Beadle's Dime Novels No. 94: The Mad Skipper — page 62: what you’re looking at

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

The .urid gleam streamed down upon the faces of the men, as, glancing upward, about five fathoms ahead of them, they saw the reflection of the boat, and of their own forms, in the fog, magnified to gigantic proportions. Soon the three New: Zealanders, closely wrapped in their great pea-jackets, leaned back against their oars and closed their eyes as if for the pur- pose of indulging a nap. “ I feel sleepy myself,’ said Ben; “but one of us had better remain awake, to keep a ‘kind of a watch of these Kanakas. I'll take the first watch, if you two would like to catch a little nap.” * “ Me not sleepy at all,” said Joe. “If you and Frank like, you better go to sleep and let me take the first look-out,” “Very well,” replied Ben, “ I’ve no objection.” “And I will take the second watch,” said Frank. This being agreed to, the two seamen leaned back against the bow, and wrapping themselves in their pea-jackets, and some spare pieces of canvas, were soon fast asleep. Portuguese Joe—restless ‘little dwarf, ever thinking of Lilian and her guitar—seated himself upon the ’midship thwart, with his eyes fixed upon the reclining forms of the Kanakas, who were now snoring in a way which struck him as being a little unnatural. This suspicion added to his vigi- lance, and now he noticed that the evelids of the second mate would occasionally lift, revealing the malicious gleam: of the orbs beneath. “Ah! thought Joe, “me no like to see dis. If this man not asleep, why should he snore?” As this reflection passed through his mind.he was some- what startled to observe the hand of one of the Kanakas ex- tended toward the boat’s hatchet lying close to the ‘midship thwart. Perhaps, however, this movement was merely caused by restlessness on the part of the sleeper—the consequence of a dream. : “Me make sure, at any rate,” muttered Joe, and while pre- - tending to lean over the boat’s gunwale to look at something -in the water, he watched the stealthy hand with a vigilant gleam from the corners of his eyes. Nearer and nearer, every moment, it crept to the handle of the hatchet, upon Which it was finally laid) A minute after, the Kanakg