Foul Play

el never spoke. She walked past him on

to his delicacy, Miss Rolleston found, one day, a paper on her table, containing advice as to the treatment of d

hat she would try hard to live, now she had a friend to protect

arefully taken a copy of his advic

th whatever motive y

this unhappy man trouble her again, until

and fell, at last, into a doze, from which he was wakened by a peculiar sound below. It was a beautiful and

s. But that was not so easy, for it proved to be below decks; but he saw a light glimmering throu

very quarter where he had heard that mysterious

of vague suspicion began to

then took off his shoes very quietly, and

ng still

row, but not less than fifteen feet long. The candle was at the further end, and between it and Hazel a man was working, with his flank turned toward the spectator. This partly intercepted the light; but still it

proximity of that tremendous element a

of the liquid monster, on that calm night, conve

hy soul liveth, there is but

s eyes for some time, to understand what was going on at that midnight hour,

ormous size, and with this he was drilling a great hole through the ship's side, just below the water-mark; an act, the effect o

hairs stood on end, and m

describe the effect his mind produced

line as a pure exaggeration; but he alte

his mind realized the fiendish nature of the act, and its tremendous consequences,

the haft. Then Wylie caught up with his left hand a wooden plug he had got re

ime; he tapped the plug smartly with his hammer several times, and then, lifting a mall

mate look round; he glared at the man who was glaring at him, and, stagg

he sea outside, and t

to restore one of the parties

e! You should not come upon a man at his wor

id Hazel, in a voice that

o in her inner skin. There, let me get a

he ship, he said, had labored a good deal in the last gale, and he had discovered one or two flaws in her, which were of no immediate impo

n her is not the way,

fit it. The way is to get ready a plug measured a trifle larger than the aperture you are going to make; then drill a roun

ved Mr. Hazel's apprehensions for the time being. "It was ve

but I'm a man that looks ahead. Will you have a glass of grog, sir, now you are here? I keep that under my eye, too; between ourselve

morning, but wished him good-night and left him with

bler of neat spirits, drank half, a

man in a general way. Rum w

water had squirted in furiously. He felt it hard to believe that this keen jet of water could be caused by a small quantity that had found its wa

in an amphibious state; neither wet nor dry; and his reply was altogether exceptional. He received the communication with pompous civ

"it is only fair you should also hea

, he has been a ship's carpenter all his life. Him a seaman! If anything ever happens to me, and Joe Wylie is set to navigate this ship, then you may say your prayers. He isn't fit to sail a wash-tub across a duck-p

a plumb-line, and wen

Hazel's hand, he said, in tearful accents, "Don't you trouble your head about Joe Wylie, or any such scum. I'm skipper of the Proserpine, and a man that does his duty to 'z employers. Mr. Hazel, sir, I'd come to my

employers better in other parts of the ship." He then left h

that at eleven o'clock P.M. he saw that worthy go i

with a feigned antagonism. He listened at the keyhole, not without some compunction

ity. "Belay all that chat, and listen to me. It is time we settled something. I'll hear what you have got to say; and then you'll do what I say. Better keep your hands of

ye lubber," replied the irritated skipper. "Who

No; on second thoughts, just tell me how you have served your employers, you

he caught fire a hund

e she to

; and fire belching out of her portholes forward. Then we took to the boats, and saved a few bales of silk by way of sample of her cargo, and got ashore; and she'd have come ashore too next tide and told tal

e fuse, I wonde

tiff." He replenished his glass, and, after taking a sip or two,

d Wylie.

. Ye see, I was employed by Downes & Co., down at the Havanna, and c

for the darkies, no do

craft on our weather-bow. Lets fly a nine-pounder across our forefoot, and was alongside before my men could tumble up from below. I got knocked i

for in general," said Wylie.

er saw him again-not till he had shaved off his mustaches, and called on Downes to condole and say the varmint had chased his ship fifty leagues out of her course; but he had got clear of him. Downes complimented me publicly. Says he, 'This skipper boarded the pirate single-handed; only he jumped short, and fell between the two ships; and

se?" sa

om, with Lord knows how many men. I noticed the squalls came very sudden; so I sent most of my men ashore and got the boats ready in case of accident. A squall did strike her, and she was on her beam-ends in a moment. We pulled ashore with two bal

takes his cigar out of his mouth for one moment. 'Ready about,' says he. 'Hands 'bout ship. Helm's a-lee. Raise tacks and sheets.' Round she was coming like a top. Pilot smoking. Just as he was going to haul the mainsel Somebody tripped against him, and shoved the hot cigar in his eye. He sung out and swore, and there was no mainsel haul. Ship in irons, tide running hard on to the shoal, and before w

s, and we contrived to claw off the Scillies; yet

o the chains to sound, and cut the weather halyards. Next

that time, eh?" s

ith the sudden ire of a drunken man. "Mi

wind till she is as black as coal, and belching flame through all her port-holes, and then explodes, and goes aloft in ten thousand pieces no bigger than my hat, or your knowledge of navigation, Hudson is the last man to leave her. Duty! If she goes on her beam-ends and founders, Hudson sees the last of her, and reports it to his emplo

le heat, "You have got the bottle again. I never saw such a fellow to get hold of the bottle. Come, her

Florida reef at night, where wreckers had been retained in advance to look out for signals, an

mory of these exploits, and told eac

"Well," said he, very gravely

out, "Child's play, ye lubber! If you had been there your gills wou

e,' says he, 'a breath of suspicion would kill me.' 'Make it so much,' says I, 'and that breath shall never blow on you. No, no, skipper; none of those ways will do for us; they have all been worked twice too often.

r presently he broke out in a loud but somewhat quivering voice: "Why, you mad, drunken d

. "Is this the sort of thing to bellow o

d his very soul into his ear to hear. He could catch no single word. Yet he could tell,

aw unobserved, and wait for another opportunity. He did so; and he had not long retired, when the mate came out staggering and

e cabin-peculiar sounds, somethi

unfavorable to longevity. His legs were crooked over the seat of his chair, and his head was on the gr

tered inarticulately. He then took his feet off the chair and laid t

serious misgiving. Would not this man's death hav

ure a heavy kick that almost turned it over, and the word

and resided at the tip of Hudson's tongue, so that a thorough go

al world; only to those who are in the arena, the ludicrous p

e saw the mysterious and alarming only; saw them so, and felt them, that he lay awake all night thinking what he should do, and early next day he went into the mate's cabin, a

, for he doesn't think

you know I speak the truth. Here is a ship, in which, for cer

tleman like you. Our skipper is an excellent seaman, but he has got a fault."

here to keep

e no

you ply him

n't,

you took rum into his room, and made him so drunk, he would

sober when I left him. The fool must hav

ndish proposal. Man, man, do you believe in God, and in a judgment to come for the deeds done in the body, that you can plan in cold blood to destroy a vesse

ommanding voice, the seaman turned ashy pale, and drew his

e say such a word; and don't you hint such a thing

epends

so,

ong suspe

ot tell me

they are certainties, I come first to you. In one word,

hip! Why, there's no land within two thousand miles. Founder a vessel in t

by a puzzled expression that came over his face, saw at once

any ways of destroying one. "For instance," said he, "I know how the Neptune was d

llowed up his blow. "Promise me now, by all you hold sacred, to forego this villainy; and I hold my tongue. Attempt

n unfeigned terror. "Why, the

d Hazel, firmly; and too

rd ship, I'll be bound. It is a worse thing than any gale that ever blew; begins fair enough, sometimes; but how does it end? In breaking into the spirit-room and drinking to madness, plundering the ship, ravishing the women, and cutting a throat or so for certain. You don't seem so fond of the picture as you was of the idea. And then they might turn a d

e. You didn't wait till you came on board; you began the game ashore. Oh, what, that makes you open one eye, does it? You thoug

turn to look anxi

re after. With all my heart; only she might do better, and I don't see how she could do worse, unless she went to Old Nick for a mate. Now, I'll tell you what it is, my man. I've been in trouble myself, and don't want to be hard on a poor devil, just because he sails under an alias, and lies as near the wind as he can, to weather on the beaks and the bobbies. But one

zel hung his head in

ongue in this ship, and don't make an enemy of Joe Wylie, a man that will eat you u

looked aghast at this dangerous man, who cou

, he retired with disordered countenance and

ron him, and set him on shore at the nearest port. The right to do it was another matter; but even on that head Wylie could furnish a plausible excuse for the act. Retribution,

h the subject with Welch and Cooper; but a sailor came up instantly, and sent them forward to reef topsails. And

s spotted; or, as we s

t his wi

ter here, he stilled his heart by main force, and wrote in terms carefully measured. He begged her to believe he had no design to in

bling you, I have tried all I could, in the way of persuasion and menace; but am defeated. So now it rests with you. You alone can save us all. I will tell you how, if you will restrain your repugnance, and accord me a short interview. Need I say tha

a prompt and

able men, appointed by him. Your suspicions of these poor men

rther communications of any sort with one t

R

rst. A letter? It was a blow; a blow

whose lover had been traduced. Rage and despair seized him; he bit his nails and tore his hair with fury, and prayed Heaven to help him

and might mislead, for this was a gust of fury; and, whil

up all the bile in his body, and brought on a severe attack of yellow

wind, and a contented crew. She was well found

y, except poor Hazel's. He crept about

urged him to drink sherry

isease. Mr. Hazel was no exception. And then his heart had received so many blows it had no power left to resist the depressing effect of his

head and told Hudson

ad rubbish!" was that w

a wet ship under stress of weather, and she took in a good deal of water on this occasion. On the fourth day it f

uch reduced that the gangs were taken off; and the ship being now becalmed and the

e and red, reached the horizon, and diffu

and beauty of the blue sky, flecked with ruby and gold, and its liquid mirr

th the merry fiddle and the nimble feet that tapped the sounding deck so deftly at every note, Coop

LEA