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TII Fl OCEAN WOLF.
“ Sliipinates, we didn’t any on its know him aiter he pitt it on the
second time, his liar had come out so thick. Never seen iititliin' like
it, but ther skipper war orliil pleased, I tell yer.”
"That was woiitlerlul, iitdeetl.”
“ Wonderful? Wait ’til yer hear all ‘bout it. Ilis liar had grown so
in a weeks time that he sent for me to shear it for him. Yer see, I
War sort 0‘ liaitdy at tlteiit ]0I)3. Wal, lie sqtiattod on a bucket on
ther quarter-deck, an’ I began; but that thar medicine got tlier hest
o’ me."
“ (lot the best DI you?"
“ llow?”
“ Wal, ther liar growtl faster norl could (‘tit it, it did, liy thunder!
Isheared away on one side, on’ when I had got that party short I
started for tlier other; an‘ by the time tliat. thar war slit-aroil, lllt‘l‘
other war long: lnough Lei‘ cut."
“ Great guns!"
“ 'l‘hunder and liiti'ricanesl"
“ Wheivl” and various other exclaniations, mingled with iiproarioiis
laughter and the slappiiig of each other on the back, followed the titt-
isli of Josh I’ewter’s story.
“I tell yer, it’s a fact, an’ I can prove it.”
“ Thalfs too much, Josh: we can iiever haul that yarn all aboard."
“ D0u’t I tell yer that it's a fact?” roared the giiiiiior, S[ll‘lIlglll‘.( to
his feet and glaring at his shlpniates savatgely. “ Warn't I tliar?
Didn’t I see that liar grow? Didn't I shear that liar‘J"
“V 1?
“ Wall I don't want no wals, I don't. Yer laugh at me when I tell
a story, an’ that’s as much as ter say I lie, I, Josh Pewter, an‘ I won't
sttztt’ it, der yer hear, sliipiiiaies‘?“ he asked, looking front one to an-
other, ready to light one or a. dozen of them.
“ Oh, we don’t pretend to doubt your word,” said one of the sailors,
soothiiigly.
“ No, we was only laughing at the joke of the thing,” added aitotlier
in the same vein.
“Joltet.” roared Josh, soerniiiulv maddor than ever.
“ Why, yes; the idea of his ltai < growing so last," put in another.
“ Joke! ’l‘liar"s no Jolit‘. uhont it, I tell yer.”
“ No jol 1'” a. “ed several, and they all showed much interest now.
“ Nary it jolitf. It ktlletl hiiitl"
“ Kllli-tl liiiit?"
“ As slinre's that gun's a gun,” I‘I'plit‘(i Joslt.
“ Tell us ahotit it.”
“ Wat, I kept a-ciittiii’ an’ a-cnttiii' ol the sl<ipp<=r‘s liar diiriii’ all
my watch on deck. an‘ llll‘ll, wlio-ii Iiill I3l‘tHVs<'I‘ took the “'JllL'll, hi-
took the she: 4 an’ lie (‘UL 1tii’t‘Iit.tintil we got liar 'iio1igh tor inaliv a
hoil. [hit it was too great a strain on his tinihers,” he added, slialiiiij;
his head sadly.
“ How so?"
“ Wat, he s l‘lt‘I‘ sooiiiml tor go all ter liar, an‘ linally he kerlott over
an‘ ki<-Ii--it thwr liiicltet he was sottin' on."
“ What lor?"
“ >‘liihniaii-s, it was his last kick."
H int-.i""
“ Yr notliiii’ it-ll. hitt skit; an’ liones.
Sori'owliilly,
’l'lit '0 was a tnnineiit's SlI<‘Il('f‘, and then lift)‘ lihai':se Y<Iil"' lUllll‘<l in
Seiidi H tip one of the loudest I:tll5.L’lIlll:.: roars that. I t‘V4‘l‘ heaid.
Jtrsli protestvtl, hiit it did no gooil. llld 5'1. lIlt‘lI:t<‘l hiinsi-ll ('(lllltI
not IIILVI‘ forcml that yarit down lll4'lI’ [initiate and inade lll(‘lIl l)t‘llt'Vi‘
it, any rnhre than he (‘mild kw-p thi-in lrom laiigiiiiig.
lint this was one of I’:-wter'a pe(:tiliaritit'>; no matter how wild :iitd
t‘Xll" t'a;;aiit the yarii was that he Iili’.(llI tell, he would in. < upon it
that it was true, and get as mad as a. hull il anyhody pI'USlllllI‘tl to
doubt it.
Ila walked siilkily lorwriril and soon dis:ippr-ai'ml in tho Itll‘(‘(‘lhlli‘,
trliile tho iiion conti ins-il to laugh, all the more heartily, ])t‘l'll'.Ip.<, he.
canso tlioy saw inn doing so.
IIlllt‘t‘,tl, it was as good as rt play, although I can giro hiita poor
account of it in thy log. Such a lie and sncli :t liar I had iievvi‘ '
and llt'aril II(‘I(ll'(‘, althoitL'll I “"'>' 1lllt‘I“’:ll'tl.< iiiforined that, .
only a little one coinpitrt--l with sonie of the yarns he had span anion:
his sliiptiiiilvs.
was lN’(‘tlllllIl'.[ soci:illy iiitoiosted in the man and .'llllit‘l1tnll'lL(‘
soiitt-t.liiite; also tthon this loolioiit intlio1'oii-lhpealledoiil, " sail hiii"
‘- Wht=ri- away’."‘ I callwl to hint, and llilton had heard the niaii and
was qitickly on dock.
"Ahoitt three points oit our larhoard ipiziiliw, sir,
titan.
All went tor liar,” saiii ho,
e.
replied the
Cll.-tl"l‘lCll X.
.t rr: ii:
11' was now nearly suns:-t and we it:-ro well out of sight. or tum], ;i1.
tlinngh (Tape (‘oil stood on one starlioard ti1i.ii'tci‘, and we had all tin‘
sea rhoin tto wtititril.
As the allornooii had tvorii :lW1l.V' Ill" MW‘ “I lit!‘ New lIn'.:l:iii.l sk)
ll:lllL[l‘t>“'ll llllt'lx1'l‘iVllll(Hl[ my liardly llUl‘.t'lltL( ll. and lllllli n.:li i-to-rt‘
cloud had VlIllI‘1llt‘<l,)'h‘Ii tlii-ru was a sinoliy sort hi a veil, IlIlt)IlL'll
Wm“, H“, 1,1,“. mm H.-iltle-, lint halo and sirltlt-Ii-oltiiig, and this ap-
w,m.,,,] 1,, i,,. dru“-ing up all arhiiihl the lltIl'lY.Ull. while the stir. in the
“i,.ii1,,:lioiio with lllll'Il."l‘ ll1‘Ill. tlioiiuli lltllll a ll'.Ill..l'l‘lltll:1iI ,-iiihzliii-il
li1vQl" ],i;,t ii,,. i,,,,i,- of LI liill I-llirilll on a .iol .UlL1ll‘llll;(llI. I
rII‘liv hail from the lookoiii had llltrll:4('ll mo, and lw:is l-4lll‘[Ill>('il at
Li“, ,-i,;iii;1m. that hail takrn place whit--, I I..'i-l l)i'i'll Iisli-i.ing to Josh
>l ‘l'l'WsII.
l‘ewter‘s ya . Ilookvd iii the tilI‘t'Cllt)ll indicated for the sail hut
could see iiotliintg, so taking a telescope I ran forward and trotted
aloft to have a View of the striiiiqer I)l‘It)I'C darkness canto, when the
eaiivas of a brig hove to with her nose to the eastward and her fore.
top sail to the mast was hronglit into the tield of vision.
IiL’llI3V'lIlj,‘;‘ that she was not alone I shiniied to the royal-y'trd, and
front that tgreitt elevatioii I searclied the sea, hat the hri-.: was all I
could discover. lint Il’.‘I1llllllletI her cl st-ly for Ftlllh’? time, and when
I rtiaclied the de(‘I< the ocean lay ii: xliiig, aiitl of the gorj -nits snn.
sot that I had noticed hnfore L(L>IllL: aloft nothin;' now l't'lll:tIll(',tl l.iit ll.
dull, rt-ililisli lliish, liiigitriiig over a ltiige hank of Clhttls‘ in the east.
tfaptaln llilton :tskiul nio how far I (‘.‘ll(‘llll1lt‘Ll tho hriz to he MI,
I told him about twi-Ive iiiilos, togzetlier with other particulars rot,
izig her as I made lllvlll out with the telescope. '7
Meziiiwliile out of the west, wliereiit lay the t‘t'llt'CllOll of the setting
still, a irvsli wind was wliistliitg and >'Il‘ilt'Ill:' ont-‘s lips with :1 salt and
tart Ilavor front the tt'liipt.iii;; of the foaming siirl:ici- of the W1IIt‘l‘,1llllI
the I9ii'elieii<l was tearing Illt‘0ll;.:l’ the water at a g at rate, altlionj,:li
tinder lior iiiaiiisail sail and ill; only, with the inn7,7.les of hot stai-
hoard tier of guiis almost level with the tlasliiii; loain that whirled
away aloiigsiilv.
llilloii walki-d htirriodly to the hiniiaclo to liavn a look at t‘.:v (,‘0llt<
pass, and then looked over the side, alter winch he (Il'(lt'Tt‘<l the Inn'-
sail and tiiaiii-topinasl, stay-s:iil to he set. '1'h(>.-e “'('l(' l:ii‘go t‘lolltS,
and under tliwm one Collltl fool the l<‘ii'i'Ii<-iiil rip throiiuh the water at a
wild rate, while the parted hrvakors dashed lroin her hows and kept
it hniniiiiitt; like the coiitiiitied roll ofa driim, as we hi-adod uiroctly
for the orig.
l$et'ore darkness fairly closed in npnn its, we had I'lS(‘I‘, tho str:iiii,:er
so aslto render her visihle [rent the ilet-ks, tlioiigh even with our glasses
we could not niako her out.
When nlglit really came upon its the wind died oiit, and it was as
dark as ll iii;:ger‘s po('kc-t. The st-liooni-r rested upon tho water, rnll>
lIl1.( ;.(t‘llIl)' to the swell which the wind had left, and her sails rxtlllvd
against the r wing in BUIIIIIIS so like iiiitskot reports as to li'v-viiiviitly
caiisc me to irt. and look aroniid. The ilnrkiwss was so lllIt‘ll5l‘ that
from the skyligltt the ligitre ot a titan at tho lielin was lllVl>'llllI‘, and it
poitilvmiis l lacl; 'i)‘ 0vei'lieail st-oiiivil to touch onr iiiast-lieads.
llero and Illl‘I't! :t gleam of light raisoil a liiiiiinotis iiiist aliiiix the
0hst'1ii‘e tlorlts, C(lullllL[ lroiii the main hatch, the galley, and lroiit the
Slx')ll;.fll[(H't'I‘lllI‘tT:1lllll: and as the ligiirvs of the IIIPII soil Illl'(lllL(lI
this lllllllllllllLi‘il inist, it was a straii',:o- siulit to see their i. gal-il lornts.
their l‘)'t"4 g st:-iiiiig, and their lireasts l‘X]ll).’<l‘ll. ahil thi-ir ii:iI;(>tl ;u-ins
.stt'iii-glitz to and fro, and lllt'll he lost in tho il:ii'ltiit-ss.
l':iptain llilton was on dvrli. silently siiii-king zt cigrtr ,
hack and forth, nioro iii-rt'oiis tl:s:n I had oltvn svoii llll lle ualloil
iny naino. and I went to llllll. uiiidml lit‘ the ligli: of his i-ig.ir.
“Mr. Wihtlirop. how far do you iziiicy the IIIIL: was lroiii its wliwit
Lilottllitltll‘o1t]itul7"llvttrlxvtl.
“ l liziro hiu-ii tliiiiltiiix. ‘it
she can’t he ahow two lllllt iw: .
“ I agree with t'oii4htir rt-cltoiiiii: t
to llltlt‘ all litzlits, and got :i Iarpaiillli .s I‘I(‘ll1‘llttTbl‘Illl"ixlllLIItI,u
'l'liose orders at-rn iiliotoil, and I it in i'e:iii'i:-wl to uliwto liv was
siaiiiiiii: in tho tl:ll'Ixll ss. Illtl1‘t'tl, I had to fool iii)‘ txxiy :iloiij.: IiUlV
that all lights ll'(‘l't‘. out.
“I iiewr o.xpi-i'iwii<‘wl It darlmi' aihl iiioro s‘iilliii;: iiiglil I-llltll tliis,"
ll0Il‘ll1:tl'l(l‘il. “What do you Illiltik of ii‘.''’
“I think tlioi‘o's ihiscliiel in it.‘ said I.
“ it that ho; lint I see no sigiis of wind. rt‘ rlilllltllvti1I('llll]li0
of lIlt‘ll lttl“WliI‘tl with or-' -is to keep Illt'il‘ . inn. W-iinnst lie
Ilt'ltl' to that hriz at all o-Veiiis. She Ina)‘ he a lri--iiii or a low,’
“I am siispicioiis ol hvr, sir,’ said I.
lie iniiseii awhile, pulling liorct-ly at his Clj.!l1l‘, and iinally L'lilll‘tl1llll.
to Sit‘. t‘llllllll0lI1
"Fall soino mrii alt to get, this iiiainsail ii:. lat so the st:it'sail
liiiltiitwls, and got ltotli jihs stow!-d. IA“I. t-t‘:-ryliitilt lw:-p slam’ ct-."
“ .tti-, aw, sir."
' the litisiiit-ss of the log
o . in one sritso," Ill‘ niiiscd, “oiilt thvro li-'
“>‘ii.liliiii'i"
“Hr Ii‘;lllIllllL(. 'l'hat
think of III)’ powdri‘ i M xiiii-.'
1 I-mild lint think of it as well, and as Ill‘ llllltlt‘. no liirther l't‘llllll‘li I
s:i:il iiotlilng. "the signs, solar as no ronld inalw llltlll out, were
not tliiitn what ‘H’ could liaro “ls‘llh‘tl to >I'l‘. and that -:ai‘ki'iiiiil llllSll
npon the l.l(‘t' ol the til‘l‘l' tt as t‘1‘lI1lllll)’ oiitiit-ins.
The lllt'll iutiith aloiiu: tho ili-(‘its like rats, and altlioii'."li lll(')' had to
;;i‘i-to lllt'll‘ w:iy, tliv)‘ prusviitly hiid the t':iiit':is lJllxl'll in. and this
titllvlthl tln- Sl‘lltllIlll‘l‘. thongl. the lt!l”l‘F.lll f;at'i- a shiiit $i1llt(t('(‘“5ili“.
uh) ;i.- ii,“ y,.“,ii “(llIl'll. and >'ttlllt'IilIll‘S tliwsliiunids (miiip'.:iiiiod to
tho swell.
(';ittllLlll llilioii was on tho tillIlI'i<‘l‘-(l(3(‘.l(. sitioliiti: his mum‘ in
siloiiro, and tt'l,i‘ii I startwl to leave him itiid go lorward, llt‘ Cullvit
tin
and nwiii:
il l, "and a(‘eoi'iliii: to my notion
zillion-I. l’a<s the troril Ii)l'“lll'tI
I ha
-1.
again," I sag" stud.
no :llll)Illll' in logzs."
is what Iaiit afraid of, .‘ll'. Wiivlirop. I
"(:u[tl1b‘llI'lIlH s li'icml tip, and ]l:1.<s‘Illt" word alohi lot‘ lhe watch
lit-low to kw-it ‘wiiio itzilw. -: It fur a t‘:tIl to 4lll1ll'lt"l‘><. Also (‘llttt :1
rixlllltl ol gr;ipi- ori-i lIl1‘I‘<illllIl."il(tI. in tho t'll:lrt‘l’>', and send the car-
]i>‘lli'o'l' aft."
IIIIIINII i>l‘ilt’l'< tH'l't‘ proiiihtly oxeciilwl. and Wllt‘l1 l rt‘llll'lll'll to tho,
qnai lI‘l’-tl4‘t‘ix Hill: It wits liilltiiii; to Illt'1':ll'H‘llIl‘I'.
" It can lie o-itsil) ih;ii ‘t:<'il." he wa :<.itiiig. t‘t'iil(>iitlV itxiiliiiiiiitz
Sottio [ii .i at his: "ion (‘an lash ifor ton must not nail. as I do not.
wish an) nnisv :tllO.lI’ill >0llIt‘ ltmirils to riirli siiio ol the It. and that