“They make known to us among them, how last afternoon at about five o’clock comes a man so hurry.  A tall man, thin and pale, with high nose and teeth so white, and eyes that seem to be burning.  That he be all in black, except that he have a hat of straw which suit not him or the time.  That he scatter his money in making quick inquiry as to what ship sails for the Black Sea and for where.  Some took him to the office and then to the ship, where he will not go aboard but halt at shore end of gangplank, and ask that the captain come to him.  The captain come, when told that he will be pay well, and though he swear much at the first he agree to term.  Then the thin man go and some one tell him where horse and cart can be hired.  He go there and soon he come again, himself driving cart on which a great box.  This he himself lift down, though it take several to put it on truck for the ship.  He give much talk to captain as to how and where his box is to be place.  But the captain like it not and swear at him in many tongues, and tell him that if he like he can come and see where it shall be.  But he say ‘no,’ that he come not yet, for that he have much to do.  Whereupon the captain tell him that he had better be quick, with blood, for that his ship will leave the place, of blood, before the turn of the tide, with blood.  Then the thin man smile and say that of course he must go when he think fit, but he will be surprise if he go quite so soon.  The captain swear again, polyglot, and the thin man make him bow, and thank him, and say that he will so far intrude on his kindness as to come aboard before the sailing.  Final the captain, more red than ever, and in more tongues, tell him that he doesn’t want no Frenchmen, with bloom upon them and also with blood, in his ship, with blood on her also.  And so, after asking where he might purchase ship forms, he departed.

“No one knew where he went ‘or bloomin’ well cared’ as they said, for they had something else to think of, well with blood again.  For it soon became apparent to all that the Czarina Catherine would not sail as was expected.  A thin mist began to creep up from the river, and it grew, and grew.  Till soon a dense fog enveloped the ship and all around her.  The captain swore polyglot, very polyglot, polyglot with bloom and blood, but he could do nothing.  The water rose and rose, and he began to fear that he would lose the tide altogether.  He was in no friendly mood, when just at full tide, the thin man came up the gangplank again and asked to see where his box had been stowed.  Then the captain replied that he wished that he and his box, old and with much bloom and blood, were in hell.  But the thin man did not be offend, and went down with the mate and saw where it was place, and came up and stood awhile on deck in fog.  He must have come off by himself, for none notice him.  Indeed they thought not of him, for soon the fog begin to melt away, and all was clear again.  My friends