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Show Tho Rehabilitation of tho Vigia. Tho mate of tho Palembang walked tho weather side of tho poop, nnd felt Juct then that he was full up to tho back tooth of tho mighty Boa and all Its works. Ho yearned for Lelth Walk or Wnpplng; to Ho on a hot, dry boach would bo heaven, for tho hot. wet southwest monsoon was blowing tho Palembang townrds Ilombay, and tho Maldlvhs wore on tho starboard benrn. Jack Wilson propped lila oyes open nnd cursed tho Blow passage of tlmo towards midnight. As bo poorod down -below nt tho lighted clock ho was inclined to swear that tho second mate had come out nnd stopped it. Ilut prosontly It was five minutes to twelve, nnd to his disgust sleepiness passed away as his relief stumbled up tho iwop laddor and came aft. "Jerusalem, but It's dark," snld tho second greater, as he looked up nloft and round about him. "Have the gas lit." growled Wilson, ns ho wns going forward. "Sulky devil," replied tho second. "When do you havo a civil word for any one?" This was nil In tho night's work, nnd no one wns a penny tho worso. Civility nt midnight Is often too dear to bo bought from any one but nn Inferior; In-ferior; and Wilson and Green know each other very woll. Tho Palembang was running with the wind on tho port quarter, and for n qulot llfo the old lady was under shortened canvas, Sho went at It llko an old damo In wind and buoto; a reefqd forosall represented picked-up picked-up pottlconts; tho stowed royals and topgallnntsalls suggostod that a hat with fenthors hod been replaced by a handkerchlof. For tho monsoon was blowing stiff that July night eoven degroos to tho north of tho Line, and tlueatonod to blow stlffor yet. As It was gcittlng towards two o'clock, or four" bolls, tho captain came on deck, nud nodded at the bin- naele when Green snld: "Goo J tr-ing, tr-ing, sir." Then ho spread hlo lpgs out nnd Considered tho dark univwte for a while. "It has wnkod up n bit alnco I went bi!ovr, Mr Green." ho said presently, present-ly, and, want'ug no nnswer, ho gut none. The song of the wind la tho rigging and the draught under tho foot of tbo forosall wore answer sufficient suf-ficient Thero was a plcastng hiss alongside it tho Palembang, Bhoved through the ludlan Ocean nnd left a lighter wnko behind. "There's a vlgla marked on the chart for hen iwiouts," said Captain Splller pn-iently; "It got thnre through that old fool Hanks of tha Simoon. Ho reported It yenrs ago, but It wnrn't' never conflrrfed. P ', ho said, nnd one llko CI"" .d's Needle." "Thon you don't credit It either, sir?" asked Green presently. "I know Banks," replied Splller, snorting, "and never was such a man for Imagination nnd want of Judgment. I'd take It as proof posltlvo as nothing noth-ing was, If ho snld It stood to reason It must be. And I'm a man as likes a clean and decent chart. A chart Is tho character glvo to an ocean by them as has employed It, n bundle of chits, as the Hlnd(H) beggars say, nnd to go an' lump In a suspicion agin' tho character of an ocean on the word of a man llko Hanks, why, I'vo no patience. pa-tience. I'vo a notion that tho law of libel ought to havo a say In It," "What? Go Aloft?" "Aye. Blr," said Greon. "The Indian Ocean versus Hanks." "And I'd bellovo It of Danks that ho dono It just to get his name mentioned, men-tioned, and to rlso a bit of a palaver about him. Ho's a most conceited chap Is Hanks, and not by any monna tho seaman ho'd like to be thought. And they actually sent a man-o'-war down to look up his Simoom Hocks and they carao back nnd novcr seen em." "And nobody elso over did, sir?" (To bo continued. |