A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 60: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RAOE. | ry, discuss ihe subject or give my reasons. I absolutely re- fuse to cast the ship off; let that suffice.” tle was doomed, but not to die of yellow fever. Lhe very next morning, when J] went on deck, Buck- low told me, with a significant look, that the captain had been taken ili in the night, and seemed in a very bad way. [went to him at once. Bucklow spoke truly. The captain was, 1n truth, in a very bad way. He had all the symptoms which I now knew so weil. Although the temperature of his cabin was nearly eighty, and his skin hot and dry, he shivered continually. He had a terrible headache, too, and, albeit still sensible, rambled at times in his talk, and I doubted not would soon become quite delirious. ‘“* Yellow Jack has got hold of me now,” he said, try- ingtosmile. ‘‘I thought he would; but not so soon, not so soon. I was quite well last night. What think you now—is a man safer at sea or ashore? Are those advent- ures to your taste, Hrle? You will have more, more, ani pleasanter ones, I hope. Sorry I asked you to come with me. ‘L'urned out badly, hasn’t it? If J had known what would happen, you may be sure I would have given that brig a wide berth. But now it is too late; and the salvage, you know, will be a provision for the wife and children. Poor wife! poor chiidren! I shall never see them again, Hrle—never again! Give them my love when you get home, and say I thought about them to the last. I knew your father; he was a very good friend; yes, a very good friend. I was second officer of the Orentes when he and your mother were passengers; you were a passenger too—a little chap about two years old. I re- member you well; used to trot you about on my shoulder? How did they get to St. Thomas’? That is where they came on board. Oh, i remember—in a falucha from Maracaibo; yes, that was it, inafalucha from Maracaibo. I say, what do you think I saw in the night?” lowering his voice, and looking fearfully round. ‘* Rats! liun- dreds! They ran all over the place, and played at leap- frog on my bed—they did—played at leap-frog on my bed. And I could neither touch them nor eall out. My arms were fastened to my sides, and my tongue re- fused to move. And what do you think? Rut don’t tell a Gomicbooks Q (E(e)