Part 12 (1/2)

Indeed, it is entitled to notice, for it see the fehich afford examples of unconscious mimicry and sympathetic coloration to insure theenerally give the idea of capability of even the si from observation, puts on a cloak of sand, and a cousin assued, sea-stained and rotten But the variety under notice takes a higher place in the deceptive art, for it seems to pose as an understudy to one of the most nimble and vicious habitants of the sea--the banded snake It lies coiled and folded a the stones and coral of the reef, or partially hidden by brown seaweed, which heightens its momentary effect upon the nerves of the barefooted Beachcoirth about 3 inches, colour reddish broith darker bands and blotches The deception is in appearance only A touch reveals an innocent but shocking fraud--a poor despicable duinal

Limp and impotent, it is little more than a skin full of water, a yard and a half of intestine with no superficial indication of difference between head and tail Watch closely, and the ”face,”--a much frayed mop--is shyly obtruded from one end, and there is justification for the opinion that the other end is the tail Possibly, after all, this may not be a true variety of beche-de-y to the rest of the tribe is necessary; though thefamily likeness

If this dolefully helpless creature be lifted by the middle on a stick, its liquid contents are instantly separated, forh-pressure blobs at each end of the eh it suffers this experi incapable of the feeblest resistance, it has the priift of care of itself Twists purposely htened out, and the eagerness and hurry hich water is forced throughout empty parts show that life is both sweet and precious And what is the value of life to an anianishts does it slink a man under the cloak of his first subtle enemy?

CHAPTER V

THE TYRANNY OF CLOTHES

”Give the tinkers and cobblers their presents again and learn to live of yourself”

Few enjoy a less sensational and more tranquil life than ours Weeks pass, and but for the visits of the kindly steaht of the great world seen or experienced A strange sail brings out the whole population, staring and curious Rare is the luxury of living when life is unconstrained, unfettered by conventionalities and the conificance of freedom here is realised What s if those gararee? The spotless shi+rt, how paltry a detail when a light singlet is the only wear? Of what trifling worth dapper boots to feet made leathery by contact with the clean, crisp, oatmeal-coloured sand Here is no fetish about clothes; little concern for e shall eat or e shall drink The man who has to observe the least of the ordinances of style knows not liberty

He is a slave; his dress betrayeth hirees of baseness I am abject myself; but whensoever I revisit the haunts ofclothes that rationalisloat over the slavery of those who have failed to catch even glimpses of the loveliness of liberty, who are yet afeared of opinion--”that sour-breathed hag”

How can a man with hoop-like collar, starched to board-like texture, cutting his jowl and sawing each side of his neck, be free? Hecreation, and has trousers shortened by turning up the ninth part of a hair after London vogue, and islators, but to the tyrannous edge of his collar he is a slave

He can neither look this way nor that, nor up nor doithout being reminded that he has imposed upon himself an extra to the universal penalties of Adam One who lives in London tells me of the load of clothes he is cohts for life thus arrayed--thick woollens next the skin, the decent shi+rt (badge of respectability), the waistcoat of heavy cloth, the cardigan jacket (which hides the respectable shi+rt), the coat of cloth, strong and heavy; the overcoat long and incoloves, the double-woollen socks, the half-inch soled boots, the leggings, the hat To carry this burden of clothes all day, pursuing ordinary vocations, were surely the grossest of bondage While arh?

A smart cutter appeared in Brammo Bay A man, apparently in a pale red shi+rt, let down the sails and anchor, and by-and-by one in a black coat buttoned to the throat paddled hireat many worn on state occasions in country parts here, the coat had seen better days It was black with greenish lights; the stitches round the button-holes and along the searey; it smelt fusty; the buttons were--well, various and assorted An inch or two of tarry spun yarn, clove-hitched to a , a hasty splinter inserted pin-wise, the heedless ending of the row Between these ranged a bleached cowrie shell, loosely looped with string; a fantastic ornaone millinery, and a cherished relic of a pair of trousers of the past in all the boldness of polished brass But it was easy to detect that there was no shi+rt beneath the dingy coat; and that the coat itself was merely a concession to the evidence of civilisation which had been apparent from the boat On board the man wore neither coat nor shi+rt

The cheerful note of colour, so conspicuous as he sailed to the anchorage, was his sunburnt skin Some men burn brown, some red He was of the red variety, and his bare skin looked a deal more respectable than his cockroach-nibbled coat To hi save for decency's sake had become superfluous He felt that ”to be naked is to be so o in livery” He wore no hat, no boots

Pyjama trousers of cotton coaree trousers and awith health and cheerfulness; self-reliant, splendidly independent Had he allowed hishis independence would have been less He ate his boat, and the continual presence of a black boy in a sht

SINGLE-HANDEDNESS

Another grandly freeHe knew the water and ran her on the sand, brought his anchor ashore and shoved her off, to swing lazily the while When I paid him a cereht sleeve was thehis flour for a da by which the fingers freed each other of the sticky dough and other dextrous nise that with his left hand he was as deft as ht and left He had sailed the boat ladened ire netting and heavy goods from Bowen, 200 miles south, and was on his way to his selection, 100 h a real ”shellback,” one who had been steeped in and saturated with every sea, was ”giving the sea best,” nerve-shaken, so he said--and yet sailing a cutter with but 3 or 4 inches of free board ”single-handed”

And he told the why and wherefore of his fear of the sea

With a , their station or headquarters a lonely islet in Whitsunday Passage, which winds about that picturesque group of islands through which Captain Cook passed in the year 1770 The twain had been out on one of the spurs of the Great Barrier Reef, and had been caught in the toils of adverse weather

After beating about for days they ry, thirsty, their souls fainting within them Shelter and comfort were theirs, and it was no surprise tobeyond the accusto-tired;” and went about the work of the day He had hihteen and twenty hours at a stretch, for he hadand nerve-tension to the limit of endurance And so the day passed, and the man in the bunk slept on

Peace and rest were his, and the busy s that he could not find in his heart to disturb

”Won't he feel fresh when he does wake,” he reflected ”He'll be a bit narked at having wasted a whole blooe, because I didn't call hi in the tiny hut made orderly, it would be a pleasure for him to wake up and discover that he had been allowed to have his sleep out

Ah! but his sleep was very sound and very silent--almost too stillful to be natural

A touch on his shoulders, saying--”Andrew Wake up, old fellow!”