The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-08-19
CAPTAIN PUTS NOVEL.

Roger RtOrdQns IN Scr1Oner.
CAPTAIN PUTS NOVEL.
.. sa J, must cross; my children are ove'
!" Bot ye can't! The winds jest a-tearin
thingsi 'T'ud take man ter git the better
er them waves. wouldn't try, II rs you.' -
And the boy, one of the genus so persistent
" haunting the water.side as to make the
name "water-rat" eminently fitting, looked
Aelplessly up and down the shore, and uI
the village street, wishing I'm the kindness Of
his heart that some one with more authority
than his brief ten years of life permitted him
would come along and put q stop to the
hazardous undertaking. But no one was in
sight at this precise moment. Yes, some
distance down the shore, q gentleman, 8
stranger-the boy had seen him get out OF
the hack at the = Hotel a few hours before
: was walking, with bent head, unheedful,
seemingly, Of everything about him.
"Oh. yes, 1 can co." the woman replied,
in dreamy, fmpassive way, as she busted
bies. Help mepush of, please"
kin help We, but blamed II I hedn't
rutheF take a lickin' )" returned the Rat, and
then added, as he complied with her request,
"'Tain't the kind nv boat ter upset. but she
may swamp, u she amt handled right.
yen hey ter pint Ter purity near up stream,
er ven 90 out ter sea, 'stead er touchin'
t'other Shore" And then he stood and
watched her, almost whimpering as he saw
the clumsy craft toss and pitch among the
riotous waves.
Oh, yes, They could show themselves
now, when they were too late to do any good.
Plenty Of people could come lolling around
now. Here was the landlord of the Ho-
tel, stepping gingerlv over the damp sand in
his slippers, a cigar between his teeth, and
holding his hat upon his head with one hand |;
and here was the strange gentleman-he had
most on ruin. Maybe they'd blame him for
letting the woman go. They were watching
her, both of them, while they made directly
for him. Well, let them blame. 'Twouldn't
be the first time he'd been blamed for what
he couldn't help.
out of breath and excited, and asked, hur-
riedly, "Who is that woman, boy, and what
sends her out there in this gale?"
"Well, dunno who she is, 'ZactlY: she
lives oveI 'crost there, sOme'rs. Comes over
here ter pick cramb'ries. Comes 18th some
other women, gin'r'ly, but ter day she come
60, cause her babies g over there"
81 want q boat, and a good man to 60 with
me, to save that woman" said the stran-
ger, turning to the landlord, who had now
Joined them. Help me to get them Instant
E, please"
Rat, almost dancing In his eagerness; "'n'
Se's up here It the store-Cap'n Put, mean.
Gh'll 70 m git 'im?" And without wait
ing for an answer he darted off up the street.
Eyes, yes-Captain Putnam. The best
man about boat and the water generally,
they Say" began the landlord, but the
stranger paid no more attention to him than
II he had not spoken, 50 he wisely stopped
at that stage Of his sentence. and never fin-
tshed It.
There were several boats drawn up on the
sand, some with oars lying in them and some
without. The stranger, whose impatience
seemed to increase with every moment of
delay, laid hold Of one, as though to push
her into the water, saying, as he did SO, o.
suppose can take any of these boatsr'
ooh, yes. without doubt; but you'd bet
ter wait tn the Captain comes, and let him
select one. They are private property. of
course; but no one will object to their being
used in such case, especially If Captain Put
takes them.'
The strangers attention was divided be-
tween the street-corner around which The
Rat had disappeared and the woman. It was
growing dusk, and already the boat with its
occupant was but dimly visible, Is 1t tossed
about, making slow way toward the other
shore, while its progress down stream was
painfully apparent. The rover was evident
- taxing her strength to the utmost, but to
very little purpose.
Presently the stranger uttered an exclama-
ton of satisfaction, as the boy, accompanied
up the street. As though too eager for &C.
ton to stand waiting longer, he met them
with few swift strides.
i."This 'ere's Cap'n Put, M he's goin'
with ye," said The Rat, indicating with .
dirt Of his hand . stout, middle aged man
Z l>aov ID ylr 0rr hoi,. nd
full beard to match, who gave hasty glance
at the stranSer-a glance which took him in
all over--but without remark or pause until
they reached the water-side, when he sud-
$ denly turned to the stranger and asked,
"Now, who's ter be Cap'n er this 'ere expe.
dition-you er II" I-
= "You, certainly" was the quick reply.
Without more words Captain Put singled
out a boat, and with the assistance of several
4! willing pairs Of hands she was quickly
launched, and he and the stranger were
ready to push on. THROW IN. in bother pair
an after-thought-"good strong ones;" and
then to the stranger, Ken ye steer?''
,ls-WYes.,, said the stranger, laying hold Of
the tfller as the Captain adjusted his oars in
the row. lacks, and then he added, just as
those about them were showing the boat of,
{ IS HADN'T we bstter take another oarsmanr''
/. we cit The woman IMP Then he muttered,
! rs ii to himself, "Jest like woman ter put
out I'M a gale 'n' make somebody 90 arter Fer.
Seed 'ef IN store on'y few minutes ago
little bit Nv thing" Then, addressing bis
derstand, we've got ter take them big waves
bow first-when we git out 'mong 'em. I
mean-the winds kinder OF shore, m they
ain't NV much count here, but when we git
out bit Jest PINT Ter purity well up stream
fer a whiles en- then Wen turn en- cut the
n. A. h tn ocu IN tov,
minits, though, m We orter git es near hers
we ken whilst we ken see|'n' blamed y
Their amt mist settin' inl"
It was true: there was mist gathering,
J. which, with the increasing dusk, soon hid
both hoats-the pursued and the pursuer-
rom even the keenest- sighted Of the group
: s.Itss an ugly Job - said an old fisherman,
ttoning his coat and half turning as though
70 move away.