Chapter 5 A
TERRIBLE NIGHTWith the disappearance of Schwartz, the Ella was short-handed: I
believe Captain Richardson made an attempt to secure me to take the
place of Burns, now moved up into Schwartz's position. But the
attempt met with a surly refusal from Turner.
The crew was plainly nervous and irritable. Sailors are
simple-minded men, as a rule; their mental processes are elemental.
They began to mutter that the devil-ship of the Turner line was at
her tricks again.
That afternoon, going into the forecastle for some of my
clothing, I found a curious group. Gathered about the table were
Tom, the mulatto cook, a Swede named Oleson, Adams, and Burns of
the crew. At the head of the table Charlie Jones was reading the
service for the burial of the dead at sea. The men were st
