The Blood Ship

kly along the lee side of the poop. When he took over the wheel he had hardly spirit enough in him to mumble over the directions I gave him. His eyes were puffed half closed, and his li

nd with unlimited rum, and an easy, if rascally, shore life ahead of him. To-day he was just a shell-back outward bound, with a sore head and a bruised body; a fellow sufferer in the foc'sle of a dreaded ship, mere dirt beneath t

d it down in the empty foc'sle. It was a miserable repast, a dish of ill-cooked lobscouse, and a pa

uffed contentedly, determined to enjoy my respite to the last minute. For the sounds from the deck indicated a lively afternoon for all hands. But something occurred to interrupt my cherished "S

the crew's quarters were away forward, in the bows of the ship, beneath the forecas

below. It was this yard square trap-door which caused my agitation. My glance fell casually up

foc'sle Jack, but I knew well enough that a proper ghost would not walk abroad in the noon o' day. I stared fascinated at that moving piece of wood. It slowly lifted about an inch, and then, through the narrow slit; I

e afternoon? If you've finished your scouse

word, the trap door dropped shut, I clattered out of the foc'sle, and to work; bu

had rested heavily upon my mind all afternoon, and I was tingling with excitement when I went aft with the rest to face the ceremony which always conclu

with hate and fright in our glowering eyes. Those few of us who were seamen possessed a bitter knowledge of the cruel months ahead, the rest, t

ithout saying a word, he gloated over us, over the puffed face of the Cockney, over the expression of desperate horror in the face of the red-shirted man, over the abject figure of the little squarehead, who had been going about all afternoon sobbing, w

ve us, and pity, and understanding. She was used to looking upon the man-made misery of men, you felt, and skilled in softening it. There was a stir in our ranks as we met her gaze, a half audible murmur ran down the line, and

start the ball rol

et delight he passed me by. "Where's the nigger?" he said, referring

tarboard deck. Fitzgibbon chose the Cockney, Lynch picked a squarehead-so the alternate choosing went, the mat

he red-shirted man, and motioning hi

instead of obeying the mate, stepped out of line and appealed to Swope.

d the mate, who was already about to collar his prey. I think Swope knew just what was comin

lly mistreated by your officers-tried to see you and was beaten. . . ." With an effort he made his speech more coherent. "A terrible mis

one can see you are no sailor, but a guttersnipe. And possibly you were-e

man. "I am a clergyman-a minister of the Gospel! I am the Re

ood people of the city to put a stop to the simple and effective methods the boarding masters used to separate Jack from his money, and then barter his carcass to the highest bidder. I had heard the Swede, himself, say, "Ay ban got him before election!" And this is how the reverend gentleman h

a Holy Joe, are you? You don't look it! You look like an ordinary stiff to me! Let me see-what did you call yourself? Deaken?" He lifted the articles, and scanned the names that represented the crew. "Deaken-hey! Well, I see no such name written here." I did not doubt that. Save

commenced the pa

ard my vessel, signed on my articles as 'Montgomery Mulvaney, A.B.' Yet you tell me yourself you are no sailor. Well, my fancy man, Holy Joe you may

en he evidently saw the futility of appealing to Capt

am, can you not ma

futility of argument, and the danger to the one who argued. Indeed, even while she spoke, the mate took the parson by his shirt collar, an

two groups, regarding each other across the empty deck. There were fifteen men in th

ster, muster them," he said. "And (addressing us generally) if you d

tancy. Something startling was going to happen, I felt it in my bones

!" boomed Lynch's gre

e loud and ins

, and just passing the main hatch, was the man with the scar. He c

hands. She broke it with a kind of strangled gasp. "Roy-it is Roy-oh, God!" she said, and she swayed, and clutched

foc'sle belief come true-this man had sold his soul to the Devil, and the Devil was suddenly come to claim his own. He, too, stared down a

from?" he said in a s

k-a most unpleasant, filthy hole, Angus! And less recently, I come from my grave, from that shameful grave of stripes and bars to which your lying words sent me, Angus

Newman that said "Hands off!" It was not so much his huge, muscular body; there was something in the spirit of the man that was respect-compelling; something lethal, a half-hidden, over-powering menace; something that overawed. He was no foc'sl

hand and wiped them off. Then he suddenly turned and strode aft, out of our view, without a parting word to the mates, without even the time honored, "Below, the watc

d there, clutching the rail. Her body seemed f

description shining in her face. There was incredulity, with glad conviction ov

ice was rich and sweet,

ome, Mary

sion they were communing. Men and mates, we gaped, curious and tongue-tied. This was something quite beyond us, outside our experience.

ing, crept upon us. The lady's face lost its clear outline, and became shadowy. Suddenly she turned and flitted aft.

ithout being bidden, stepped to the sta

nce. Lack of the usual sting from his v

!" he said to Lynch. "

e among those called; a circumstance not to be wondered at, for the list was doubtless made up of whatever names happened to pop into the Knitting Swede's mi

n came with us, and he walked as he afterwa