Ching Ching's Novelettes No. 1: Snapson of the 'Snake' — page 10: what you’re looking at

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

( 10 ) Snapson amused himself by drilling Will in going aloft. He kept the boy at it until the sun went down, and then with a curse dis- missed him from the deck. “After dark,” he said, “T shall give you another turn. So you had better rest a bit if you want to. Will made no answer, but went below with a slow step. The captain shortly afterwards followed him, and Dopper and Cnty, w on the watch, shortly after heard the sounds of oaths, blows, and gasping cries for mercy. ‘‘ He’s in a hurry to get over the job,” said Dopper. “It will be done to-night,” added Grip. The sun set in a sea of fire, and the men said there would be a renewal of rough weather before morning with a gale from the south-west, which would be against them. Snapson also anticipated rough weather, and, having ordered the storm sails to be set in readiness, brought a bottle of rum on deck and sat there smoking and drinking until it was dark. ‘Priming himself for the job,” said Dopper. ‘We'll prime him when it’s done,” returned Grip, with a grin. . The sun disappeared, and the stars came out; with them arrived dark masses of clouds, that were whirled by the upper currents of wind across the sky. These indications of coming storm were not to be neglected. The ‘ Snake” was put about so as to get the wind astern, and among the men it was whis- pered that the captain “to escape the bottom of the sea was going to run towards home again.” _ Job Snapson did indeed intend running back to old England. The ‘‘ Snake,” he knew, could make no headway against a great storm. A violent gust catching her on her beam-ends might, indeed, turn her over like an old turtle. There were other reasons also for his going. He hoped to reach there and play out the last act of the dark drama in which he was engaged. Shortly after dark he left Dopper in charge of the deck and went below. Grip, on the watch, immediately followed him stealthily. The scoundrel crept up to the cabin door, and kneeling down he listened with all his ears. The wind was now blowing hard,and the bur and boom of the rigging sounded like a vast collection of gigantic humming tops. The sound at first prevented him from hearing anything. But in a few moments he heard Snapson speaking sharply to Will, but what the boy said in reply was lost in the roaring that filled the ship. Then Snapson’s voice was heard again, angry and bitter, and a chair or table was overturned. . After that there was a shrill cry and then sounds of a struggle. A heavy lbody was banged against the cabin door. ‘Then all was still. Grip was a great, great bullv. and, therefore, in heart a coward. comicoooks @ (SO)