THE HURRICANE SEASON. 177- 
wanted. Retreating hastily, I inquired of the captain 
if there were not some mistake, and he replied that the 
berth was mine, and he would have the woman re- 
moved. She was one of several, who, having only 
deck passage, had been allowed to lie down in the 
cabin on the bags of coffee, as the deck was damp. 
Waiting a little while, I again went down; and my 
anger and dismay may be imagined when I found 
another colored female in the place of the first. Again 
I sought counsel of the captain; again was the cabin 
boy dispatched to warn these interlopers out. Allow- 
ing another interval to elapse, J again descended, re- 
moved shoes and coat, and sprang lightly into the 
bunk, ready to fall asleep in an instant. As I alighted, 
a cry of pain saluted me; I became conscious that 
another of those detestable women had usurped my 
place, and fled quickly to the deck. The cabin boy 
rescued my shoes and coat, and I sat down upon a 
coil of rope, resolved to brave the dangers of the night- 
damp rather than those of that vile hole below. 
The third morning brought with it hunger, and a 
drink of black coffee. Later, the turkey, having had 
the feathers duly plucked from his bones, was placed 
before us; but my regard for the turkey was too great 
to allow me to eat, and I drew my belt the tighter, 
and looked wistfully toward the purple clouds that I 
knew were mountains, south of us. The day passed, 
and in the afternoon the sailors caught a shark. Hun- 
ger had now overcome all scruples, and_I ate with rel- 
ish of the coarse flesh that at any other time would 
have been disgusting. Another night came, and, 
warned by the experience of the previous one, I spread 
my blanket on deck and slept soundly, though we had 
12 
