A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 90: what you’re looking at

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

a . AS /— ’ . - A QUEER RACE. 87 ‘‘Your pleasure, sir, cannot be greater than ours,” re- turns the senior piebald. ‘‘ Never before has anybody from the old home favored the Fair Island with a visit. | Our people, sir, will give you a warm welcome. Might I make so bold as to inquire to whom I have the honor of speaking?” ““My name is Sidney Erle.” ‘“* Mine 1s Waterlow Field. Allow me to introduce to _ you my friend and kinsman, Mr. Amyas Fane.” i bow again; so does Mr. Fane. ‘‘] presume you are the captain?’ asks Mr. Field. ‘“No; I am only a passenger.”’ ‘Ah, the captain is below, I suppose?” ““Very much so. He is dead, and his body lies at the bottom of the sea.” ‘* Poor fellow! And the mate?” ‘““He also is dead. In fact, the boatswain and myself are the sole survivors of the Diana’s passengers and crew; all the rest are dead.”’ “God bless me! What did they die of?” “Yellow fever.” ‘And you and the boatswain only are left! How terri- ble! That was the boatswain who went to the fore part of the ship just now, I suppose?” “Yes. Old Tom; and aright good fellow he is.” ‘“‘T am glad to hear it. He seems also to be a merry _ fellow.” ‘Merry! Not particularly. Rather the reverse, in fact. Why do youthink he is merry?” ‘‘ Because I hear him langhing.” ‘‘Hear him laughing! Impossible!. Why, he is down in the fo’castle, and we are on the poop.” «Oh, yes; I hear him quite distinctly. Do not vou, Amyas?” ‘‘Distinctly. He is talking to himself, too. What is it he says?”’—listening attentively. ‘‘* By the Lord Harry! Boy and man, I’ve been at sea two-and-thirty year!’ Now he laughs again; what at, | wonder?” There was no humbug about it. They really could hear a man talking in the forecastle, or perhaps they were clairvoyants! «Your sense of hearing 1s much more acute than mine; Icannot hear a word,” I said. And then, fearing thas (€(0) 0A) Cc yoo) “Si