Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-09-06
Cast Gdrift.


" The old house seems large aud empty, and
! long for the sound Of young voices. You
must be sure to come with the flowers and
stay all summer" So when spring had
come and gone, we knew that June was car
peting the hills and valleys of PARKWAY
Maine with her greenest velvet and the
quaint old York, by the sea, was looking
her iairest.
We numbered five, as we filed into the
car on that second day of June-Uncle Frank,
Aunt Amy, Fred, Walter and |. Three
days of car-riding made us welcome the |
coach as a delightful change, aud the boys |
clambered TO the outside seat TO enjoy the |
air and get the first glimpse of grandma's |
roof. After ride OF AN hour aud a bali |
up hills and through valleys, over the ston- |
lest roads you ever saw, we entered the |
shade of an orchard-lined street, heard |
merry shout from Fred aud Walter and |
knew we were at our journeys end. | hope |
you all have grandmas and that they are as
sweet and lovely as Grandma Seabury
Captain Norwood owned yacht, the |
Zephyr, and one day he came in to grand !
mas to say that he had arranged little
party to 20 to the Shoals, aud wouldn't
Frank, Amy Qor they We're old schoolmates)
and Miss Nelly--turning to me--like a taste
of Old Briny, and a scramble over the rocks
of Appledore To be sure they would so
when the sun lifted himself fresh and bright
from the ocean that Wednesday morning, he
was hailed with delight by each member of
the party. The boys were TO stay with
grandma and Aunt llayford to " keep the
castle" However, they might go down to the
old wharf at the harbor TO see us off.
"Mightn't we come down here and fish,
| father p asked Fred.
Certainly, only don't leave the wharf
that is, don't get boat till | come back"
The boys promised, and were full of the
fish they were to catch.
I'D most as lief stay here and fish as to
go with them wouldn't you, Fred Z" said
Walter, as they stood watching the graceful
Zephyr getting under way
"Ye-es-that isl don't know. Oh,
but tell you, Walt, wait till I'm eighteen,
then won't I-O-o-oo - and Fred
snatched his hat from his curly head and
waved it as an imaginary goodbye to the
shores of his native land for to be a sailor
was his greatest desire. 1t was now little
after eight o'clock, and as the tide was "run-
ming out" and the wind off shore, the Zephyr
made good Roadway, and rounding prom
ontory, was soon out of sight.
The boys slowly climbed the steep hill
which lay between the wharf and the road
|
old town is large, and has number of little
villages in it, one, two and three miles
apart. Grandma's house was near the post
office, and was mile from the harbor.
+ Gaining the summit, they turned aud looked
I seward. There was the Zephyr skimming
the waves like a gull. Fred drew a long
breath.
"Come on" said Walt "we must dig our
= bait"
e Digging the bait was rather slow work
. at least the finding of it was.
al declared " exclaimed Fred, coming il
: for a drink and one of grandmas cookies, ="
y don't believe there's worm on the place
+ can't find any, and I've been hunting this
hour"
Then grandma told th6n where to dig
- and at last they had their tin box full. Blu
o by the time they had their fishing tackle il
e order dinner was ready.
% AN early dinner, for knew you wouldn'
want to wait, and didn't want you to 60 of
without it," said grandma. y'hen, Just a
Il they were starting she gave them baske
h with lunch, You'll be hungry before
b. you get back. This is the very same baske
4 your father used to take, so be careful of it.
Fishing on the wharf is fun, but fishinl
le in a boat is fun-er," observed Walt lookinl
lie longingly at an empty dory that lay idl.
rs rocking at the foot Of the steps leading t
the water
-" Seems to me they don't bite very wei
"a this afternoon. | wish father hadn't told u
to not to go off in a boat | know how TO man
81, age one" said Fred, going to the head o
IN the stairway and looking down.
= "Whew, amt this a hot one Where
W the wind gone to 2" and Walt pushed bac
is his straw hat and gazed toward the blue
Of dotted with silyery sails; "seems tobe win
nj outside there, wish"
See here, Walt" and Fred's head wa
w visible in the stairway, " this dory's fast
oe let's get into her and push her up under tn
in wharf, It's nice and cool down here"
M No sooner said than done.
nj "Ohl" said Walt softly, just look a
~ that great fellow he's going TO bite. Their
lie now, this is something like - as he pulle
in good sized Gunner. A long time tn
boys sat and fished, covering those caugh
with a piece of an old sail found in tn
boat Meanwhile, the tide which had rise
AT had turned again, and, the wharf being q
II, the mouth of the river, the current sci on
M strongly. The dory drifted out from uIndt
- the wharf the length of the painter, Their
w. she ohafed and fretted impatienty. A La
IL she wore herself free, and all unnoticei
ed the boys, began to float down the little ba,
A." slowly at first, then faster MS she got int
.,o swifter water. Suddenly Fred, reused b
w the new motion of the boat, looked up an
"o around
he "Walter Seabury, where on earth are "
ria going to p he exclaimed "give me III
40 oars" But there was only one.
~ 80 Walt, didn't Mr.. Grant teach you no
VI to scull Take the oar and try it," Wa
is struggled manfully, but the current was to
it strong, and he found himself powerless.
A "Give your whoop, Fred maybe som
body II hear" But II anybody heard, /
70. thought it only merry shout, and gave
L. no reply. Then the boys looked each 9th,
in blaukly in the face, and thought fast.
Not ITS my fault, said Fred, after tim
a. " though that don't help us out any nov
~ But ii we ever get back again, I'll bear a
ne the blame"
"No, you DON'T said Walt, generously
"who spoke of boat first, I'd like TO know
Then theywer silent again. Time passe
and the sun fastened down the western SIX
iu The boys knew that night would soon
no upon them, but what could they do
oc- 90 Walter, look" Fred pointed to Il
al southeast. A huge bank of fog was trailip
along the surface of the water. Nearer au
eu nearer it came till the horizon, Boone Islar
in Lighthouse, and at last the shore, We
,re became awful. Fred caught up his breat
- with sort of dry sob.
"s Don't, Fred" said Walt, with a quiv
we in his voice "Come let's do Something"
ore "What 2" asked Fred, in hopeless ton
EN- Let's ho'ler Take turns you first, thu
., me, so as not 10 waste breath. 1t seer
- as though somebody might hear At al
os' rate, maybe it would keep us from BEN
INK run into"
ent It's no USE exclaimed Fred after atm
, a during which he had grown hoarse.
"Well, don't know as it is, but let's 81
Is one more-together this time"
= Walt thought he heard faint, answeri
ian "hollol" but his throat was SO dry and
nh. voice so nearly spent that he couldn't z
much beyond whisper.
"lIark !" said Fred, lifting his head fro
his arms, g certainly heard something"
en- "Can't we give one more shout 7" ask
ers Walt
,at This time an answer came across
,,,, water " Boat ahoy I"
." "llolo I" shouted Walt.
The "Who are you 2" sounded voice near
IN hand.
"A dory lost from York. IIelpl"
"Ay ay."
Th.., tl.., l...I Al. ....l.o ~ ,... a..