LIVERPOOL TO AUSTRALIA.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2361, 10 May 1901, Page 3

LIVERPOOL TO AUSTRALIA.

a) EVENTFUL VOYAGE. IN TWO PARTS. 0 o PART I. NED RAYMOND and myself had seen some years of service in the navy. When our time had expired, we went home together—both being residents of the same seacoast town, where we had grown up from boyhood—each with the strongly expressed determination to no longer follow the sea.

And precisely six months from the date of our arrival at home we were in Liverpool loading for an Australian voyage—Ned being in command of the barque May, of which his uncle was part owner, and I filling the position of chief mate, which is very characteristic of a seafaring man's vows in regard to never setting foot on shipboard if he only gets home once more.

A short time before we were ready to sail, Ned and myself, being up town one fell in with some shipmates of our acquaintance, the result of which was one or more bottles of wine.

On the way to the ship, Ned insisted upon stopping at a popular music-hall in Liverpool, and, worse still, when very unwillingly I had seated myself with him at one of the little tables near the slightly-raised stage, he would insist upon ordering a bottle of champagne, despite my earnest remonstrance, and was considerably at my flat refusal to partake thereof.

The very large and handsomelydecorated room was filled with the usual music-hall audience. Seated at small tables, they smoked, drank beer or other beverages, applauded, and joined in the stage choruses, alter the free and easy fashion of this class of the British public.

'That's them bloomin* Bosset Twins—brother an' sister, Bill,' said some one behind us to his companion, as the two persons who bore a marvellous resemblance to each other in face and figure came upon the stage dressed in the conventional swallowtail coat and low-cut vest peculiar to the professional singer. B jth had clear red-and-white complexions, black curly hair, and remarkably small hands and feet.

' Brother and sister!' I said, in a half whisper to Ned. • I'd like to know which is which, for upon my word '

* I've 'eard them two as a retj'lar 'ist'ry,' broke in the first speaker's companion, anxious to contribute his own quota of theatrical information ; ' and they do say as 'ow they come from a haristocratic West Hingy family as lost hev'rything in a—resurrection, I think they call it, and when the hold folks died, the orphans, as sets their eye-teeth by heach hoiher, 'ad to take to the stage '

But an emphatic "Sh-h-h!' brought the 'h' dropping individual to a close, for the Bossets, who were really the possessors of very remarkable voices, were beginning to sing some of the then popular music-hall songs, my impression being that it was one called ' The captain with his whiskers cast a sly glance at me.'

Now the final bottle of champagne was the last feather, so to speak, to break the back of Ned's reasoning powers. It may be that his confused perceptions imagined an in< J irec * reference to his own heavy black moustache in the song; however that may be, I saw his brow begin to lower, while at the same time 1 knew that his naturally quick temper, inflamed by wine, was beginning to rise. As, after prolonged applause, one of the singers stepped aside and stood in the wings, the other commenced singing' Captain Jinks,' then at the height of its popularity. To my horror, Ned uttered a prolonged hiss, like the escape of steam from a boiler. , , „ 'Be quiet, Ned, for Heaven s sake! I whispered, as the singer, with a frown on his handsome face, hesitated a moment, fixing his angry eyes on Ned's flushed face, while from the audience in an immediate vicinity came loud cries of 'Who is he?' ' Put 'im out!' and similar cheerful suggestions, one or two of those nearest us showing even more decided belligerent symptoms. But Captain Raymond's magnificent physique, and the coolness with which he glanced haughtily about him, checked anything like active demonstration on the part of the Liverpudlians ; and after a slight pause the song was sung through io the end, punctuated by an occasional effusive hiss from my friend, whom it was impossible to restrain. As the words of the last verse died away on the smoke-laden atmosphere, the singer, a finely developed young fellow of twenty years of age or thereabouts, sprang lightly from the platform and planted himself directly in front of Ned, who rose to his fe'et at the same moment, and while leisurely buttoning his coat, stood coolly regarding the indignant faces of the •'Arrys' about him. 'So it is you who shall dare to hiss my singing! Receive that for your insolence!' he exclaimed, in a wrathful voice, which itself was marked by a slight foreign accent.

And with the words he dealt Ned a stinging right hander full in the face before the latter, taken utterly by surprise, could so much as put up his hands.

Now, if Ned, who was a perfect master of the art of self defence, had been perfectly sober, he would probably with one straight-out blow have placed his youthful opponent hors de combat.

But, heated with wine and inflamed with anger, he forgot himself entirely. I saw his muscular fingers clutch the neck of the empty champagne bottle, and I sprang to catch his arm, but all too late!

The heavy base caught young Bosset fairly on the temple with a dull thud, and he feJI to the floor like a log, while above the tumult and confusion rose the wild shriek of a woman as the sister, in masculine garb, sprang from the platform and threw herself beside the prostrate form of her brother.

I have a vague remembrance of striking out right and left—of giving and receiving blows from the surging, maddened crowd that swarmed about us —as by a common instinct Ntd and myself fuught our way to the stage, and, as we reached it, 1 remember the terrible sensation that came over me as I heard a hoarse voice cry : •The boy is dead as a door-nail! After the murderer, and string him up to the nearest lamp-post!' Plunging through a door at the rear of the followed by threatening cries, we went skimming down alleyways and through dark courts, and finally I found myselt and companion, breathless and bruised, somewhere in Dale-street.

Hailing a cab, we were driven rapidly in the direction of the docks, but took the precaution to leave the vehicle, when beyond possible danger of pursuit, and made our way back to the barque through the more unfrequented streets, without molestation, hardly exchanging a word till we were alone in the cabin.

• This is a terrible piece of business, Captain Raymond!' I said, as Ned, with firmly-compressed lips, entered his state-room, and began to make certain active preparations for a hasty departure.

* God knows it is!' he exclaimed in a broken voice. ' Bad as I am, I never thought to kill the poor young fellow.' I saw a shudder convulse his frame as he spoke.

• I'm off for London —there's an up-lrain at one-thirty from the Northwestern station,' he went on rapidly —'and shall keep stowed away for two or three days with friends I have there. Directly the barque is loaded, get a crew shipped, have proper clear-ance-papers out, settle the bills out of the money you'll find in my desk, and the consignees will fix up everything else. Take the barque to Holyhead, and lay behind the breakwater at anchor till you hear from me, which will be within two or three days at the furthest."

With these words, Ned shut himself into his state-room before I could make any reply—so bewildered and troubled was 1 at the weight of responsibility thus thrust upon me. Twenty minutes later, attired in a coarse suit of sailor-clothing, with a few necessaries tied up in a silk handkerchief, Ned came out. He had shaved off his heavy moustache, and wore a soft, black felt hat, with a wide brim, pulled down over his forehead.

A few hasty words, a hearty handshake, and unnoticed by the nightwatchman, whom I purposely called into the forward cabin under some trifling pretext, Ned sprang over the quarter-rail, and walking rapidly up

the dock, regained the street in safety. The May was loaded and ready for sea two days later. On the evening of the second day, as 1 was about going up town to the shipping office, a dark-complexioned young fellow, rather coarsely dressed, stopped me on the pier. ' Does the vessel you leave with wish a steward ?' he asked, rather hesitatingly. To which I replied briefly in the affirmative, for our former steward had left with the crew on the barque's arrival, the cook and second mate only remaining on board.

' I would like the place, sir,' continued the young fellow, eagerly. ' I have not had much experience, it is true, but I think I will suit you if you would give me a trial. I am anxious to get to Australia, as people say it is the richest place in the world, especially under Federation.'

Now, shipping a vessel's steward from a sailor boarding-house is always attended with more or less trouble. He generally comes on board intoxicated, and it takes him about a week to get over his fortnight's debauch on shore. So, being somewhat prepossessed by the appearance of the applicant, I told him to bring his traps aboard that evening and get the cook to initiate him as to the duties of his new office, and I'd give him a trial.

But if you don't suit I shall discharge you at Holyhead, when the captain comes on board,' I said, unthinkingly; ior I was hurried and bothered, to say nothing of my mental uneasiness at the knowledge that two policedetectives had been hanging about the dock gates and pier-head all day. ' Ah, the captain come on board at Holyhead ?' was the quick reply. Very good, sir. I bring my things down to-night,' he added rather quickly. And turning on his heel, the speaker walked swiftly away, before I could answer.

Thinking no more of the matter, beyond a feeling of relief that we should not have the bother of a drunken steward for a day or two, I made my way up town, and having transacted my business, returned to the barque, where I found a lunch awaiting me on the cabin table, prepared by the new steward. He was an uncommunicative sort of fellow, with the true Creole complexion, and hair cropped cicely to his well-shaped head; and somehow it seemed to me, in a vague and hazy sort of way, that I had seen him before, though where or when I could not say.

Excepting while on active duty, he kept himself secluded in his little state-room all the way down the Channel to Holyhead, rather to the disgust of Charley, the English cook, who, while acknowledging that the steward took hold very well ' for a chap as 'asn't, by 'is own talk, been in nothin' but them 'ere bloomin' hocean boats,' to quote Charley's own phraseology, remarked to me in confidence that for one of them 'ere French Creoles, Peer (Pierre) was too stuck up altogether.

To Be Concluded,