -delight in the preparation of an appetizing dinner, which culminates -when those for whom it is dressed partake of it with manifest -enjoyment. Between the calm, unhindered task of shore-cooking and the -series of hair-breadth escapes from scalding, burning, or spoiling -one’s produce that characterizes sea-cooking there is, however, a great -gulf fixed, and with a full consciousness of the unromantic character -of his trials, I must confess a deep sympathy with the sea-cook in -his painful profession. Even in the well-ordered kitchens of a great -liner, where every modern appliance known to the art is at hand, and -where the chief cook is a highly paid professional, each recurring meal -brings with it much anxiety, and, when the weather is bad, much painful -work also. There is no allowance made. Whatever happens, passengers and -crew must be fed, although the roasting joints may be playing “soccer” -in the ovens, the stew-pans toboganning over the stove-tops, and the -huge coppers leaping out of their glowing sockets. Let all who have -ever gone down to the sea as passengers remember how faithfully the -cooks have justified the confidence reposed in them, and how punctually -the varied courses have appeared on the fiddle-hampered tables without -even a hint as to the series of miracles that have produced them. -Still, in large passenger steamers there is a fairly large staff of -cooks, unto each of whom is given his allotted task, so that the -labour, though severe, is not so complicated as it must necessarily be -in vessels where one unfortunate man must needs be a host in himself. -In sailing-ships on long voyages the cook’s berth is perhaps the worst -on board, for he has to hear the continual growling of the men at the -brutal monotony of the food (which he cannot help), and he must, if he -would not be badgered to death, perform the difficult task of keeping -on good terms with both ends and the middle of the ship. Under the -blistering sun of the tropics, or amid the fearful buffeting of the -Southern seas, he must perform his duties within a space about six -feet square, of which his red-hot stove occupies nearly half. And, -as a pleasant change, he is liable to have the weather door of his -galley burst in by a tremendous sea, and himself in a devil’s dance of -seething pots, and all the impedimenta of his business hurled out to -leeward. - -Necessarily such a service does not appeal strongly to many, and often -in English vessels of small size prowling about the world begging for -freight, some very queer fellows are met with filling the unenviable -post of cook. In the course of a good many years of sea-service I have -met with several cooks, each of whom deserves a whole chapter to deal -comprehensively with his peculiarities, but chief among them all must -be placed the exceedingly funny fellow designated at the beginning of -this sketch. The Wanderer was a pretty brigantine of about 200 tons -register, built and owned in Nova Scotia, and at the time of my joining -her as an A.B. was lying in the Millwall Docks outward bound to Sydney, -Cape Breton, in ballast. She had quite a happy family of a crew, while -the skipper was as jolly a Canadian as it was ever my good fortune to -meet with. We left the docks in tow of one of the little “jackal” tugs -that scoot up and down the Thames like terriers after rats, but, owing -to the vessel’s small size and wonderful handiness, we dispensed with -our auxiliary just below Gravesend, and worked down the river with our -own sails. As soon as the watches were set all hands went to supper, or -tea, as it would be called ashore, and going to the snug little galley -with my hook-pot for my modicum of hot tea, I made the acquaintance of -the cook. He was a young fellow of about two and twenty, able-looking -enough, but now evidently ill at ease. And when, with trembling hand, -he baled my tea out of a grimy saucepan with another saucepan lid, -I regarded him with some curiosity, fancying that he had the air of -a man to whom his surroundings were the most unfamiliar possible. -Supper consisted of some cold fresh meat and “hard tack,” so that any -deficiency in the cookery was not manifest beyond a decidedly foreign -flavour in the tea, making it unlike any beverage ever sampled by -any of us before. But we were a good-natured crowd, willing to make -every allowance for a first performance, and aware that the “Doctor,” -as the cook is always called at sea, had only joined on the previous -day. Nevertheless, we discussed him in some detail, arriving at the -conclusion that by all appearances he would be found unable to boil -salt water without burning it, which, according to the sea phrase, -marks the nadir of culinary incompetence. - -Next morning it was my “gravy-eye” wheel, the “trick” that is, from -four to six a.m. The cook is always called at four a.m. in order -to prepare some hot coffee by two bells, five a.m., and, as may be -expected, the comforting, awakening drink is eagerly looked forward -to, although it usually bears but a faint resemblance to the fragrant -infusion known by the same name ashore. Two bells struck, and -presently, to my astonishment, sounds of woe arose forward, mingled -with many angry words. I listened eagerly for some explanation of this -sudden breach of the peace, but could catch no connected sentence. -Presently one of my watchmates came aft to relieve me, as the custom -is, to get my coffee, and I eagerly questioned him as to the nature -of the disturbance. With a sphinx-like air he took the spokes and -muttered, “You’ll soon see.” I hastened forward, got my pannikin, and -going to the galley held it out for my coffee. The cook had no light, -but he silently poured me out my portion, and wondering at his strange -air I returned to the fo’c’sle. I sugared my coffee, and put it to my -lips, but with a feeling of nausea spat out the mouthful I had taken, -saying, “What in thunder is this awful stuff?” Then the other fellows -laughed mirthlessly and loud, saying, “You’d best go’n see ef you kin -fine out. Be dam’ ’fenny ov us can tell.” I hastened back to the galley -and said coaxingly, “Doctor, you ain’t tryin’ to poison me, are ye?” -He looked at me appealingly, and I saw traces of recent tear-tracks -adown his smoke-stained cheeks. “Mahn,” he said, “Ah’ve niver dune ony -cookin’ afore, an’ ah must hev made some awfu’ mistake, but ah’ll sweer -ony oo-ath ah dinna ken wut’s wrang wi’ the coaphy.” And he wept anew. -“For Heaven’s sake, don’t cry, man,” I put in hastily; “you’ll make me -sea-sick if you do. Let me have a look at it.” I stepped into his den, -and striking a match explored the pot with a ladle. And I found that he -had been stewing green unroasted coffee beans. The colour was brought -somewhat near that of the usual product by reason of the remains of -some burnt porridge at the bottom of the saucepan, but the taste was -beyond description evil. - -This was but a sorry beginning to our voyage, since so much of our -comfort depended upon the cooking of our victuals, and it was well for -the unfortunate cook that all hands, with the sole exception of the -mate, were of that easy-going temper that submits to any discomfort -rather than ill-use a fellow-creature. For Jemmie (the quondam cook) -was not only ignorant of the most elementary acquaintance with -cookery--he was also unclean and unhandy to the uttermost imaginable -possibility of those bad qualities. Yet he did not suffer any grievous -bodily harm until an excess of new-found zeal brought him one day into -contact with the mate. As the only way in which we could hope to get -anything beyond hard tack to eat, we had all taken turns to cook our -own meals. Even the skipper, with many uncouth, unmeant threats, used -to visit the galley and try his hand, while the trembling Jemmie stood -behind him watching with eager eyes the mysterious operations going on. -One morning the skipper fancied some flap-jacks, a sort of primitive -pancake of plain flour and water fried in grease, and eaten with -molasses. He had hardly finished a platter full and borne it aft, when -Jemmie seized the bowl, and mixing some more flour, proceeded to try -his hand. He managed after several failures to turn out half a dozen -quite creditable-looking patches of fried batter, and intoxicated with -his success rushed aft with them to where the mate and his watch were -busy scrubbing the poop. Timidly approaching the energetic officer, -Jemmy said, “Wou’d ye like a flap-jack, sir? they’re nice an’ hot.” -For one fearful moment the mate glared at the offender, then as the -full area of the enormity enveloped him he uttered a hyena-like howl -and fell upon him. Snatching the flap-jacks from his nerveless grasp, -the mate overthrew him, and frantically burnished his face with the -smoking dough, holding him down on the deck by his hair the while. Then -when the last fragments had been duly spread over Jemmie’s shining -visage, the mate dragged him to the break of the poop, and with many -kicks hurled him forward to make more flap-jacks should he feel moved -so to do. - -So his education proceeded, until one day he felt competent to essay -the making of some soup for us forward. By the time his preparations -were complete he was a gruesome object, and withal so weary that he -sat down on the coal-locker and went fast asleep. He awoke just before -the time the soup was due to be eaten to find it as he left it, the -fire having gone out. In a terrible fright he rushed aft and smuggled -a tin of preserved meat forward--a high crime and misdemeanour--since -that was only kept in case of bad weather rendering cooking impossible. -However, he succeeded in stealing it, but when he had got it he was -little better off. For he didn’t know how to shell it, as it were, -how to get the meat out of the tin. I happened to be passing by the -galley-door at the time, and saw him with the tin lying on its side -before him, while he was insanely chopping at it with a broad axe, all -unheeding the spray of fat and gravy which flew around at each swashing -blow. I gave him such assistance as I could, and took the opportunity -thus afforded of asking him however he came to offer himself as a -ship’s cook. I learned then that his previous sea experience had -been limited to one trip to Iceland as a bedroom steward on board a -passenger steamer from Leith--that having come to London to seek his -fortune, he had foregathered with an old friend of his father’s, who -had obtained for him this berth, and who, in answer to his timid demur -as to his being able to do what should be required of him, stormed at -him so vigorously for what he called his “dam’ cowardice” that he took -the berth, and resigned himself to his fate, and ours. His fates were -kind to him in that he fell among easy-going fellows, for I shudder -to think what would have befallen him in the average “Blue-nose” or -Yankee. A description of it would certainly have been unprintable. - -Yet, like so many other people ashore and afloat, he was ungrateful for -the many ways in which we, the sailors, helped and shielded him, and -one day when I found him laboriously drawing water from our only wooden -tank by the quarter pint for the purpose of _washing_ potatoes, in -answer to my remonstrance he was exceeding jocose and saucy, even going -so far as to suggest that while my advice was doubtless well meant, it -irked him to hear, and I had better attend to my own business. Now, -to use fresh water where salt water will serve the same purpose is -at sea the unpardonable sin; and where (as in our case) a few days’ -difference in the length of the passage might see us all gasping for a -drink, it merits a severe punishment. So I was indignant, but swallowed -my resentment as I saw the mate coming down from aloft with his eyes -fixed upon the criminal. - -I must draw a veil over what followed, only adding that by the time the -cook had recovered from his injuries we were in port, and, with the -luck of the incompetent, no sooner had he been bundled ashore than he -obtained a good berth in an hotel at about treble the salary he would -ever earn. But we held a praise-meeting over our happy release. - - - - -THE GREAT CHRISTMAS OF GOZO - - -On the eve of the nativity of our Blessed Lord A.D. 1551 there was -profound peace in Gozo. - -The assaults of the infidel had for so long a time been intermitted, -that the simple hardy islanders had almost come to believe that they -would always be left in peace to cultivate their tiny fields, to -worship God after their own sweet manner, and to rest quietly in their -little square stone dwellings, secure from the attacks of the swarthy, -merciless monsters that, not content with the possession of their own -sunny lands, had so often swarmed across the bright blue stretches of -sea separating the Maltese Islands from Africa. - -Over the main thoroughfare of Rabato, the principal town of the tiny -island that hung like a jewel in the ear of Malta the Beautiful, the -great square citadel of the knights kept grim watch and ward. It -rose sheer from the street for one hundred feet of height, a mass of -quarried stone cemented into a solidity scarcely less than that of the -original rock from whence its ashlar had been hewn with such heavy -toil, a mountainous fortress, to all outward seeming impregnable. Upon -its highest plateau towered the mighty cathedral, fair to view without -in its stately apparel of pure white stone, and all glorious within by -reason of the numberless gifts showered upon it by the loving hands of -those who desired thus to show their gratitude to God. - -In truth it was a goodly fane. Not merely because of the blazing -enrichments of gold and silver and precious stones with which it glowed -and sparkled, but because of the many signs of loyalty and truth -evidenced in the sculptured tombs of the illustrious dead. The knights -who kept vigilant watch around its sacred walls and came daily to -worship within its cool aisles were never left without a solemn witness -to the fealty of those who had gone before them. The most careless -among them could not help being impressed by the fact that here in -the midst of the Great Sea had been planted an outpost of Christendom -of which they were the custodians--a fortress of the utmost value for -the keeping back of the Paynim hordes who bade fair to overwhelm all -Christian countries, and bring them under the abhorrent rule of Mahomed -the Accursed One. - -In this there is no exaggeration. If there be one fact more clearly -established than any other, amid the welter of misleading rubbish that -floods the world to-day, it is this, that the fearless self-sacrifice -of the knights of Malta, buttressed by the devotion of those over -whom they held no gentle sway, saved Europe from being overrun by the -pitiless Mussulman, saved Europe from being to-day a depraved, debased, -and miserable land, wherein all the horrors of Eastern Africa would -have their full and awful outcome. - -Raimondo de Homedes, only son of the Grand Master of that name, Juan -de Homedes, was on this most momentous Christmas Eve in command of the -Gozo garrison. The general feeling was one of security. The last attack -of the infidel in 1546 had been repulsed with such terrible loss to -the invader that the high-spirited garrison could not help coming to -the conclusion that it would be at least a generation before any such -attempt would again be made. - -[Illustration: She was to him brightest and best of all damsels.] - -Raimondo de Homedes, then, went the rounds of his great command in -the citadel of Gozo with a carefree heart. His thoughts were mainly -occupied with the question of how soon he should be free to meet his -lady-love, the stately daughter of Alfonso de Azzopardi, chief of all -the notables in Gozo. She was, to him at least, brightest, best of -all the damosels whose charms fired the palpitating hearts of those -warriors of the Cross who were holding these islands for the commonweal -of Christian Europe. - -While he thus meditated, receiving the replies to his perfunctory -challenges of the sentries on guard with an ear that hardly conveyed -to his brain the meaning of the words, there came running to him a -page, a lad of parts who was an especial favourite. Breathless, panting -with excitement, the child (he was scarcely more) gasped out, “Messer -Raimondo, the sentinel on the eastern tower says that since you passed -his guard-house he has been mightily exercised by the appearance of -some black masses on the sea. He knows not what they can be, but he -fears they are galleys and that they can be coming for no good purpose. -He prays you to return and look for yourself, in case there should be -any mischief intended of which we have had no warning by our spies.” - -Raimondo listened, with a concentration of all his mental faculties, -but as he did so he could not help a contemptuous smile crinkling his -features. “Just another bad dream of old Gianelli’s. But never mind; I -will go and set his troubled soul at rest.” - -It wanted but two hours of midnight. The moon was full and almost in -the meridian, pouring down through the cloudless serene a flood of -light like molten silver. So dazzling was the radiance that when the -commandant and his companion stepped forth upon the highest plateau -of all into its full glare, their shadows glided by their sides as if -carved in solid ebony, and every object around them was as clearly -visible as if it had been noonday. With a quick springing step, -Raimondo mounted the half-dozen steps of stone leading into the eastern -tower, meeting Gianelli’s challenge with the countersign of the night, -“Mary.” Then Raimondo burst impetuously into speech, saying-- - -“What ails thee, Gianelli? Surely dreams trouble thee; and in thy -nervous anxiety to be counted most faithful of all our faithful guards, -thou hast conjured up a band of spectres to torment thyself withal. -What hast thou seen and where?” - -For all answer Gianelli bowed low, and, straightening himself -immediately, stretched out his long left arm towards the west in the -direction of Tunis. And there, in that blazing tract of silvern light -shed upon the darkling sea by the moon, was distinctly to be seen a -row of objects that could be nothing else but galleys, although it was -evident that they were of the smallest size. - -An instantaneous change took place in the attitude of the young -commandant. “By the Holy Sepulchre,” he muttered, “thou art right, -Gianelli, and I did thee grievous wrong to ridicule thy well-known -fidelity and watchfulness.” - -“Say no more about it, my lord; I love thee far too well to be -over-pained by what I know is but the natural free speech of a -high-spirited youth. But what thinkest thou, my lord? Is it possible -that some of our own galleys may be returning from a secret raid upon -the infidel strongholds?” - -“No, Gianelli, it is not; for my latest information, coming yesterday -morning, was to the effect that all the smaller galleys had been -recalled, and were safely housed in the Grand Harbour. Their crews have -been given leave for the great festival, only the slaves remaining by -them under guard. No; this must be a matter of far more serious import. -Sound the summons to arms and light the beacon while I haste to the -Council Chamber. Luigi, my lad, run thou to the church and pass the -word for all my officers to leave their vigil around the altars at -once.” - -Thus saying, Raimondo hastened away, noting as he did so, with grim -satisfaction, the leaping flames from the summit of the tower being -answered by twinkling points of light all over the black masses of rock -that lay to the eastward, showing that already the alarm had been -sounded in every fortress from Rabato to St. Elmo. - -Within the great church were gathered most of the garrison not on -guard. All the gorgeous details with which the church loves to welcome -in the Day of days had been lovingly attended to. There was the stable, -the manger, the waiting cattle, the worshipping Eastern kings. Mary, in -her mighty meekness, cradled her Divine infant upon her virgin bosom; -Joseph, careworn and travel-stained, looked upon her with a solemn -wonder in his honest eyes; while around and above jewels and gold and -silver flashed in all their splendour by the light of a thousand tall -candles. A thin blue haze of incense gave all things an air of mystery, -and the perfume laid upon the senses a strange exaltation. - -Suddenly there was a hush, a bated breathing by all, as the archbishop, -in his marvellous vesture, arose from his knees and spoke. - -“My brethren, from the preparation for the advent of the day whereon -we celebrate the human birth of our Divine Redeemer, ye are called to -do battle with His most terrible foes. My lord the Commandant of Gozo -informs me that the galleys of the infidel are approaching us, in the -hope, he supposes, of finding us all so enwrapped in our devotions that -he will have of us an easy prey. My children, let him learn that we -watch as well as pray. Show him once again that we count it our most -precious privilege to pour out our blood in defence of our most Holy -Faith, that we look upon our dying in this high endeavour to protect -Christendom from the infidel as the most glorious fate that could -befall us. Receive at my hands the blessing of the Most High. Go forth, -each of you, fully equipped, not merely with material armour, but with -the knowledge that upon you rests the special benevolence of God the -Son, under whose banner you fight.” - -All heads bowed for an instant as the solemn benediction was spoken, -then with a clanging of armour and a clashing of swords the great -assembly sprang to their feet and departed each to his post of honour -and utmost danger. - -It was high time. Already those snaky galleys laden with men of the -most bloodthirsty type, fired with fanaticism and lured by the promises -of an endless paradise of sensual delight, had crept into the many -little sheltered bays of the island, and were vomiting forth their -terrible crews. - -Already a quick ear might catch the varied cries in strange tongues -floating upward through the silken smoothness of the night air, -predominant over them all the oft-reiterated shout of “Allah!” Already -the keen-sighted watchers could discern dark-moving masses of men, from -the midst of which came an occasional silvery gleam as the molten flood -of moonlight touched a spear-tip or sword-blade. - -Onward they came, marvelling doubtless at the ease with which they had -been permitted thus to assemble upon the enemy’s territory, and for -the most part utterly unconscious of the reception that awaited them -at the goal of their hot desire. Suddenly there arose from the town -beneath the citadel walls a long-drawn cry of anguish. The careless -ones who had not fled for shelter to the common refuge had been found -by the invader, and were being ruthlessly slaughtered. Their cries made -bearded lips tighten, nervous hands grasp more firmly their weapons, -and all hearts above to beat higher and more resolute to repay these -murderers in full tale when the opportunity so to do should arrive. - -Out from the highest belfry of the cathedral pealed the twelve strokes -of the midnight hour, and before their sound had died away there uprose -from the citadel a mighty chorus of welcome to Christmas Day--Gloria in -excelsis Deo. - -Before it had ended the first of the invaders had reached the walls, -and, mad with fanatic fury and lust of blood, were swarming like ants -up its steep sides, clinging with desperate tenacity to every plant and -projection that afforded the slightest foot or hand hold. Regardless -of the avalanche of stones hurtling down upon them, unheeding the -dreadful rain of boiling lead and scalding water, they came indomitably -on. Their numbers seemed incalculable, their courage, buttressed by -unreasoning faith, invincible. But they were met at every point by men -whose hearts were as well fortified as their own, and who possessed, -besides the inestimable advantage of discipline and long training in -warlike matters, the invaluable position of being defenders. - -Downwards by hundreds the invaders were hurled, their spurting blood -staining the pure whiteness of the walls with long black-red smears, -which the shuddering moonlight revealed in all their ghastliness. -Already the reinforcements were compelled to mount upon mounds of dead -to get their first hold; the street of the little town, but lately -so peaceful, was defiled by heaps upon heaps of frightfully mangled -corpses, representatives of all the savage tribes of Northern Africa. -“For Mary and her Son”--the war-cry of the night--rang out clearly and -defiantly, soaring high above the shrill yells of the savages and the -monotonous howl of “Allahhu!” - -So far all seemed to have gone well, until suddenly a shudder ran -through the whole garrison as the news spread that by the treachery of -a vile renegade the secret subterranean passage into the citadel from a -point near the shore had been laid open, and that already a torrent of -the infidels were pouring through it. - -The commandant, who had approved himself on this occasion a man of -the very highest ability and courage, no sooner heard this awful news -than, summoning around him his most trusted knights, he placed himself -at their head and hurried to the spot. And the first sight that met -his eyes was the beautiful form of her he loved borne high upon the -shoulders of a gigantic heathen in black armour who, apparently feeling -her weight not at all, was brandishing a huge scimitar in his right -hand, and yelling words of encouragement in some guttural Eastern -tongue to his followers. - -Forgetful of all else, his brain on fire at the sight, Raimondo sprang -ahead of his men, his keen blade whirling round his head. By the sheer -fury of his onslaught he burst through the grim ranks of the heathen, -and smiting with all his vigour at the head of the captor of his -beloved one, slew, not his foe, alas! but her for whom he would gladly -have given his life. The terrible blow cleft her fair body almost in -twain, as the heathen giant held her before himself shieldwise to meet -it. The distracted commandant’s first impulse was to fling himself -upon that beloved corpse and accompany her spirit to heaven, but that -thought was conquered by the knowledge of his high responsibilities. -And with a shout of “Mary” he recovered his blade, sprang at the foul -Paynim’s throat, and cleft him in sunder through gorget and vant brace. - -All the followers of the young knight were fired in like manner, and -like avenging angels before whom no mere flesh and blood could possibly -stand for a moment, they hewed their gory way through the masses of the -heathen, halting not until the last of their foes had gasped out into -the darkness of eternal night his guilty soul. - -And as it was in the heart of the citadel, so it had been on the -battlements, not one heathen had survived his footing upon those sacred -walls. And as it appeared that the whole force had devoted themselves -to death in default of victory there was not one left alive. - -So that the great fight ceased with the death of the last invader, -and the blessed sun rose upon a scene of carnage such as even these -blood-stained islands had never before witnessed. But in the hour of -victory there arose a great cry. Raimondo the gallant commandant was -missing. His devoted friends rushed hither and thither in the pearly -light of the new day, seeking him where the heaps of dead lay thickest, -but for a long time their search was in vain. At last he was found -before the manger in the church, lying with face hidden on the bosom of -his beloved, whose cold mangled body was clutched in an unreleasable -embrace. He was to all human sight unwounded, but even the most -ignorant and callous of his command knew that he had died of a broken -heart. - -Yet it must be believed that he went gladly to join his beloved one, -knowing full well that as a gallant soldier of the Cross he had nobly -sustained his high part, and only when his duty was done had he -permitted himself to sink into eternal rest in the arms of her whom he -had so fondly loved. - - - - -DEEP-SEA FISH - - -Among shore-dwellers generally there obtains an idea that the ocean, -except in the immediate vicinity of land, is an awful solitude, its -vast emptiness closely akin to the spaces above. But while admitting -fully that there is little room for wonder at such a speculative -opinion, it must be said that nothing could well be farther from the -truth. Indeed, we may even go beyond that statement, and declare that -the fruitful earth, with its unimaginable variety and innumerable hosts -of living things, is, when compared to the densely populated world -of waters, but a sparsely peopled desert. A little knowledge of the -conditions existing at great depths, may well make us doubt whether any -forms of life exist able to endure the incalculable pressure of the -superincumbent sea; but leaving all the tremendous area of the ocean -bed below 200 fathoms out of the question, there still remains ample -room and verge enough for the justification of the statement just made. - -Nothing has ever excited the wonder and admiration of naturalists -more than this prodigious population of the sea--these unthinkable -myriads of hungry things which are shut up to the necessity of preying -upon each other since other forms of food do not exist. The mind -recoils dismayed from a contemplation of their countlessness, as it -does from the thought of timelessness or the extent of the stellar -spaces, shrinkingly admitting its limitations and seeking relief in -some subject that is within its grasp. But without touching upon the -lower forms of life peopling the sea, and so escaping the burden of -thought which the slightest consideration of their myriads entail, -it is possible to note, without weariness, how, all over the waste -spaces of a remote and unhearing ocean, fish of noble proportions and -varying degrees of edibility disport themselves, breeding none know -where, and revealing their beauties to the passing seafarer as they -gather companionably around his solitary keel. Excluding all the varied -species of mammals that form such an immense portion of the sea-folk, -it may roughly be said that the majority of deep-sea fish belong to -the mackerel family, or _Scombridæ_. They possess, in an exaggerated -form, all the characteristics of that well-known edible fish that -occasionally gluts our markets and gladdens the hearts of our fishermen. - -One of the least numerous, but from his size and prowess probably -the monarch of all sea _fish_, is the sword-fish, _Xiphias_. This -elegant fish attains an enormous size, specimens having been caught -weighing over a quarter of a ton; but owing to the incomparable grace -of its form, its speed and agility are beyond belief. It is often--in -fact, generally--confounded with the “saw-fish,” a species of shark; -the principal reason of this confusion being the great number of -“saws” or beaks of the latter, which are to be found in homes about -the country. Yet between the sword of the Xiphias and the “saw” of -the _Pristiophoridæ_ there is about as much similarity as there is -between the assegai of a Zulu and the waddy of a black-fellow. The -one weapon is a slender, finely pointed shaft of the hardest bone, an -extended process of the skull, about two feet long in a large specimen. -Impelled by the astounding vigour of the lithe monster behind it, this -tremendous weapon has been proved capable of penetrating the massive -oaken timbers of a ship, and a specimen may be seen in the Museum of -Natural History at South Kensington, at this present time, transfixing -a section of ship’s timber several inches in thickness. The “saw,” on -the other hand, is, like all the rest of a shark’s skeleton, composed -of cartilage, besides being terminated at the tip by a broad, almost -snout-like end. Unlike the round lance of the sword-fish, the “saw” has -a flat blade set on both sides with sharp teeth with considerable gaps -between them. As its name and shape would imply, it is used saw-wise, -principally for disembowelling fish, for upon such soft food the -saw-fish is compelled to feed owing to the shape of his mouth and the -insignificance of his teeth. Thus it will be seen that apart from the -radical differences between the two creatures, nothing being really in -common between them, except that they are both fish, there is really no -comparison possible between “saw” and “sword.” Fortunately for the less -warlike inhabitants of the deep sea, sword-fish are not numerous, there -are none to cope with them or keep their numbers down if they were -prolific. Sometimes--strange companionship--they join forces with the -killer whale and the thresher shark in an attack upon one of the larger -whales, only avoiding instinctively that monarch of the boundless main, -the cachalot. - -Next in size and importance among deep-sea fish, excluding sharks, -about which I have said so much elsewhere that I do not propose -dealing with them here, is the albacore, tunny or tuña, all of which -are sub-varieties of, or local names for the same huge mackerel. They -abound in every tropical sea, and are also found in certain favourable -waters, such as the Mediterranean and Pacific coast of America. Like -the sword-fish their habits of breeding are unknown, since they have -their home in the solitudes of the ocean. But they are one of the fish -most frequently met with by seafarers, as, like several others of the -same great family, they are fond of following a ship. A sailing ship -that is, for the throb of the propeller, apart from the speed of the -vessel, is effectual in preventing their attendance upon steamers, -so that passengers by steamships have few opportunities of observing -them. But in sailing vessels, gliding placidly along under the easy -pressure of gentle breezes, or lying quietly waiting for the friendly -wind, ample scope is given for study of their every-day life. Very -occasionally too, some seaman, more skilful or enterprising than his -fellows, will succeed in catching one by trolling a piece of white rag -or a polished spoon with a powerful hook attached. Yet such is the -vigour and so great is the size of these huge mackerel, some attaining -a length of six feet and a weight of five hundred pounds, that their -capture from a ship is infrequent. - -In size, beauty, and importance, the “dolphin” easily claims the next -place to the albacore. But an unaccountable confusion has gathered -around this splendid fish on account of his popular name. The dolphin -of mythological sculpture bears no resemblance either to the popularly -named dolphin of the seaman and the poets, or the scientifically named -dolphin of the natural histories, which is a mammal, and identical with -the porpoise. One thing is certain, that no sailor will ever speak -of the porpoise as a dolphin, or call _Coryphena hippuris_ anything -else. Of this lovely denizen of the deep sea, it is difficult to speak -soberly. Even the dullest of men wax enthusiastic over its glories, -feeling sure that none of all beautiful created things can approach -it for splendour of array. I have often tried to distinguish its -different hues, watching it long and earnestly as it basked alongside -in the limpid blue environment of its home. But my efforts have always -been in vain, since every turn of its elegant form revealed some new -combination of dazzling tints blending and brightening in such radiant -loveliness that any classification of their shades was impossible. -Then a swift wave of the wide forked tail-fin would send the lithe -body all a-quiver in a new direction, where, catching a stray sunbeam -it would blaze like burnished silver reflecting the golden gleam, and -the overtaxed eye must needs turn away for relief. Then suddenly the -marvellous creature would spring into activity, launching itself in -long vibrant leaps through the air after its prey, a fleeting school -of flying fish, that with all their winged speed could not escape the -lethal jaws of their splendid pursuer. Having read of the wondrously -changing colours of a dying dolphin I watched with great eagerness -the first one that ever I saw caught. Great was my disappointment and -resentment against those who had perpetrated and perpetuated such a -fable. Compared with the glory of the living creature, the fading hues -of its vesture when dying were as lead is to gold. Only by most careful -watching was it possible to distinguish the changing colour schemes, -faint and dim, as if with departing vitality they too were compelled -to fade and die away into darkness. On the utilitarian side too the -dolphin is beloved by the sailor, for its flesh is whiter and more -sapid than that of any other deep-sea fish except the flying fish, -which are too small and too infrequently got hold of on board ship to -be taken much account of for food. Yet, in spite of its wondrous speed, -the dolphin, when congregated in considerable numbers, often falls -a prey to the giant albacore, which hurls itself into their midst, -clashing its great jaws and destroying many more than it devours. - -Commonest of all deep-water fish, but only found in the warm waters -of the tropical seas or fairly close to their northern or southern -limits is the bonito, another member of the mackerel family, but much -inferior in size to the albacore. “Bonito” is a Spanish diminutive -equivalent to beautiful, and beautiful the bonito certainly is, -although compared with the dazzling glory of the dolphin it looks quite -homely. It is a most sociable fish, keeping company with a slow-moving -sailing ship for days together, and quite easily caught with a hook -to which a morsel of white rag is fastened to simulate a flying fish. -For its size--the largest I have ever seen being less than thirty -pounds weight--its strength is incredible, as is also the quantity of -warm blood it contains. On account of these two characteristics, it -is usual when fishing for bonito off the end of the jibboom to take -out a sack and secure it to the jib-guys with its mouth gaping wide -so that the newly caught fish may be promptly dropped therein to kick -and bleed in safety and cleanliness. My first bonito entailed upon me -considerable discomfort. I was a lad of fourteen, and had stolen out -unobserved to fish with the mate’s line, which he had left coiled on -the boom. I hooked a large fish which, after a struggle, I succeeded in -hauling up until I embraced him tightly with both arms. His vibrations -actually shook the ship, and they continued until my whole body was -quite benumbed, and I could not feel that a large patch of skin was -chafed off my breast where I hugged my prize to me. And not only was -I literally drenched with the fish’s blood, but the flying jib, which -happened to be furled on the boom, was in a truly shocking condition -likewise. Nevertheless I rejoice to think that I held on to my fish -and successfully bore him inboard to the cook, although I shook so -with excitement and fatigue that I could scarcely keep my feet. Nor -was my triumph much discounted by the complete rope’s-ending I got -the same evening, when upon hoisting the jib, its filthy condition was -made manifest, and at once rightly attributed to me. The flesh of the -bonito is coarse and dark, tough, and with little flavour. But still it -comes as a welcome change to the worse than pauper dietary served out -to crews of sailing ships generally, while the ease with which the fish -may be caught, and the frequency of its companionship make it one of -the most appreciated by seamen of all the denizens of the deep sea. One -other virtue it possesses which makes it even more of a favourite than -the dolphin, in spite of all the latter’s superior palatability--it is -never poisonous, unless after exposure to the rays of the moon. Dolphin -have often been known to inflict severe suffering upon those eating -their flesh, and no one who has ever experienced the enormously swollen -head and agonizing pain consequent upon a meal off a poisonous dolphin -is ever likely to think even of such a meal again without a shudder. - -Another exceedingly pretty fish found in all deep tropical waters is -the skip-jack. Smaller than the average bonito, yet in the details -of its form closely resembling the great albacore, this elegant fish -is less sociable than any of those mentioned in the preceding lines. -Therefore, it is seldom caught, although in calm weather in the -doldrums thousands may often be seen making the short vertical leaps -into the air from which peculiar evolution they derive their trivial -name. Both the bonito and the skip-jack are subject to being devoured -by the albacore, whose voracity, swiftness, and size make him the -terror of all his smaller congeners. - -Occasionally after a few days’ calm some delicate little fish, also -belonging to the mackerel tribe--a species of caranx--will be seen -huddling timorously around the rudder of a ship, as if in momentary -dread of being devoured, a dread which is exceedingly well founded. -The wonder is how any of them escape the ravenous jaws of the larger -fish since they must find it well-nigh impossible to get away from -such pursuers. They may be easily caught by a fine line and hook, -and are very dainty eating. So, too, with the lovely little caranx -familiar to all readers as the pilot fish. What peculiar instinct -impels this beautiful tiny wanderer to attach himself to a shark is one -of the mysteries of natural history, and the subject of much ignorant -incredulity on the part of those who are often found ready to believe -some of the most absurd travellers’ yarns. But the pilot fish and its -habits deserves a whole paper to itself--it is far too interesting a -subject to be dealt with in the brief space now remaining. This, too, -must be said of the flying-fish, one of the most wonderful of all the -inhabitants of the deep seas, yet not so important to the seaman from a -utilitarian point of view, since the occasional stragglers that do fly -on board ship in their blind haste to escape from their countless foes -beneath, usually fall to the lot of the ship’s cat. Pussy is swift to -learn that the sharp “smack” against the bulwarks at night, followed by -a rapid rattling flutter means a most delicious meal for her, and smart -indeed must be the sailor who finds the hapless fish before pussy has -commenced her banquet. - -One more important member of the true ocean fish must be mentioned, -although it also frequents many shores, and is regularly caught for -market on widely separated coasts. It is the barracouta or sea-pike, a -large fish of delicious flavour, much resembling the hake of our own -southern coasts. As I have caught this voracious fish all over the -Indian Ocean, I have no hesitation at including it among deep-sea fish, -although perhaps many well-informed seafarers would disagree with me. -But if any seaman, still pursuing his vocation, doubts my statement, -let him on his next East Indian voyage keep a line towing astern with a -shred of crimson bunting hiding a stout hook at its end, as soon as the -ship hauls to the nor’ard after rounding the Cape. And I can assure him -that he will have several tasty messes of fish before she crosses the -Line. - - - - -A MEDITERRANEAN MORNING - - -From my lofty roof-top here, in the highest part of Valetta, it is -possible to take in at one sweeping glance a panorama that can hardly -be surpassed for beauty and interest. - -Intensely blue, the placid sea curdles around the rock bases of -this wonderful little island as if it loved them. There are no rude -breakers, no thundering, earth-shaking on-rushings of snowy-crested -waves, leaping at the point of impact into filmy columns of spray. - -Overhead the violet, star-sprinkled splendours of the night are just -beginning to throb with returning light. One cannot say that the beams -are definite, rather it is a palpitating glow that is just commencing -to permeate the whole solemnity of the dome above, as does the first -impulse of returning joy relax the lines of a saddened face. Far to the -north may be seen a tiny cluster of fleecy cloudlets nestling together -as if timid and lonely in that vast expanse of clear sky. But as the -coming day touches them they put on garments of glory and beauty. -Infinite gradations of colour, all tender, melt into one another upon -their billowy surfaces until they spread and brighten, investing all -their quadrant of the heavens with the likeness of the Gardens of -Paradise. - -At my feet lie the mighty edifices of stone that have, by the patient -unending labour of this busy people, grown up through past ages, until -now the mind reels in the attempt to sum up the account of that labour. -A sea of white roofs, punctuated here and there with the dome and twin -steeples of a church, the only breaks in the universal fashion of roof -architecture. Away beneath, the white, clean streets--so strangely -silent that the far-off tinkle of a goat-bell on the neck of some -incoming band of milk-bearers strikes sharply athwart the pellucid -atmosphere, like the fall of a piece of broken glass on to the pavement -below. A few dim figures, recumbent upon the wide piazza of the Opera -House, stir uneasily as the new light reaches them, and gape, and -stretch, and fumble for cigarettes. A hurried, furtive-looking labourer -glides past, his bare feet arousing no echo, but making him pass like a -ghost. And then, from the direction of the Auberge de Castile, comes a -solemn sound of music. - -Its first faint strains rise upon the sweet morning calm like some -lovely suggestion of prayer, but they are accompanied by an indefinite -pulsation as of a beating at the walls of one’s heart. More and more -distinct the strains arise until recognizable as Chopin’s “Marche -Funèbre,” and suddenly in the distance may be discerned, turning into -the Strada Mezzodi, row after row of khaki-clad figures moving, oh, so -slowly. Deadened and dull the drum-beats fall, more and more insistent -wails that heart-rending music, and close in its rear appears the only -spot of colour in the sad ranks, the brilliant folds of the Union -Jack, hiding that small oblong coffer which holds all that was mortal -of Private No. ----. Perhaps in life he was rather an insignificant -unit of his regiment, at times a troublesome one, familiar with -“pack-drill,” “C.B.,” and “clink,” but now he has been brevetted, for a -fleeting hour his fast-decaying remains are greeted with almost Royal -honours. - -Nearer and nearer creeps the solemn and stately procession, so slowly -that the strain becomes intolerable. How do his comrades bear it? We -who knew him not at all find ourselves choking, gasping in sympathy. -While that silent escort is filing past we have traced his history, as -it might be, his babyhood in some fair British village far away, his -school-days, his pranks, his mother’s pride. Then his aspirations, what -he would do when he was a man. Or perhaps he came from the slums of a -great town, where, neglected, unwanted, he wallowed in the gutters, -living like the sparrows, but less easily, and only surviving the -rough treatment by dint of a harder grip of life than so many of his -fellows. He knew no love, was coarse of speech, given to much drink and -little repentance. But who thinks of that now? He is our dear brother -departed, and his comrades follow him home, for the time at least -solemnized at the presence among them of that awful power before whom -all heads must bow. - -Now, the so lately slumbering street has filled. Swarthy Maltese, -Sicilians, Indians, men of all occupations, and of none, stand with -bared heads and downcast faces as the King goes by. Oh that they would -hasten on! But no. As if the procession would never end, it files -through the Porta Reale, and at last is lost to view, although for long -afterwards those muffled drums still beat upon the heart. - -As if rejoicing at the passing of death, the street suddenly awakens. -A very hubbub of conversation arises. Incoming crowds of workmen, -striding along with that peculiarly easy gait common to the barefooted, -jostle each other, and fling jest and repartee in guttural Maltese. -Country vehicles, laden with all manner of queer produce, their bitless -stallions swaying tinkling bells, encumber the way. Presently all make -clear the crown of the road for the passage of a company of mounted -infantry, which, in the almost blatant pride of fitness and workmanlike -appearance, sallies forth into the country for exercise beyond the -walls. But hark! martial strains are heard, a joyous blare of brass, -a gleeful clatter of cymbal and drum. Hearts beat quicker, the foot -taps, involuntarily acknowledging the power of music to elevate -or depress the mind. Swinging into view strides a jaunty company, -with heads erect and splendid swagger, and in their midst the plain -imitation gun-carriage, which so short a time ago was burdened with the -flag-enwrapped dead, is gaily trundled along. The moments of mourning -are ended. We have hidden our dead out of our sight, and, with a spring -of relief, are back again with the duties and pleasures of the living. - -The great sun is soaring high, and already his beams are heating the -stones so that we can hardly bear to touch them. The sea is rejoicing, -for with the sun a little breeze has risen and covered that gorgeous -expanse of sapphire with an infinity of wavelets, each crested with -a spray of diamonds. A few barbaric-looking feluccas, their great -pointed sails gleaming like snow against the blue sea, are creeping in -from Gozo or Sicily, laden with fruit and fish for hungry Valetta. Far -out, a long black stain against the clear sky betokens the presence -of a huge steamship, homeward bound from the East, and avoiding these -bright shores carefully because of stringent quarantine regulations. -The very mention of the dread word “plague” is enough to cause a panic -here, and if the most rigorous exclusion, at whatever cost, of vessels -from infected ports, will keep us free, we will see to it that such -exclusion is practised. - -But what is this long, phantom-like vessel, her colour so blending -with the blue of the sea, that she is difficult to distinguish? -Occasionally from one of her three irregularly placed funnels there is -a burst of black smoke, but otherwise she is as nearly invisible as -careful painting can make her. Up there at the lofty look-out station -the signalmen are discussing her with many epithets of dislike. They -know her well, and all her kindred; know well, too, with what jealous, -longing eyes those on board peer at the prosperous island, and with -what accents of hatred they speak of the insolent, perfidious Briton, -who dare to thus maintain a station of such strength, a naval base of -such inestimable value, in the midst of what should be a Latin-governed -sea. - -But the treasure so coveted is not only guarded by all the deadly -devices known to modern warfare, it is made doubly secure in that these -swarthy speakers of a strange tongue know and love their rulers too -well to exchange them, save at the cost of almost utter annihilation, -for masters whom they equally well know and hate. - -The morning freshness has gone. Valetta, never quite asleep at any -time, only drowsing occasionally, is wide awake now. The bright waters -of the harbour are alive with “disós,” gondola-like boats, and small -steamers. The hurrying thousands have swarmed into their appointed -places in the dockyard, the never-finished stone-hewing is going -briskly forward, the market is a howling vortex of clamour and heat -and excitement; and in its niche of living rock the tabernacle of him -who yesterday was Private ----, of her Majesty’s army, lies quietly -oblivious of it all. - - - - -ABNER’S TRAGEDY - - -Our quaint little Guamese was vociferously cheered at the close of his -yarn, although in some parts it had been most difficult to follow, -from the bewildering compound of dialects it was delivered in. Usually -that does not trouble whalers’ crews, much accustomed as they are to -the very strangest distortions of the adaptable English language. “The -next gentleman to oblige” was, to my utter amazement, Abner Cushing, -the child of calamity from Vermont, who had been hung up by the thumbs -and flogged on the outward passage. Up till then we had all looked upon -him as being at least “half a shingle short,” not to say downright -loony, but that impression now received a severe shock. In a cultivated -diction, totally unlike the half-intelligible drawl hitherto affected -by him, he related the following story. - -“Well, boys, I dare say you have often wondered what could have brought -me here. Perhaps (which, come to think of it, is more likely) you -haven’t troubled your heads about me at all, although even the meanest -of us like to think that we fill some corner in our fellow’s mind. But -if you have wondered, it could not be considered surprising. For I’m -a landsman if ever there was one, a farmer, who, after even such a -drilling as I’ve gone through this voyage, still feels, and doubtless -looks, as awkward on board as any cow. My story is not a very long one, -perhaps hardly worth the telling to anybody but myself, but it will be -a change from whaling ‘shop’ anyhow, so here goes. - -“My father owned a big farm in the old Green Mountain state, on which I -grew up, an only son, but never unduly pampered or spoiled by the good -old man. No; both he and mother, though fond of me as it was possible -to be, strove to do me justice by training me up and not allowing me -to sprout anyhow like a jimpson weed to do as I darn pleased with -myself when and how I liked. They were careful to keep me out of -temptation too, as far as they were able, which wasn’t so difficult, -seeing our nearest neighbour was five miles away, and never a drop of -liquor stronger than cider ever came within a day’s journey of home. -So I suppose I passed as a pretty good boy; at least there were no -complaints. - -“One day, when I was about fifteen years old, father drove into the -village some ten miles off on business, and when he came back he -had a little golden-haired girl with him about twelve years old. A -pale, old-fashioned little slip she was, as staid as a grandmother, -and dressed in deep black. When I opened the gate for the waggon, -father said, ‘This is your cousin Cicely, Abner, she’s an orphan, -an’ I cal’late to raise her.’ That was all our introduction, and I, -like the unlicked cub I must have been, only said, ‘that so, father,’ -staring at the timid little creature so critically, that her pale -face flushed rosy red under my raw gaze. I helped her out (light as a -bird she was), and showed her into the house, where mother took her -right to her heart on the spot. From that on she melted into the home -life as if she had always been part of it, a quiet patient helper -that made mother’s life a very easy one. God knows it had been hard -enough. Many little attentions and comforts unknown before, grew to -be a part of our daily routine, but if I noticed them at all (and I -hardly think I did then), I took them as a matter of course, nor ever -gave sign that I appreciated the thoughtful care that provided them. -So the years slithered past uneventfully till I was twenty-one, when -dad fell sick. Within a week he was dead. It was a terrible stroke -to mother and Cicely, but neither of them were given to much show of -feeling (I reckon there was scant encouragement), and things went on -much as usual. I didn’t seem to feel it very much--didn’t seem to feel -anything much in those days, except mad with my folks when everything -wasn’t just as I wanted it. Dad’s affairs were all shipshape. He left -mother fairly well off, and Cicely just enough to live on in case -of necessity, while I came in for everything else, which meant an -income of 1500 dollars a year if I chose to realize and not work any -more. Being now, however, fairly wound up like any other machine, and -warranted to go right on in the same jog, I had no thought of change. -Don’t suppose I ever should have had; but--Excuse me, boys, I’m a bit -husky, and there’s something in my eye. All right now. - -“That summer we had boarders from Boston, well-to-do city folks pining -for a change of air and scene, who offered a big price for such -accommodation as we could give them for a couple of months. - -“I drove down to the village to meet them with the best waggon, and -found them waiting for me at Squire Pickering’s house--two elderly -ladies and a young one. Boys, I can’t begin to describe that young lady -to you; all I know is, that the first time our eyes met, I felt kinder -as I guess Eve must have done when she eat the apple, only more so. -All my old life that I had been well contented with came up before me -and looked just unbearable. I felt awkward, and rough, and ugly; my -new store clothes felt as if they’d been hewn out of deals, my head -burned like a furnace, and my hands and feet were numb cold. When, in -answer to some trifling question put to me by one of the old ladies, I -said a few words, they sounded ’way off down a long tunnel, and as if I -had nothing to do with them. Worst of all, I couldn’t keep my foolish -eyes off that young lady, do what I would. How I drove the waggon home -I don’t know. I suppose the machine was geared up so well, it ran of -its own accord--didn’t want any thinking done. For I was thinking of -anything in the wide world but my duty. I was a soldier, a statesman, -a millionaire by turns, but only that I might win for my own that -wonderful creature that had come like an unpredicted comet into my -quiet sky. - -“Now, don’t you think I’m going to trouble you with my love-making. I’d -had no experience, so I dare say it was pretty original, but the only -thing I can remember about it is that I had neither eyes nor ears for -anything or anybody else but Agatha Deerham (that was her name), and -that I neglected everything for her. She took my worship as a matter of -course, calmly, royally, unconsciously; but if she smiled on me, I was -crazy with gladness. - -“Meanwhile my behaviour put mother and Cicely about no end. But for -their industry and forethought, things would have been in a pretty -muddle, for I was worse than useless to them; spent most of my time -mooning about like the brainsick fool I was, building castles in -Spain, or trying to invent something that would please the woman I -worshipped. Oh, but I was blind; a poor blind fool. Looking back now, -I know I must have been mad as well as blind. Agatha saw immediately -upon coming into my home what I had never seen in all those long -years--that Cicely--quiet, patient little Cicely--loved me with her -whole heart, and would have died to serve me. So, with that refinement -of cruelty that some women can show, she deliberately set herself, not -to infatuate me more--that was impossible--but to show Cicely that she, -the new-comer, while not valuing my love at a pin, could play with it, -prove it, trifle with it as she listed. - -“Sometimes her treatment nearly drove me frantic with rage, but a -tender glance from her wonderful eyes brought me fawning to her feet -again directly. Great heaven, how she made me suffer! I wonder I -didn’t go really mad, I was in such a tumult of conflicting passions -continually. - -“The time drew near for them to return to their city home. Now, -although Agatha had tacitly accepted all my attentions, nothing -definite had yet passed between us, but the announcement of her -imminent departure brought matters to a climax. Seizing the first -opportunity of being alone with her, I declared my passion in a frenzy -of wild words, offered her my hand, and swore that if she refused me I -would do--I hardly remember what; but, among other things, certainly -kill her, and then myself. She smiled pityingly upon me, and quietly -said, ‘What about Cicely?’ Bewildered at her question, so little had -any thought of Cicely in connection with love entered my head, I stared -for a few moments blankly at the beautiful and maliciously smiling face -before me, muttering at last, ‘Whatever do you mean?’ - -“With a ringing laugh, she said, ‘Can it be possible that you are -unaware how your cousin worships you?’ Black shame upon me, I was not -content with scornfully repudiating the possibility of such a thing, -but poured all the bitter contempt I could give utterance to upon -the poor girl, whose only fault was love of me. While thus basely -engaged, I saw Agatha change colour, and turning, found Cicely behind -me, trembling and livid as one who had received a mortal wound. Shame, -anger, and passion for Agatha kept me speechless as she recovered -herself and silently glided away. - -“But I must hurry up if I’m not going to be tedious. Encouraged by -Agatha, I sold the farm, sending mother and Cicely adrift to live upon -their little means, and, gathering all together, took my departure for -Boston. Arrangements for our marriage were hurried on at my request, -not so swiftly, however, but that news reached me on my wedding morning -of mother’s death. For a moment I was staggered, even the peculiar -thing which served me for a heart felt a pang, but only in passing. -What had become of Cicely I never troubled enough to think, much less -to inquire. - -“Some weeks of delirious gaiety followed, during which I drank to the -full from the cup of my desires. Our lives were a whirl of what, for -want of a better word, I suppose I must call enjoyment; at any rate, -we did and had whatever we had a mind to, nor ever stopped to think of -the sequel. We had no home, never waited to provide one, but lived at a -smart hotel at a rate that would have killed my father to think of. - -“One night at the theatre I slipped on the marble staircase, fell to -the bottom a tangle of limbs, and was taken up with a broken leg, -right arm, and collar bone. At some one’s suggestion I was removed to -hospital. There, but for the ministrations of the nurses and surgeons, -I was left alone, not a single one of my acquaintances coming near -me. But what worried me was my wife’s neglect. What could have become -of her? Where was she? These ceaselessly repeated and unanswered -questions, coupled with my utter helplessness, drove me into a brain -fever, in which I lost touch with the world for six weeks. - -“I awoke one morning, a wan shade of my old self, but able to think -again (would to God I never had). I was informed that no one had been -to inquire after me during my long delirium, and this sombre fact -stood up before me like a barrier never to be passed, reared between -me and any hope in life. But, in spite of the drawbacks, I got better, -got well, came out into the world again. I was homeless, friendless, -penniless. The proprietor of the hotel where I had stayed with my wife -informed me that she had left in company with a gentleman, with whom -she seemed so intimate that he thought it must be some relative, but -as he spoke, I read the truth in his eyes. He took pity on my forlorn -condition and gave me a little money, enough to keep me alive for a -week or two, but strongly advised me to go back to my native village -and stay there. I was too broken to resent the idea, but in my own mind -there was a formless plan of operations insisting upon being carried -out. - -“Husbanding my little stock of money with the utmost care, and barely -spending sufficient to support life, I began a search for my wife. -Little by little I learnt the ghastly sordid truth. Virtue, honour, or -probity, had never been known to her, and my accident only gave her an -opportunity that she had been longing for. Why she had married me was a -mystery. Perhaps she sought a new sensation, and didn’t find it. - -“Well, I tracked her and her various companions, until after about -three months I lost all traces in New York. Do what I would, no more -news of her could be obtained. But I had grown very patient in my -search, though hardly knowing why I sought. My purpose was as hazy as -my plan had been. So, from day to day I plodded through such small jobs -as I could find, never losing sight for an hour of my one object in -life. - -“I must have been in New York quite six months, when I was one day -trudging along Bleecker Street on an errand for somebody, and there -met me face to face my cousin Cicely. I did not know her, but she -recognized me instantly, and I saw in her sweet face such a look of -sympathy and loving compassion that, broken-hearted, I covered my face -and cried like a child. ‘Hush,’ she said, ‘you will be molested,’ and, -putting her arm through mine, she led me some distance to a dilapidated -house, the door of which she opened with a key. Showing me into a tidy -little room, she bade me sit down while she got me a cup of coffee, -refusing to enter into conversation until I was a bit refreshed. Then, -bit by bit, I learned that she had heard of my desertion by Agatha, -and had formed a resolution to find her and bring her back to me if -possible. She did find her, but was repulsed by her with a perfect -fury of scorn, and told to go and find me and keep me, since such a -worthless article as I was not likely to be useful to any other person -on earth. Such a reception would have daunted most women; but I think -Cicely was more than woman, or else how could she do as she did. - -“Driven from my wife’s presence, she never lost sight of her, feeling -sure that her opportunity would soon come. It came very suddenly. -In the midst of her flaunting, vicious round of gaiety small-pox -seized her, and as she had left me, so she was left, but not even in -an hospital. Cicely found her alone, raving, tearing at her flesh in -agony, with no one to help or pity. It was the opportunity she had -sought, and hour by hour she wrestled with death and hell for that -miserable woman. It was a long fight, but she was victorious, and -although a sorrowful gap was made in her small stock of money, she was -grateful and content. - -“Agatha was a wreck. Utterly hideous to look upon, with memory like -a tiger tearing at her heart, she yet had not the courage to die, -or, doubtless, she would quickly have ended all her woes. Quietly, -unobtrusively, constantly, Cicely waited on her, worked for her, and at -last had succeeded in bringing us together. The knowledge that she whom -I had sought so long was in the same house took away my breath. As soon -as I recovered myself a bit, Cicely went to prepare her for meeting me. -Unknown to Cicely, I followed, and almost immediately after she entered -the room where my wife lay, I presented myself at the door. Looking -past the woman who had preserved her miserable life, she saw my face. -Then, with a horrible cry, unlike anything human, she sprang at my poor -cousin like a jaguar, tearing, shrieking. If I dwell any longer on that -nightmare I shall go mad myself. I did what I could, and bear the marks -of that encounter for life, but I could not save Cicely’s life. - -“The room filled with people, and the maniac was secured. After I had -given my evidence on the inquiry, I slunk away, too mean to live, -afraid to die. A recruiter secured me for this ship, and here I am, but -I know that my useless life is nearly over. The world will be well rid -of me.” - -When he stopped talking, there was a dead silence for a few minutes. -Such a yarn was unusual among whalemen, and they hardly knew how to -take it. But the oldest veteran of the party dispelled the uneasy -feeling by calling for a song, and volunteering one himself, just to -keep things going. In the queerest nasal twang imaginable he thundered -out some twenty verses of doggerel concerning the deeds of Admiral -Semmes of the Alabama, with a different tune to each verse. It was -uproariously received, but story-telling held the field, and another -yarn was demanded. - - - - -LOST AND FOUND - -A SEA AMENDMENT - - -He stood alone on the little pier, a pathetic figure in his -loneliness--a boy without a home or a friend in the world. There was -only one thought dominating his mind, the purely animal desire for -sustenance, for his bodily needs lay heavily upon him. Yet it never -occurred to him to ask for food--employment for which he should be -paid such scanty wages as would supply his bare needs was all he -thought of; for, in spite of years of semi-starvation, he had never -yet eaten bread that he had not worked for--the thought of doing so -had never shaped itself in his mind. But he was now very hungry, and -as he watched the vigorous preparation for departure in full swing on -board the smart rakish-looking fishing schooner near him, he felt an -intense longing to be one of the toilers on her decks, with a right to -obey the call presently to a well-earned meal. Whether by any strange -thought-transference his craving became known to the bronzed skipper -of the Rufus B. or not, who shall say? Sufficient to record that on -a sudden that stalwart man lifted his head, and looking steadily at -the lonely lad, he said, “Wantin’ a berth, sonny?” Although, if his -thoughts could have been formulated, such a question was the one of -all others he would have desired to hear, the lad was so taken aback by -the realization of his most fervent hopes that for several seconds he -could return no answer, but sat endeavouring to moisten his lips and -vainly seeking in his bewildered mind for words with which to reply. -Another sharp query, “Air ye deef?” brought his wits to a focus, and he -replied humbly-- - -“Yes, sir!” - -“Well, whar’s yer traps, then?” queried the skipper; “‘kaze we’re boun’ -ter git away this tide, so it’s naow er never, ef you’re comin’.” - -Before answering, the boy suddenly gathered himself up, and sprang in -two bounds from his position on the quay to the side of the skipper. As -soon as he reached him, he said, in rapid disjointed sentences-- - -“I’ve got no close. Ner no boardin’ house. Ner yet a cent in the world. -But I ben to sea for nearly three year, an’ ther ain’t much to a ship -thet I don’ know. I never ben in a schooner afore, but ef you’ll take -me, Cap’n, I’ll show you I’m wuth a boy’s wages, anyhow.” - -As he spoke the skipper looked down indulgently at him, chewing -meditatively the while, but as soon as he had finished, the “old man” -jerked out-- - -“All right. Hook on ter onct, then;” and almost in the same breath, -but with an astonishing increase of sound, “Naow, then, caest off -thet guess warp forrard there,’n run the jib up. Come, git a move on -ye--anybody’d think you didn’t calk’late on leavin’ Gloster never no -more.” - -Cheery “Ay, ay, cap’s,” resounded from the willing crowd as they -obeyed, and in ten minutes the Rufus B. was gliding away seawards to -the musical rattle of the patent blocks and the harmonious cries of the -men as they hoisted the sails to the small breeze that was stealing off -the land. - -The grey mist of early morning was slowly melting off the picturesque -outline of the Massachusetts shore as they departed, and over the -smooth sea before them fantastic wreaths and curls of fog hung about -like the reek of some vast invisible fire far away. It was cold, too, -with a clammy chill that struck through the threadbare suit of jeans -worn by the new lad, and made him exert himself vigorously to keep -his blood in circulation. So hearty were his efforts that the mixed -company of men by whom he was surrounded noted them approvingly; and -although to a novice their occasional remarks would have sounded harsh -and brutal, he felt mightily cheered by them, for his experienced ear -immediately recognized the welcome fact that his abilities were being -appreciated at their full value. And when, in answer to the skipper’s -order of “Loose thet gaff taupsle,” addressed to no one in particular, -he sprang up the main rigging like a monkey and cast off the gaskets, -sending down the tack on the right side, and shaking out the sail in -a seamanlike fashion, he distinctly heard the skipper remark to the -chap at the wheel, “Looks ’sif we’d struck a useful nipper at last, -Jake,” the words were heady as a drink of whisky. Disdaining the -ratlines, he slid down the weather backstays like a flash and dropped -lightly on deck, his cheek flushed and his eye sparkling, all his -woeful loneliness forgotten in his present joy of finding his services -appreciated. But the grinning darky cook just then put his head outside -his caboose door and shouted “Brekfuss.” With old habit strong upon -him, the boy bounded forrard to fetch the food into the fo’c’sle, but -to his bewilderment, and the darky’s boisterous delight, he found that -in his new craft quite a different order of things prevailed. Here all -hands messed like Christians at one common table in the cabin, waited -upon by the cook, and eating the same food; and though they looked -rough and piratical enough, all behaved themselves decently--in strong -contrast to the foul behaviour our hero had so often witnessed in the -grimy fo’c’sles of merchant ships. All this touched him, even though he -was so ravenously hungry that his senses seemed merged in the purely -physical satisfaction of getting filled with good food. At last, during -a lull in the conversation, which, as might be expected, was mostly -upon their prospects of striking a good run of cod at an early date, -the skipper suddenly looked straight at the boy, and said-- - -“Wut djer say yer name wuz, young feller?” - -“Tom Burt, sir,” he answered promptly, although he was tempted to say -that he hadn’t yet been asked his name at all. - -“Wall, then, Tom Burt,” replied the skipper, “yew shape ’s well ’s -yew’ve begun, and I’m doggoned ef yew won’t have no eend of a blame -good time. Th’ only kind er critter we kain’t find no sort er use fer -in a Banker ’s a loafer. We do all our bummin’ w’en we git ashore, ’n -in bad weather; other times everybody’s got ter git up an’ hustle fer -all they’re wuth.” - -Tom looked up with a pleasant smile, feeling quite at his ease among -men who could talk to him as if he, too, were a human being and not -a homeless cur. He didn’t make any resolves to do his level best--he -would do that anyhow--but his heart beat high with satisfaction at his -treatment, and he would have kept his end up with any man on board to -the utmost ounce of his strength. But meanwhile they had drawn clear of -the land, and behind them dropped a curtain of fog hiding it completely -from view. To a fresh easterly breeze which had sprung up, the graceful -vessel was heading north-east for the Grand Banks, gliding through the -long, sullen swell like some great, lithe greyhound, and yet looking -up almost in the wind’s eye. In spite of the breeze, the towering -banks of fog gradually drew closer and closer around them until they -were entirely enveloped therein, as if wrapped in an impenetrable veil -which shut out all the world beside. The ancient tin horn emitted its -harsh discords, which seemed to rebound from the white wall round about -them, and in very deed could only have been heard a ship’s length or so -away. And presently, out of the encircling mantle of vapour, there came -a roar as of some unimaginable monster wrathfully seeking its prey, -the strident sounds tearing their way through the dense whiteness -with a truly terrific clamour. All hands stood peering anxiously out -over the waste for the first sight of the oncoming terror, until, with -a rush that made the schooner leap and stagger, a huge, indefinite -blackness sped past, its grim mass towering high above the tiny craft. -The danger over, muttered comments passed from mouth to mouth as to -the careless, reckless fashion in which these leviathans were driven -through the thick gloom of those crowded waters in utter disregard of -the helpless toilers of the sea. Then, to the intense relief of all -hands, the fog began to melt away, and by nightfall all trace of it was -gone. In its stead the great blue dome of the heavens, besprinkled with -a myriad glittering stars, shut them in; while the keen, eager breeze -sent the dancing schooner northward at a great rate to her destined -fishing-ground, the huge plateau in the Atlantic, off Newfoundland, -that the codfish loves. - -But it was written that they should never reach the Virgin. The bright, -clear weather gave way to a greasy, filmy sky, accompanied by a -mournful, sighing wail in the wind that sent a feeling of despondency -through the least experienced of the fishermen, and told the more -seasoned hands that a day of wrath was fast approaching, better than -the most delicately adjusted barometer would have done. When about -sixty miles from the Banks the gale burst upon the staunch little -craft in all its fury, testing her powers to the utmost as, under a -tiny square of canvas in the main rigging, she met and coquetted with -the gathering immensities of the Atlantic waves. No doubt she would -have easily weathered that gale, as she had done so many others, but -that at midnight, during its fiercest fury, there came blundering along -a huge four-masted sailing-ship running under topsails and foresail -that, like some blind and drunken giant staggered out of the gloom and -fell upon the gallant little schooner, crushing her into matchwood -beneath that ruthless iron stem, and passing on unheeding the awful -destruction she had dealt out to the brave little company of men. It -was all so sudden that the agony of suspense was mercifully spared -them, but out of the weltering vortex which swallowed up the Rufus B. -only two persons emerged alive--Tom Burt and Jem the cook. By a miracle -they both clung to the same piece of flotsam--one of the “dorys” or -flat little boats used by the Bankers to lay out their long lines when -on the Banks. Of course she was bottom up, and, but for the lifeline -which the forethought of the poor skipper had caused to be secured to -the gunwale of every one of his dorys, they could not have kept hold of -her for an hour. As it was, before they were able to get her righted in -that tumultuous sea, they were almost at their last gasp. But they did -succeed in getting her right way up at last, and, crouching low in her -flat bottom, they dumbly awaited whatever Fate had in store for them. - -[Illustration: A huge sailing-ship crushed her into matchwood.] - -A mere fragment in the wide waste, they clung desperately to life -through the slowly creeping hours while the storm passed away, the -sky cleared, and the sea went down. The friendly sun came out in his -strength and warmed their thin blood. But his beams did more: they -revealed at no great distance the shape of a ship that to the benumbed -fancies of the two waifs seemed to behave in most erratic fashion. For -now she would head toward them, again she would slowly turn as if upon -an axis until she presented her stern in their direction, but never -for five minutes did she keep the same course. Dimly they wondered -what manner of ship she might be, with a sort of impartial curiosity, -since they were past the period of struggle. Well for them that it was -so, for otherwise their agonies must have been trebled by the sight of -rescue apparently so near and yet impossible of attainment. So they -just sat listlessly in their empty shell gazing with incurious eyes -upon the strange evolutions of the ship. Yet, by that peculiar affinity -which freely floating bodies have at sea, the ship and boat were surely -drawing nearer each other, until Tom suddenly awoke as if from a trance -to find that they were so close to the ship that a strong swimmer might -easily gain her side. The discovery gave him the needed shock to arouse -his small store of vital energy, and, turning to his companion, he -said--his voice sounding strange and far away--“Doc, rouse up! Here’s -the ship! Right on top of us, man!” But for some minutes the negro -seemed past all effort, beyond hearing, only known to be living by his -position. Desperate now, Tom scrambled towards him, and in a sudden -fever of excitement shook, beat, and pinched him. No response. Then, -as if maddened by the failure of his efforts, the boy seized one of -the big black hands that lay so nervelessly, and, snatching it to his -mouth, bit a finger to the bone. A long dry groan came from the cook -as he feebly pulled his hand away, and mechanically thrust the injured -finger into his mouth. The trickling blood revived him, his dull eyes -brightened, and looking up he saw the ship close alongside. Without a -word he stooped and plunged his hands into the water on either side -the dory, paddling fiercely in the direction of the ship, while Tom -immediately followed his example. Soon they bumped her side, and as -she rolled slowly towards them, Tom seized the chain-plates and clung -limpet-like for an instant, then, with one supreme effort, hauled -himself on board and fell, fainting but safe, on her deck. - -When he returned to life again, his first thought was of his chum, -and great was his peace to find that the cook had also gained -safety. He lay near, stretched out listlessly upon the timber, with -which the vessel’s deck was completely filled, rail-high, fore and -aft. Feebly, like some decrepit old man, Tom rose to his knees and -shuffled towards the cook, finding that he was indeed still alive, -but sleeping so soundly that it seemed doubtful whether waking would -be possible. Reassured by finding the cook living, the boy dragged -himself aft, wondering feebly how it was that he saw no member of this -large vessel’s crew. He gained the cabin and crawled below, finding -everything in disorder, as if she had been boarded by pirates and -ravaged for anything of value that might be concealed. She seemed a -staunch, stout, frigate-built ship, of some eleven or twelve hundred -tons register, English built, but Norwegian owned; and to a seaman’s -eye there was absolutely no reason why she should thus be tumbling -unguided about the Atlantic--there was no visible cause to account -for her abandonment. Aloft she was in a parlous condition. The braces -having been left unbelayed, her great yards had long been swinging to -and fro with every thrust of the wind and roll of the ship, until it -was a marvel how they still hung in their places at all. Most of the -sails were in rags, the unceasing grind and wrench of the swinging -masses of timber to which they were secured having been too much for -their endurance, and their destruction once commenced, the wind had -speedily completed it. - -All this, requiring so long to tell, was taken in by the lad in a few -seconds, but his first thought was for food and drink wherewith to -revive his comrade. He was much disappointed, however, to find that -not only was the supply of eatables very scanty, but the quality was -vile beyond comment--worse than even that of some poverty-stricken old -British tub provisioned at an auction sale of condemned naval stores. -The best he could do for Jem was to soak some of the almost black -biscuit in water until soft, and then, hastening to his side, he roused -the almost moribund man, and gently coaxed him to eat, a morsel at a -time, until, to his joy, he found the poor darky beginning to take a -returning interest in life. Fortunately for them, the weather held fine -all that day and night, relieving them from anxiety about handling the -big vessel, and by morning they were both sufficiently themselves -again to set about the task of getting her under control. A little at -a time they reduced the chaotic web of gear aloft to something like -its original systematic arrangement, and under such sail as was still -capable of being set they began to steer to the south-westward. In -this, as in everything else now, the boy took the lead, for Jem had -never set foot upon a square-rigged ship before, and even his schooner -experience had been confined to the galley. But Tom had spent his three -years at sea entirely in large square-rigged ships, and, being a bright -observant lad, already knew more about them and their manipulation -than many sailormen learn all their lives. He it was who set the -course, having carefully watched the direction steered from Gloster by -the hapless Rufus B., and now he judged that a reversal of it would -certainly bring them within hail of the American seaboard again, if -they could hold on it long enough. So all day long the two toiled like -beavers to make things aloft more shipshape, letting the vessel steer -herself as much as possible, content if she would only keep within four -points of her course. With all their labours they could not prevent her -looking like some huge floating scarecrow that had somehow got adrift -from its native garden and wandered out to sea. Her appearance simply -clamoured for interference by any passing ship in trumpet tones had -one entered the same horizon, but much to the youngster’s wonder, and -presently to his secret delight, not a sail hove in sight day after -day. - -Thus a fortnight passed away satisfactorily enough but for the wretched -food and the baffling winds, that would not permit them to make more -than a meagre handful of miles per day towards the land, and worried -Tom not a little with the idea that perhaps the Gulf Stream might be -sweeping them steadily eastward at a much greater rate than they were -able to sail west. But he did not whisper a syllable of his fears to -his shipmate in case of disheartening that docile darky, whom even now -he often caught wistfully looking towards him, as if for some further -comfort. He himself was full of high hopes, building a fantastic mental -edifice upon the prospect of being able to make the land unaided, and -therefore becoming entitled not only to the glory of a great exploit -in ship-handling but also to the possession of a fortune, as he knew -full well his share of the salvage of this ship would be. For although -she contained but a cheap cargo of lumber, yet from her size and -sea-worthiness she was worth a very large sum could she be brought -into port without further injury, her hull being, as sailors say, -“as tight as a bottle”--that is, she leaked not at all. But both the -shipmates were puzzled almost to distraction to account for a vessel -in her condition being abandoned. Nearly every spare moment in which -they could be together was devoted to the discussion of this mystery, -and dark Jem showed a most fertile inventiveness in bringing out new -theories, none of which, however, could throw the slightest glimmer -of explanation upon the subject. Except that from the disorder of the -cabin and fo’c’sle, and the absence of the boats, with their lashings -left just as they had been hacked adrift, there was no other clue to -the going of her crew; and, if, as was probable, the deserters had -afterwards been lost by the swamping of their frail craft, this mystery -was but another item in the long list of unravelled sea-puzzles. - -But one evening the sun set in a lowering red haze, which, though -dull like a dying fire, stained the oily-looking sea as if with stale -blood. The feeble uncertain wind sank into fitful breaths, and at -last died completely away. Gigantic masses of gloomy cloud came into -being, apparently without motion of any kind, marshalling their vast -formlessness around the shrinking horizon. As the last lurid streaks -faded out of the sky, and utter darkness enfolded them, the two lonely -wanderers clung together, as if by the touch of each other’s living -bodies to counteract the benumbing effect of the terrible quiet. -Deeper, denser grew the darkness, heavier grew the burden of silence, -until at the thin cry of a petrel out of the black depths their hearts -felt most grateful. It was like a tiny message telling them that -the world was not yet dead. A sudden, hissing spiral of blue flame -rent the clouds asunder, and immediately, as if it leaped upon them -through the jagged cleft in that grim barrier, the gale burst. Wind, -lightning, thunder, rain; all joined in that elemental orchestra, with -ever-increasing fury of sound as they smote upon the amazed sea, as -if in angry scorn of its smoothness. In the midst of that tremendous -tumult the two chums were powerless--they dared not move from the -helm, even though, with yards untrimmed, their presence there was -useless. But, in some curious freak of the neglected vessel, she flung -her head off the wind farther and farther until the boy suddenly -snatched at hope again, and spun the wheel round to assist her. Off -she went before the wind like a hunted thing, and knowing it was their -only chance for life, the two friends laboured to keep her so. It was -so dark that they could not see anything aloft, so that they did not -know how far the small amount of sail on her when the gale burst still -remained; but that mattered little, since they were powerless in any -case. But they stuck to their steering, caring nothing for the course -made as long as she could be kept before the gale. And in the bitter -grey of the morning they saw a graceful shape, dim and indefinite, -yet near, that reminded them painfully of their late vessel and her -hapless crew. The shadowy stranger drew nearer, until, with thumping -hearts, they recognized one of the schooners belonging to that daring, -hardy service, the New York Pilots. Rushing to the side, Tom waved his -arms, for they were now so close together that he could see the figures -grouped aft. With consummate seamanship, the schooner was manœuvred -towards the ship until so close that three men sprang from her rail -into the ship’s mizzen rigging. Few words passed, but leaving one of -their number at the wheel, the other two worked like giants to get a -little sail set, while the schooner, shaking out a reef, bounded ahead -to bespeak steam aid. - -With such assistance, the troubles of the two wanderers were now at an -end, and in less than thirty hours they were snugly anchored in New -York harbour, with a blazing fire in the galley and a Christian meal -before them. At the Salvage Court, held soon after, their share came -to $7,000, equally divided between the two of them, the pilot crew -receiving $3,000 for their two days’ work. Feeling like millionaires, -they hurried back to Gloster, fully agreed to do what they could for -the benefit of their late shipmates’ bereaved ones, and handing over -to the authorities for that purpose on their arrival half of their -gains. Then Jem, declaring that he had seen all he wanted of fishing, -opened a small oyster saloon in Gloster, while Tom, aided by the advice -of a gentleman who was greatly interested in the whole story, entered -himself at Columbia College. He will be heard of again. - - -THE END - - - - -A PICTURESQUE BOOK OF THE SEA. - - -=A Sailor’s Log.= - - _Recollections of Forty Years of Naval Life._ By Rear-Admiral - ROBLEY D. EVANS, U.S.N. Illustrated. Large 12mo. Cloth, $2.00. - -“It is essentially a book for men, young and old; and the man who does -not enjoy it is lacking in healthy red blood.”--_Chicago Bookseller._ - -“A profoundly interesting book. There is not a line of bravado in its -chapters, nor a carping criticism. It is a book which will increase the -esteem and high honor which the American feels and willingly awards our -naval heroes.”--_Chicago Inter-Ocean._ - -“It would be difficult to find an autobiography possessing more -interest than this narrative of forty years of active naval service. -It equals the most fascinating novel for interest; it contains a great -deal of material that has a distinct historical value.... Altogether it -is a most delightful book.”--_Brooklyn Eagle._ - -“His is a picturesque personality, and he stands the supreme test by -being as popular with his officers and men as he is with the public -generally. His life has been one of action and adventure since he -was a boy, and the record of it which he has prepared in his book ‘A -Sailor’s Log’ has not a dull line in it from cover to cover. It is all -action, action, and again action from the first page to the last, and -makes one want to go and ‘do things’ himself. Any boy between fifteen -and nineteen who reads this book and does not want to go to sea must -be a sluggish youth.... The book is really an interesting record of an -interesting man.”--_New York Press._ - - -D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. - - - - -BOOKS BY C. C. HOTCHKISS - - -=The Strength of the Weak.= - - 12mo. Cloth, $1.50. - -The delightful outdoor quality of Mr. Hotchkiss’s novel forms a -charming accompaniment to the adventurous happenings of the romance. -The author has found some apt suggestions in the diary of a soldier -of the New Hampshire Grants, and these actual experiences have been -utilized in the development of the tale. The story is one of love and -daring and American courage, and the varying outdoor scenes which -succeed each other as the tale unfolds provide a picturesqueness and -zest which show the increasing power of an author whose previous books -have won for him a large circle of admirers. - - -=Betsy Ross.= - - A Romance of the Flag. 12mo. 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APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a -predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they -were not changed. - -Dialect spacing and variations were not changed. - -Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation -marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left -unbalanced. - -Illustrations in this eBook have been positioned between paragraphs -and outside quotations. In versions of this eBook that support -hyperlinks, the page references in the List of Illustrations lead to -the corresponding illustrations. - -Page 96: “hard-earned pay” was printed as “hard-earned lay”. 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