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SEMI-MONTHLY MAGAZINE
ELLS an da I IS WELL
8
HEART STAKES AND A SLIPPERY DECK
SIX B
Ml Ii I'f . VTSZ 111 . f
a .gin m m - - - !
jl By Morgan Robertson lfRBr
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tV.. V
T SOMK TIMK in inv boyhood 1 had
lend where, or by whom written, I
never could remember an nrticlo
containing llu assertion (lint nt two
o'clock in (lie morning every living
thing - - liuiimn, hnile, insect, fish,
fowl or reptile awakened, or pnrtly
awakened, if oiilv. ns in the ease of n
sleeping person, to roll over on (lie oilier side. The
Article offered testimony from cowboys on tho range,
uho lmd seen cattle stand up and lie down again nt
tins lionr; from policemen, guards and sentries in
charge of sleeping prisoners, who had henrd tliem
mutter incoherently and drop off to sleep; from
doctors and nurses caring for tho sick, who lmd no
ticed the uneasiness of patients at this hour; from
lliuc-light fishermen, who had wniteil until two
o'clock for the fish to waken and bite in short,
from night workers of all kind, whose powers of
observation had enabled them to cognizo the fact
that sleeping creatures awoke, moved, muttered, or
showed some return to consciousness nt two hours
past midnight.
I was in the formative stage, not having reached
tho critical and skeptical. 1 believed all that I read
or listened to. Soon, 1 found myself wnking nt two
in tho morning; but, believing it duo to a natural
law, thought little of it, nnd would immediately go
to sleep again. I had never been troubled with in
somnia, but this trick becnino n habit, as much n
part of my mental state as nny congenital attribute.
1 had it proved to my own satisfaction by several
incidents of my boyhood. Once I nwokc nt two in
tho morning just in time to save my mother's canary
from a stray cat that had entered the house. It did
not occur to mo that the bird might have got abroad
first and aroused mo by its fluttering. Again, 1 sat
up just ns a masked face peered into tho opened
window, and my movement frightened the burglar
away. On another occasion I awoke, smellcd smoke,
and mt out a threatening lire. Still again I turned
oil' a half-opened gas jet, and possibly saved myself,
as well ns others of the family, from asphyxiation.
Thus conditioned, anil half educated, 1 went to sea
at twenty, and legularly awoke in time to hear four
hells struck in the middle watch, not knowing for
years that all sailors, from habit of mind, even when
on shore, will awaken at twelve and four
when tho wntches are changed at sea.
and often at ten, two and six o'clock,
when the wheel is relieved. My mental
alarm clock was adjusted for two in the
morning, and the more 1 proved it to
myself the more tixed became the adjustment.
after 1 had noticed the growing friendship between
Miss Florence and Mv. Taynter, the second mate,
lie devoted every minute he could spare from work
and sleep to her society; and she would smile gra
ciously on him, call to him from window or com
panion, and sit up late into the night when he had
the first watch on deck.
r
in
He gathered hlmtelf for a tpring. I aimed for hit face, pinning
Kim In a half-crouched petition
was old Hill llnvwnrd, his second
mate and his daughter who re-adjusted
me, nnd also themselves not to their
advantage, perhaps, but certainly to my
own; nnd that is what this story is
about. Hayward was skipper of the
first ship in which I signed first mate,
and a bigger blackguard never bullied
the luan-at-the-wheel. Yet I noticed be
fore many days that his billingsgate
ceased whenever his daughter appeared
on deck. I could easily understand that
he lcspected and stood in awe of her, as
well ns loved her as his child; but 1
could not understand how the Fates had
given such a daughter to such a father.
She had a soft, musical voice, soft brown
eyes, soft brown hair, and emanated a
faint fragranco as I sensed while
passing to leeward of her either from
her hair, breath or clothing, like that of
a llower-garden after tho rain. Hut,
after our first introductory greetings, she
ignored my prcscneo on board as com
pletely ns she did that of the
pig on tho fore hatch, and I as
cribed it to the fact that, though
I was young, healthy, clean
built nnd clean-featured, T had
never been a favorito with the
other sex. Yet, though I out
did her father in tho matter of
nicety of speech, and sup
pressed all profanity from the
second m ate n n (1 crew,
whether she was on deck
or below, 1 grew to dislike this flue girl.
For even a good dog becomes savage un
less occasionally noticed. 1 was noticed,
of course, by the second mato and crew,
in the way 1 demanded; and by tho
skipper in the way of criticism which
possibly I deserved but never a glance
or a word did 1 receive from Florence
Hayward. On the whole 1 was not
happy, though my youth, health,
cleanliness of life and instinctive
admiration for and devotion to
beauty and goodness in women
seemed to justify some response
and happiness. So, I disliked
n girl I admired, and never ad
dressed myself to her, until the
time camo when it was mutual, in
tuitive, and necessnry.
It happened after we had
crossed the Lino and wero creep
ing on through calm and catspaw
toward the trade-winds; after I
had silenced the captain's criticism
bv strict attention to duty; and
"God tove you, little tziii," 1 said, as 1 ktsicd the fadinK
color back to her chceki
J
HALOl'S No. Fin
ing 1 missed nothing.
having received noth
Xor was 1 surprised
in the least at her liking him; lor lie was as
superior to me as she was to him, or 1 to her piggish
old father. What did surprise me, however, was
that he should allow a high-strung, nervous, sensi
tive nnd impressionable girl of twenty to flirt and
frolic until midnight with a man equally impres
sionable, but neither nervous, high-strung nor sensi
tive. Taynter was about twenty-eight (two years
older than myself) ; also he was taller, broader,
heavier and stronger. Added thereto he was better
educated, better and more widely informed, and had
sailed several voyages as first mate his reversion
to second mate being due to the fact that he was out
of money and that 1 had secured the only first mate's
berth in port. Had he appeared with me before
Captain Hayward he surely would have been chosen
as chief ollicor, while 1 would, perforce, have signed
on as second. As it was, Taynter, well-versed in the
etiquette of the sen, dropped into his place as though
fitted for nothing higher; he took my orders and
suggestions without comment, occasionally offered
reasonable suggestions of his own. nnd even assisted
me in suppressing pro- (Continued on lhuji -