A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 64: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RACE. - 61 and almost cheery manner in which he gave his orders showed how greatly his mind was relieved. I, too, was glad we had got rid of the briz—like Buck- Jow, I hated the very sight of her—but I could neither share in the general confidence, nor believe that in get- ting rid of the fever ship we had got rid of the fever, I was too much depressed to be hopeful, and I had read in one of the medical books which formed part of Peyton’s library that a high temperature favored the development of yellow fever; that the most certain cure for it is cold weather, But during the last day or two the tempera- ture had risen and the wind fallen off, and as we were now making direct for the equator, there was every like- lihood of our having it still warmer. The brig, more- over, had done her worst, so to speak; her contiguity _ ceased to be a danger, and the chief advantage of her dis- appearance was that it encouraged the men and enabled us to make better speed; although, as our coal was nearly done, Bucklow thought it better to stop the engine and unship the screw. Great gains, so far as they went; but I could not be- lieve that they were sufficient to stay the plague. Buck- low was more sanguine and superstitious. ‘<The omens are all good, Erle,” he exclaimed, clap- ping me on the back. ‘‘ There has not been a fresh case since yesterday, except poor Peyton’s; the wind is fresh- ing—we shall be doing six knots soon if this goes on—and look there! those white-bellied devils have left us.” So they had. Not ashark was to be seen. | confess that at first this rather staggered me; one can- not help believing just alittle in omens; and dumb creat- ures have very subtle instincts—still how on earth can sharks have any ideas about yellow fever? ‘There must be some.other cause. Ah! I think I have it. ‘“ Yes, they are gone, sure enough,” I said; ‘‘ but I am afraid— Don’t you think the burning of the brig has something to do with it? Ihave heard that sharks are easily scared, and the blaze and the heat, and the fall of burning embers into the water, might easily frighten much bolder animals.” ‘““What a croaker you are, Erle! Why cannot you let a fellow cherish a pleasing illusion?—if it be an illusion —and really, you know, I don’t think itis. These creat- GEomicboo ‘@ (E(0)