Author: James O'Neill
Publisher: Theclassics.Us
Published: 2013-09
Total Pages: 36
ISBN-13: 9781230202303
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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1895 edition. Excerpt: ... DE PERIER "If I can gain Heaven for a pice. Why need you be envious?" IWAS sitting, one day, while journeying to Tonquin, on the ledge of a two-storied hen-coop in the stern of the vessel. There were other hen-coops on the opposite side, and sheep-pens farther along; wisps of hay were sticking to the bars of the pens, and paddy -- that is, unthreshed rice -- was scattered about the coops. At Singapore we had taken more sheep aboard, -- an Asiatic breed, with broad, flat tails. Were the chickens "Brahmas," or "Cochin-Chinas," or "Plymouth Rocks "? I could not tell. I saw that they looked low-spirited as they crouched in a corner, and I called, "Biddy! biddy!" and "Chick! chick!" but they gave no heed. Soldiers of the Foreign Legion and of the Marine Infantry went strolling up and down the deck, while others squatted in groups playing loto or piquet. Presently a fellow dressed as a chasseur d'Afrique came and perched on the hen-coop opposite and began to stare at me. I liked his face, so I stared back at him. I had noticed him frequently before, particularly as he was the only one of his corps on board, and I had intended to ask some one about him, but had forgotten. Now, as we sat there, dangling our feet listlessly, we took each other's measure. What his judgment was he told me afterwards; what mine was I kept to myself till now. I thought his face was unusually handsome, having only two defects: a sensual mouth and a weak chin. I had seated myself up there with the hens for the purpose of reading " Minna von Barnhelm," but when this chasseur came along, I stuck the book between the bars of the coop, and stared uninterruptedly till O'Rafferty passed, and I called his attention with the tip of my toe and asked him who my vis-a-vis was, ...