Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-08-18
CAPTAIN PUTS NOVEL.


CAPTAIN PUTS NOVEL.
81 must cross; my children are over
there
But ye can't! The winds jest a-tearin'
things! 'T'ud take man ter git the better
er them waves. I wouldn't try, II rs you. "
And the boy, one of the genus so persistent
ly haunting the water-side as to make the
name water-rat" eminently fitting, looked
helplessly up and down the shore, and up
the village street, wishing in the kindness Of
bis heart that some one with more authority
than his brief ten years of life permitted him
would come along and put stop to the
hazardous undertaking. But no one was in
distance down the shore, a gentleman. a
stranger-the boy had seen him get out Of
the hack at the - Hotel few hours before
was walking. with bent head, unheedful,
seemingly, Of everything about him.
"Oh, yes, I can co." the woman replied,
in dreamy, impressive way, as she busted
herself with her few preparations. 81 must,
you know; my children are there-my ba-
bies. Help me push off, please"
81 kin help ye, but blamed Il I hedn't
yuther 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, II she amt handled right
When we git out bit where it's rougher,
yell hev ter pint FER purity near up stream,
er ven go 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 gingerly over the damp sand in
his slippers, cigar between his teeth, and
holding his hat upon his head with one hand !;
and here was the strange gentleman-he had
woke up at last-hurrying up the shore al
1Toxh a 70
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.
The stranger reached him first He was
out of breath and excited, and asked, hur-
riedly, "Who is that woman, boy, and what
sends her out there in this gale?"
"Well, I dunno who she is, 'zactIy: she
lives over 'crost there, some'rs. Comes over
here ter pick cramb'ries. Comes 18th some
other women, gin'r'ly, but ter day she come
'lone, IN the winds riz sence: Said she must
go, cause her babies . over there"
81 want boat, and good man to go with
ger, turning to the landlord, who had now
Joined them. Help me to get them Instant
ly, please"
~ know who's yer man." broke in The
Rat, almost dancing in his eagerness; "n'
'e's up here It the store-Cap'n Put, l mean.
Sh'll t 60 'n' git limp And without watt
Ing for an answer he darted off up the street.
ayes, 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
IL he had not spoken, so 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 Impotence
seemed to increase with every moment OF
DELAY, laid hold of one, as though to push
her into the water, saying, as ne did SO, ~
suppose I can take any Of these boatsW
ooh, yes, without doubt; but you'd bet
ter wait till 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 a 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, as 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.
ton of satisfaction, as the boy, accompanied
by several men, appeared round the corner
np the street. AS though too eager for ac-
ton to stand waiting longer, he met them
with a few swift strides.
"This ;ere's Cap'n Put, 'n' he's goin
with ye,v said The Rat, indicating with a
fiirt of his hand a stout, middle aged man
with keen dark eyes, black curling hair, and
fill beard to match, who gave hasty glance
at the stranger glance which took him in
ali oyer-but without remark or pause until
thew 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"
"You, certainly" was the quick reply.
Without more words Captain Put singled
ont a boat, and with the assistance OF several
willing pairs OF hands she was quickly
ready to push off. "Throw in mother pair
ar oars from some'rs,o said the Captain, as
an after-thought-"g good strong ones;" and
then to the stranger, I" Ken ye steer?o
the tiiler as the Captain adjusted his oars in
the row lacks, and then he added, just a.
those about them were showing the boat off,
UHadn't we better take another oarsmanT'
swSs nGne fG Th eni he
as il to himself, "Jest like a woman ter pu,
out in gale m make somebody go arter Fer
Seed 'er in a store on'y few minutes ago
little bit NV q thing.' Then, addressing his
Gersfand. we've got ter take them big waves
Ho,,, first--when we git out 'mong 'em,
mean-the winds kinder of shore, m they
lint nv much count here, but when we git
BIZ Jest er wps 9T turn s en cat the
Ives t,other way. Be dark in less IN ter
,,inits. though, m we orter git es near her's
.ra lei, whilst we ken SEEN blamed y
ther' ain It mist settin' inl"
~.,hich. with the increasing dusk, soon bic
10Th hoats-the pursued and the pursuer-
rom even the keenest- sighted OF the group
on the shore. IA es,oro,
otis an ugly Job, said an OLD nsn 81 al,
buttoning MS coat al" n"'A '"i "''e 80