A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 50: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RACE. 47 ser nearest to me, and fancied I saw something black moving along it toward the Diana. ‘* What on earth——” I could not sparea hand to rub my eyes, so I shut and opened them by way of squeezing out the water, and looked again. There could be no mistake about it. The black thing was a rat, and it was followed by « lot more rats. ‘They were running along the rope in regular procession— scores of them—and when I got overthe bulwark I found ever so many more, waiting for their turns. When the hideous things saw me they ran away squeaking. I shuddered, for | knew what they had been feeding on; but my mind was just then too much occupied with my own concerns to take in the full significance of the in- cident. I felt rather foolish, standing stark naked in the bows of the Lady Jane, and did not want to add to the absurdity of my position by hailing the Diana and asking for a boat. Why should I not imitate the rats, and use one of the hawsers as a bridge? No sooner thought than done. I am a pretty fair gymnast, and seizing the hawser with both hands, and letting myself down, [| moved them alternately forward until I reached my destination. Jt was still gray dawn; nobody had seen me, and I crept unperceived over the taffrail. Bill Bailey was at the wheel, and Bucklow the second mate, and ‘l’om Bolsover were near the binnuaecle, | deep in conversation. | ‘*Good-morning!’ I said, in a hollow voice, for I was breathless frcm exertion. | ‘Lord help us! One of them chaps from the Lady Jane!’ shouted Bailey, and without more ado left the wheel to itself, and ran forward as fast as if our ghostly foe had been at his heels. His exclamation and my ap- pearance so scared Bolsover, that he jumped round, slipped on the wet deck (it had just been washed), and elutching at the mate in a frantic effort to save himself, both went down together, and the ship broaching-to at the same moment, they rolled, one over the other, into. the scupper. ‘‘Jt is only me—nothing to be alarmed about. Just come aboard,” I said. bursting with langhter, as I ran below to dry and dress myself. When I looked into my glass and surveyed my body, I (E(0) mm (€ JOO SH (EO)