A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 43: what you’re looking at

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

40 A QUEER RACE. © Falloo!” shouted Bucklow, the sharp-eyed. ‘* There is something wrong yonder.” ‘¢ What is it?” asked everybody eise, pointing bis glass in the same direction as that of the mate. “The Union Jack upside down.” «A signal of distress! And she does not give her number,” said the skipper. ‘‘Something very wrong, I should say. Alter the ship’s course a point, Mr. Buck- low. We will run under her bows and hail her.” When we were near enough, the captain took his speaking trumpet and hailed. But there came no an- swer. We could see nobody on deck; there was not even a man at the wheel. ‘Queer!’ said Captain Peyton, after he had hailed a second and third time. ‘fl must go aboard and see — what is up. Clear away the lee-quarter boat, Mr. Chance. Will you go with me, Mr. Erle?” turning to me. ‘Who knows that this is not the beginning of an adventure?” ; ‘‘It is an adventure,” I answered! ‘*‘ Thanks for the offer. I will go with you gladly.” So the sails were backed, the ship brought to, and the boat being lowered, we slipped into her and were guickly alongside the brig. As another hail produced no effect, one of the four seamen who were with us climbed up the fore-chains and threw us a rope, up which Peyton, my- self, and two of the seamen swarmed, one after the other, hand over hand. ‘Anybody on board, Bill?” asked the captain, as he put his foot on the deck. ‘‘Not as far as I can see,” said the seaman who had thrown us the rope. ‘‘ But there’s some very queer smells knocking about.” , « Let us take a turn round the deck, and then we will co below. It looks as if the crew had deserted her. Why, J wonder? She seems all right and tight; and if her rig- ging is all sixes and sevens, that’s easily accounted—— Halloo! What’s that in the lee-scuppers, abaft the main- mast, there?” : ‘Tt looks like a bundle of old clothes,” said Bill. ‘‘Jt’s a man’s body; turn it round, Bill.” Bill lifted the body up and propped it in a sitting post- ure against the bulwark. 3 (e(oynaliice eo\(o) “STEom