A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A QUEER RAOCRF. ? ‘‘t feared as much. But is it mereiy a case of sus- picion, or do you know something?” ““] know something. Leastways, if seeing is knowing, I do; but I cannct say as anybody told me anything.” ‘“Seeing is better than hearing in a matter of this sort. What did you see?” | “* Well, we had a fine run across, made good weather all the way out, and after touching at St. Thomas’, the course was shaped for Cuba. Later on it blew three parts of a gale of wind, but nothing at all to hurt; everything was made snug, and it was over in a few hours. \Well, the morning after, I was going below after my spell at the wheel in the second night-watch, when who should IL see coming up out of the hold but the captaim, with an auger in one hand and a lantern in the other. I said nothing, of course, and though when he saw-as Vd seen him he looked a bit flustered, and slunk away to his cabin, I did not think much of it—just then. But when the bo’sun told me next day as we had sprung a leak, I began to put two and two togetiier. Because the ship didn’t ought to have sprung aijeak; she had done nothing to make her spring a leak. But it was not for me to say anything, and 1 held my tongue.” ‘ But you kept your weather eye open, I suppose?” «“] tried. Well. she sprung a leak—leastways, they said she did—and the leak gained on us. The carpenter, he could do no good; so the pumps was rigged, and we pumped and pumped for nigh ona week, but the more we pumped the more water she seemed to make, and: at last she got so low down that the captain said that, hav- ing done our duty by the ship, we must now look to our- selves. So the boats was got out, and the captain, who as the last to leave the deck, came into the dingey and ordered the others to shove off. They were on the star- board side, we on the port. He had hardly given the order when she gave a list to starboard that nearly bared her keel, lay for a moment on her beam-ends, and then Went bodily down. As she heeled over I saw a sight I shall never forget—four big holes in her hull, every one — of em spouting water.” ‘Who was in the dingey besides yourself?” “The captain, the earpenter, and another A. B.” ‘< Did robody else see the holes?” (E(0) an (@ | o(oYe) SS (E(0) m