Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-01
ny FIRST SEAL.

wall, resting ourselves. We-tLat Is. Reggie
and Evelyn Freeth, Ned Mitchell and myself
had just been INDUCING in a half mile squirt
down the road, getting ourselves Into wind, r
ms we fondly imagined, for orr coming school
games 1t was nearly midsummer of the
year Oh and Friday evening, SO that the
next day was our own.
81 vote we take our trip to Inch Mickerv, y
said Ned Mitchell. Uncle John told me wo
could have the Curlcvs gig any fine day we
liked SO that we promised not 10 take the sail
with US He thinks we'd 20 s.1vlarking and
cepsize her under canya as, So he viii only let
Us have the oars; but can tel You, we four
fellows can make her hiss through the water.
We must start early and make = regular dav
of it. Take plenty Of grub. 10 keep Us going
till night
The proposition was carried by acclama-
ton, for this Inch MIckery trip was q pleasure
that we had long looked forward to, and this
seemed most propitious time to carry it out.
''Ah! happy years: once more vino would not be
boy?"
Byron was right. What happy-truly
happy-daYs Were those when 1--WE were boys
together"
Where are they now-these friends of tn,
golden days of youth. Reggie-open hearted.
chivalrous, Ouizotic Reggie. Away on a
stubborEly fought field in South Africa.
while nobi, trying TO hold ye,A own against
Overwhelming odds, You fell. pierced by the
Zulu asse ri. the victim Of one Of highlands
many seuseless little Uars." Ivelyn-the
staid, steady, systematic Eyelyu-is now q
noted lawyer on the Home Circui: il Eng
land, making name and money fast Ned
merry, witty, practical joking Ned-away
out on Texas ranch, You lead that free and
easy, unconventional life to which you are
suited. And well I'm the hero" Of this
So, Inch Mici5ery, at s O'Clock sharp the
next morning, was tie word | was TO
provide the commissaIiat rs it was
well known that my poor, dear. old
mother always made Us oIt an ample
and recherche basket. The FreethS were 10
bring fishing tackle and a small Rock rifle
with ammunition, while Ned was 10 make il
all right with bis Uncle John about the boat.
Inch Mickery was tor, for that matter, is
for don't see how any change could ever be
worried on it unless some of those Hell Gate
engineers got al it, a very small, rocky island
in Scotch frih.
That bright, dewy, June morning saw ur
early enough down at Granton Larhor and
after much gruTnblng, iutersparsed with
curious, nautical expietoTY oaths. the old,
one eyed Skipper OF the Curlew delivered
over to US his precious gig, resp!endent in a
coat OF green and gold. with the parting IN
junction, Not to DO knockin' and grndin'
the - paint of O the boat on them -
rocks
The sun was shining brightly as We rounded
the pier head, and dived into the long, rolling
swell outside, which told Of a recent blow"
out somewhere on the German ocean.
Nature seemed smiling on Us. We had all
the glorious beauties OF the winding firth
unfolded before Us like some grand panorama
Here, on u jutting promontoTy, boldly stood
out the Old, square, Ivieti keep Of Royston aa
dark and defiant as when hundreds OF years
$50 it held its own against the attack Of az
quebuS and cuiyei.n, but ROW, instead o. gal
liant knights and men ~ arms. its only inhab-
itants are the pert, noisy yaca4aUS, o. tie
tiashinG, screaming switrs. There. popping
out from the wealth Of noble oaks ami stately
eln!s, is the picturesque mansion Of lie Lord
of Roseberry, the headquarters Of the c. O.
NJ III those celebrated Midlothian cam
saicrs. Here some lovely demesue, with ,he
emerald sward Competing The slopes 70 the rip
ping sea; and then castle, grim and gray,
standing ont in bold relief. Away IN the far
Distance looms the lordly Ochus, the blue
hazy SUBMITS seeming to melt away into the
June clouds, while Oh our side the Pentlands
rear their purple, heath clad heads. A fair
and lovely scene, And after long, long DAYS
and wanderings here and there l can shut my
ewes end fancy once again that | ann floating
on the waters Of the beauteous Forth.
We rowed meITily our into the firth and
shaped or course for the island Of our choice,
and rolling along sloriously over the long,
surgin- swell The Hen and Chickens Is in
one mass of white foam, as the big rollers
break over the gregarious rocks which rejoice
in the above innocent name, warning Us that
we cannot attempt q landing on the Inch ex-
cept on the western side.
Sure enough. When we reach our deStina-
ton we find il in one seething mass of foam,
too. bat giving it q pretty wide berth, we
pull round and glide into the smooth water
on the lee side.
It does not take long 10 find q good, ssfe
haven for cur boat, y hare the precious vaius
will net suffer from those sansuiu@ry rocks,
denounced by Toe Cycl3pean skipper OF the
Ci1rlev-. and we quickly unload Que provis-
ions, snd proceed at once to iix on Z snot for
selected: and after collecting a plentiful sup
NV of driftwoo6, and getting the fire going
cbaa,iIv. we settle down 70 Cur respective
avocations. By unanimous vote Evelyn Is
installed cook, az his skill III the culinary art 1
is well known, and we know he cares not Io!'
anything in the sporting line.
Ned and Reggie take out the boat in lee
of the island and commence war on the
(Jhe name by which d species
of rock fish was known 70 U.s.,
while shoulder the rife and start with mar
dercus thoughts intent. 1t IS TOO early III the
day for the rabbits 10 be out sunninL them Z
selves, ana l only see = couple OF unwary,
specimens, which Iwould Scorn 70
pull the trigger on.
/ pr'owled about for long time, peepiGc
round the rocks 10 rl-y and see something /
worthy of my lead but met with no luck.
When got to the eastern To!nt OF the Inch
!. sat down on a rock 10 watch the mGueuvcrs (
Il the sea birds SIS they SKINNED over the .
,roken surf, wheeling aud screaming IN Il
way that would have warmed Tie heart Of =
ripperary faction fighter
A quiet little NOOK lay 1t my feet: it was
nearly land locked, ana the conmotion out /
siie scarcely affected 1t.
As looked ioSn into the clear, s,ll water
E-tnousht what a jolly place It would be for
. dive and swim, and nothing but my total .
ignorance Of the ratatoIy art kept ne from ,
sf,<nziux CT and plunzing IN Suddenly my /