A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 57: what you’re looking at

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

Bd A QUEER RACE. will do him good. Very likely an attack of indiges- tion.” | The cantain looked round as if to invite an expression of opinion in accordance with his own, but nobody answered a word, and the dinner was finished hurriedly, and in deep, almost solemn silence. But when Peyton left us to see poor Bulnois, every tongue was loosened. «He is among us now, and no mistake,” said Robinson, «WhoP” «Yellow Jack. You must have brought him when you went aboard the Lady Jane the other day, Hrle.” ‘That is impossible. I was not there two minutes, and I came back as naked as I went. Besides, if I had brought it, i should have been the first victim.” ‘Well, how is it, then? I can understand that quar- ter-master getting it. But Bulnois never went near him, and at luncheon he seemed quite well, and eat with good appetite.” “T’ll tell you what it is,” put in Saunders, the bank clerk, a quiet, observant little fellow. ‘‘it’s those rats.” “Rats! What the deuce have rats to do with 1t?” “Hverything. Ican see it all now. There was not a rat on board before T'uesday. I have inquired among the men, and I cannot find anybody who saw a single speci- men until Wednesday, and now they simply swarm; and © was it not on Wednesday morning that the captain had & those guards put on the hawsers to prevent rats running © over them from the Lady Jane? Depend upon it, he knows, only it does not suit his purpose to say so. Have you not noticed how he fires up when anything is said about rats?” ‘« By Jove, I do believe you are right! And it all comes of taking that cursed fever ship in tow. Peyton deserves to be thrown overboard.” ‘“ No, no,” I said; *f Peyton is one of the best fellows in the world. He acted for the best, and took every pre- cantion. Whocould foresce that rats would come aboard by a hawser?” ‘‘ He had no business to run the risk—a risk that in- volved others as well as himself—of taking a fever ship in tow; and what makes it worse, he did it for his own rofit, We have no interest in the salvage.” After this I thought it discreet to let the subject drop, EeGom G JOO KS) (E(0)