The Project Gutenberg EBook of Dead Men Tell No Tales, by E. W. Hornung

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Title: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Author: E. W. Hornung

Posting Date: October 1, 2008 [EBook #1703]
Release Date: April, 1999

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES

By E. W. Hornung

CONTENTS

Chapter I Love on the Ocean

Chapter II The Mysterious Cargo

Chapter III To the Water's Edge

Chapter IV The Silent Sea

Chapter V My Reward

Chapter VI The Sole Survivor

Chapter V I Find a Friend

Chapter VI A Small Precaution

Chapter VII My Convalescent Home

Chapter VIII Wine and Weakness

Chapter IX I Live Again

Chapter X My Lady's Bidding

Chapter XI The Longest Day of My Life

Chapter XII In the Garden

Chapter XIII First Blood

Chapter XIV A Deadlock

Chapter XV When Thieves Fall Out

Chapter XVI A Man of Many Murders

Chapter XVII My Great Hour

Chapter XVIII The Statement of Francis Rattray

CHAPTER I. LOVE ON THE OCEAN

Nothing is so easy as falling in love on a long sea voyage, except
falling out of love. Especially was this the case in the days when the
wooden clippers did finely to land you in Sydney or in Melbourne under
the four full months. We all saw far too much of each other, unless,
indeed, we were to see still more. Our superficial attractions mutually
exhausted, we lost heart and patience in the disappointing strata
which lie between the surface and the bed-rock of most natures. My own
experience was confined to the round voyage of the Lady Jermyn, in the
year 1853. It was no common experience, as was only too well known
at the time. And I may add that I for my part had not the faintest
intention of falling in love on board; nay, after all these years,
let me confess that I had good cause to hold myself proof against such
weakness. Yet we carried a young lady, coming home, who, God knows,
mi