By the World Forgot

t one thing--that he was; and that consciousness was painful, not to say harrowing, to the last degree. For one thing, he was horribly sick. The place where he lay appeared to be as

m against some bruised and pa

dors and hideous sounds. Why that opportunity has been neglected is not known. Certainly the popular brimstone idea of it is highly suggestive. At any rate, the bad air and other indescribable odors, to say nothing of the noises that came to him, added to his physical

up the mystery, he decided upon exploration. Though the undertaking was painful to him, he made an effort to sit up. His head came in violent contact with something which h

s in violently agitated motion. At first, in his confusion, he decided vaguely upon a railroad train, a sleeping-car berth, but he realized that not even the roughest freight car would produce such an effect as that unless the train were running on the cross ties, in whic

king against which he lay was of wood. He listened next for the beat or throb of a screw, and heard none. Thinking more and more clearly, it came to him that it was a sailing ship. As his eyes became used to the obscurity, he saw abaft his feet and to his le

y feet, hurried, irregular, came to him; then a sudden silence; a command followed, and again the massed and steady trampling of the same feet. A shrill, harsh-creaking sound followed, as of taut rope straining through the dry sheav

ome to a decision. He would get out of that berth. He would mount the ladder, th

fected. Not so in this instance. Where the white of his leg stopped he discerned a fringe of ragged trousers. He felt them. They were tattered and torn, and indescribably foul and dirty. Mystery on mystery! Cautiously, so as not to hit his head a

h. He vaguely remembered their first stop; after that--nothing. Where were his watch, his studs, his money? He looked around carefully, with a faint hope that he might see t

ome later, and explanations. He staggered aft toward the foot of the ladder, the violent motion of the ship--and in his place, in the very eyes of her, the m

as to develop later. He stopped, petrified at the appalling thought. His wedding day, and he in this guise on a ship! He groaned with horror, clapping his hands

was an assault that quickened the working of his mind. He rose to the provocative stimulus of it. He got

were the foretops'l halliards, upon which they were swaying violently, constantly urged to greater exertions by a big, rough-looking man who stood over them. From time to time they broke into a rude chant, in order to apply their efforts unitedly and rhythmically to the task of ra

his rags. It was already blowing a half gale, with a fine promise of coming harder, apparently, and they we

nd the crew lined up on the main tops'l halliards, ready to sway away at command, while those topmen, whose busi

ticed, but he was not to escape attention much longer. The man who had been directing the m

y, "what in hell do you mean by st

talking

in' to? D'ye think I'm ad

to modify it," answered Beekman, outraged by the other's brutal

ife he had received deference and respect. He di

ob, you dirty malingerer, what do you think you ar

, I'm not unde

what you are. Git aft an' tail on to

you damn

what the officer lacked in science he made up in brute force. Beekman was in a horrible physical condition from his excesses and the result of the knockout drops which had

th an amazing agility for one of his years, disdaining the accommodation ladders, leaped over the rail

tand clear, git back to them halliards, every mother's son of ye, o

for a few moments, although that is questionable, but as it was, it had merely staggered

?" continued Captain Peleg

swered to the captain, and sho

rtly parried the blow, and the next moment he had the young man in his arms. He crushed him against his breast; he shook him to and fro. He finally shifted his hands to the other's throa

trouble?" aske

rs to tail on the halliards with the r

d the captain. "Shall

s not quite himself. It's the first time he's been on deck since we took our departure yesterday mornin'. L

ws harder every minute. I don't want to rip the sticks off her just yet, although I can carry on

ently brought back consciousness to Beekman. He sat up finally, and, no one paying him any attention, watched the proceedings until the reefs had been taken in the tops'ls and the ship prepared for the grow

rew had scattered to their various stations and duties. All hands had been called, but the ship having been made snug alow and aloft, the watch below had been dismissed, and some of them we

e you had your lesson? Do you know who's who

d Beekman hotly, "except to

t I'm your master." His great hand shot out and shook itself beneath Beekman's face. "An' I'm your master not only because I'm first officer of this ship, but because I'm a better man than you are. I flung you into the lee scuppers an' I can do it again. I'm willin' an' wishful to do it,

ain enough, but it make

't, don

ed no articles, and I don't propose to do a th

do you?" said Woywod

Beekman; "I want you to

t's

f I were not so sick, there might be an argument as to that; so you might as well quit bullyin

laying pin. He drew it

ice came from aft, "is that ma

al with h

im aft

action. He shoved past the mate, who, under the circumstances, did not dare to hit him, and made his way staggering along the deck t

short stature, but immensely broad shoulder

rtain

en to sea befo

y ti

hat s

ic liners and

e captain burst into

what I

'm the master

esume

'sir' to me, an'

n; "I should have done it bef

cock-an'-bull story you're try in

not my n

o on the ship's articles when you were brou

Beekman. "I'm no sailor,

s your

Derrick

you aboard

ed. I don't know any more tha

ptain, "that I had any ha

that. I only know that I was

y. You've been in a drunken s

ida

espair in his heart. There was not even a ship

hat's your

ence of that," e

ake to you what the cap'n'

-Beekman, or Beekman-Sm

'm a member of an old

tain. "If that's all you've got to say, I've seen a m

the daughter of John Maynard.

ident of the Inter-Oc

d

y his house flag. Do you mean to tell me that you claim to have been engaged to his daughter; a drunken ragamuffin li

dinner on Wednesday night, and I guess we all drank too much. At

likely

ich imagination," sn

itin' romances,"

s, but whether it is or not, it don't matter. You were brought aboard at two o'clock T

ture. He couldn't write at the time, so s

red Beekman. "What became

u've got on now when you cam

are,

yourself an' obey orders. When the ship reaches Vladivostok, an'

nd dollars to go back t

r cue from him, Mr. Woywod and M

ke it ten thousand, w

thousand," said Be

nse

rans-ship me to some ve

handed, sir,"

ain, who, of course, disbelieved in t

im justice, every voyage he had ever sailed had produced someone who strove to

t of call, and you are going through the Panama Canal. Let me get on the

cetiously, "but the canal is blocked by another slide

u touch a

where there's a cable, if I can help it. When I takes my departure

wireless o

ur questionin', perhaps you'll

eatment, for I never seed him so agreeable to a man tryin'

n sailor, is my motto. As long as they obey orders, they've

insisted th

officers I ever sailed with, so long as they ain't crossed. You turn to an' do what you're told or you'll git it constantly; fist, rope's end, belay'n p

the captain's me

end of the voyage, an' mebbe worse. However you come aboard, you're h

trage. I'll have the law.

ferently. "It don't git you nowhere. If you are we

s impotency. He turned to go forward. Bill Woywod stopped him. The passion that the mate saw in Beekman's face, as he fairly gritted his te

my watch,"

s the

s the deck at four bells; six o'clock for the second dogwatch. I'll give you till then to think ab