The Opelousas courier., 1889-05-11
Not another person was In sight

stop on my way up aud ask Captain
Danforth to look out for you, and ii he
thinks you're getting into trouble to
sail after you"
THANK you, captain"
sDick." said his mother, "can't you
let the lobster pots goP"
Couldn't possibly" smiled the boy.
''Could you have the heart to ask meP
VIII you cast me off, motherP" he
called a second later.
swat ga minute" exclaimed Mrs.
Swing. Fetch your boat close up. I
want to speak to you, Dick"
The boat received the necessary i'm
petus, and touched the side of the pier.
Mrs. Swing had seated herself on the
topmost layer of logs forming the
wharf, and leaned over as though to
speak confidently to her son.
"Dick," said his mother, "hold fast!
I'm coming" and into the boat she
dropped before either Captain Rose on
the dock or Captain Richard in the
boat had knowledge of her intention.
What under the sun, mother" cried
the boy, "do you mean?"
II ann going with you, Dick, to keep
you from tumbling overheard when
you haul in" and she seated herself in
the stern, calling back as the tide
loated the boat out. 'We depend on
you, Captain Rose, to send after us if
we-if it gets too rough" she gasped,
with a dash OF spray in her face.
"Ay, ay!" cried the captain, and he
took off his hat and swung it, he
scarcely Knew why.
OF all the women in Dell Haven,
from the eldest to the youngest, Mrs.
Swing most feared the sea. To live
beside it, to watch its every mood de-
lighted her. but to venture on it for
pleasure she was never known to do.
A moments peace she I've knew
when Richard, her only son, was ex-
posed to the treachery of the waters.
but rather than mar his wild delight in
wind ard waves this unselfish mother
concealed as much as possible her anx-
iety for him.
Richard was not selfish, and had he
imagined what his mother was at that
moment suffering, would have put the
boat about and tied it forever at the
stake rather than cause her this agony.
Just as the boat got well into the
toll of the waves the ssun arose, she'd
such brilliance on the waters that
sMrs. Swing, who sat facing it, was
dazzled and well nigh failed to e in
time a gill net into which the boat was
running.
''See any boat ahead mother?" ques-
toned Richard. ''You must keep a
good lookout for me. I've got my
ranges right and can fetch the lobstes
ground every time"
us it farp" questioned his mother
shudderingly.
Mot very; just outside Dull Head.
I reckon we'll fetch it," said the lad,
dipping his bars for a full stroke and
then letting the boat slide up to the
summit of a rolling wave, a trick he
had caught from Captain Hezekiah
Danforth, the master boatman of Dell
Haven.
The wind grew stronger and strong
er, and the waves every moment in
creased in size. Even Richard glanced
sideways more than once with ill-con-
cealed aaxiety as the long pillows came
tumbling on, and just then getting a
glimpse of his mothe.'s face beheld ii
SO blanched with terror of the sea that
it seemed to him his mother was nc
longer in the boat with him.
"Dick, !" she gasped, as his oar missed
stroke and sent the spray over the
boat, "Dick. I'm afraid to go on"
Dick glanced backward. He had
pulled about . mile from shore and
was midway Detween the two head.
lands Familiarity spoK m of as the Horns.
Dull Head was surro' snded by an even
accommodating mass of breakers. and
Bright Head caught the sea on its
p~recipitous sides, sending 1t backward
in ountains of foam, and all the four
miles that lay between the two points
were rolling miles of pillows.
Sitting with his face landward Pich-
ard had not fully felt the danger.
Now, the lad could not repress 8
shudder as he said: II don't believe ]
could find the buoys in such a sea, and
nobody could haul In the pots. be
lieve I'll put about"
.Ch, do! o Richard, there comes
an awful one!' and Mrs. Swing slipped
down from her seat into the bottom Of
the boat and hid herdace from the ON.
coming wave.
Richard gave q mighty pull at the
oars to keep the boat head on. and i
rode that wave in safety only to NEE
new ones, tito whose depths the tiny
shell rolled to be completely bidder
from the sight of the two men WHIT
who 9 standing out on the Del.
Haven pier.
One was Hezekiah Danforth, the
other was Captain Rose.
why didn't you dun a little com
mon sense into the woman If she didn't
take 1t naturally scolded Captain
Danforth, ''or shut her and the boy VI
somewheres."
81 told her, but / declare when
was young / could have brought dowr
them oars In half the time 1t take
jim to fetch 'em. / say, 'Kiah Dan
forth, amt that boat trying to pu
about?"