| Show e 1 if 1 CopyrIght 1904 1 by Dally Daily Story Pub Co The forecastle lamp burned with a eo spasmodic splutter as It swung from the beam to the motion of the bark barkand barkand barkand and cast Its dim light on the wrinkled face of Tom Blodgett as he fought for forthe forthe forthe the few sands of life that remained In Inthe Inthe inthe the hour glass of his allo allotted ted time i Over the side of at the narrow dirty bunk his horny hand hung nerveless and his big waxen face betokened the last stage of illness f Joe Brent coming down from his hiss s watch on deck asked him how he did f Hi wish murm murmured rc 1 Tom I could talk with a clergyman asked Ow would do Brent his fathers father's a sexton hin a achurch achurch af church and hes he's nearer a clergyman than any anyone one hon the bark baric f Tom nodded and Brent proceeded to awaken vaken Mr Hodges Wake Wake hup you bloomIn lump o 0 or r lead tead lead bellowed Mr Brent and at the thet t same time hauling the representative f of the church irreverently out of his hisE hist I t E- E bunk s Say to old J Tom commanded Brent you know lenow t church matters mattera be appy Tom began Mr Hodges somewhat sleepily ave no to reef and no decks to Ow about ell interrupted the sufferer with solicitude No ell for you Tom replied Mr Hodges hits a straight course course hup for you my boy Hi pushed a man hO in Shields once moaned Tom Joe here knows HI Iii did e was drowned HI dont don't know What that there Pete Bowly ejaculated M Mr Br Brent nt The as as no noir grudge dge gln agin you ou for that Hill bet my wages e was glad to td get Pete lete doff boff of is books Hive a matter o 0 twenty pun some bodd hodd shilling in the savings bank at Shields whispered the sick man I want you two fellers feers to ave it Well hit and take good care hot hof the money for your sake said Mr Brent feelingly Well and andle Ie it like Christian add add- I HI wish murmured Tom Tom Tomu TomI u 1 could i talk with a clergyman i ed Mr Hodges but joud you'd bettor make j ja a will Hit 11 ease your our mind a lot j write the will Inquired i Mr Brent J r I Billy retorted the resourceful Mr Hodges e 11 ll write it ft It I The cabin boy was was' bundled out of at his lits bunk and with many suppressed I Ii i i t. t t r h- h hl l I protests produced pen ink Ink and nd paper from his bag Then Mr Hodges dictated Tom Blodgett's will July Hon the bark Semiramis bound from Capetown to Lunnon fifteen fifteen fifteen teen days hout bout wind sou BOU fresh Hi Thomas Blodgett hof hot Heng Heng- land avin In made up my mind to die with Christian hof hor f a hun- hun known disease do give will dewise and bequeath bequeath bequeath- the use o 0 hall that grumbled grumbled grum grum- bled Mr Brent Hits law rejoined Mr Hodges firmly Go on on Billy the Billy the sum hof hot twenty pun some hodd shillings shillings shillings- What do I get asked Billy BUly laying laying lay lay- I ing down the pen for I Es better said Hodges with deep gloom get the hodd shillings said Mr vIr Hodges generously I gets two pun remarked Billy or vr I dont don't write no o more You ought to be o of yourself your our self at a death b bed d 0 said Mr Brent angrily I Let him ave It snapped Mr Hodges go on on- on Its to be put In the will insisted Billy Ell En die afore you jou get the will made muttered Mr Brent Hall right now go on now on now In the savings bank at Shields to my loving friends Joe Brent and Richard alf all and alf aIr each and two pun to Billy for being in sound mind That's all aU right Now Tom you sign hit Mr Blodgett supported by the two legatees managed to scrawl his name to the will and two seamen were awal awakened enel and induced to add their names a as witnesses on promise of a liberal liberal lib lib- eral spirituous entertainment when the bark reached London Then the fateful paper was placed in the inside pocket of at Mr Hodges' Hodges pea jacket Him going to buy a in ina ina i ia a a public I know hof hoe In Sunderland said Hodges that night when he pe and Brent were on deck decle again Avent made up 1 mj my 3 mind what to todo todo todo do do with mine remarked Brent Him going to take In the play a lot If The next next morning the skipper and chief mate came into the forecastle to see Mr Dir Blodgett Hes about to up anchor from his looks whispered the mateI mate I cant can't think what ails him mused the tho skipper When he took sick I started in the medicine chest and travelled aft giving him hima a dose out of each bottle hottle Then I turned about and travelled and give him em all over again I 1 d dont don't nt see why he lie isn't better He was always obstinate was I Tom suggested the mateI mate I I 1 found this here bottle in an old locker this morning said the skip skip- t L r per It has no label on it but it looks like medicine Smells Smells like varnish remarked the mate mate sniffing ng at the bottle Maybe l its it's bug poison polson Its not varnish replied the skipper and I dont don't believe Its It's bug poison polson Ive I've half halt a mind to give Tom Toma a dose of it it it Good idea exclaimed the mate Hell die anyway so give him the whole of It It When Tom had swallowed the contents contents con con- tents of the bottle the skipper cast It overboard V I s Es Eo better said Hodges with deep gloom addressing Brent Seems one one cant can't trust to hany hany- tiling grumbled Mr Brent more hes he's going to get well Did you you hear im cussin at Billy this morning morning morn morn- ing Two d days ys later Tom was furling topsails and the will had been demanded demanded de de- from the legatees and burned I wish muttered the skipper Id kept that there bottle Its It's blooming good medicine whatever it was |
