Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-03-17

self." explained ths Captain. n tins
.ulness ot his heart and. when I was
sour size. was r4ttin' lSgs To MI.
hen ! pzllsd bow-osr in a xund-I0w.
and after I I gone two OF three trips 70
he Baaks. I shipped a. fo'r.ast hazd
4 a co4stsn' vsssai ] was a GOOD
many years workin' myself from the
fO'c'sle 70 the 4uarts--dsek. said Capt.
1in Flag. with solemn shake % his
head. abut done il. and now I'm en-
nsnder and owner 0f quarter OF the
Mary r.
II good Captain Flagg had been
master q a two-thoGsand-ton AL full
rigged clipper. he could not have
spoken with more conscious pride rhan
n this simple narration. and after re-
Iarding him with admiring ave. A. ons
70 whom the wonders and mysteries %
the sea were an open book. Tad glanced
.uriously around the cabin
IL wa n quaint lirtie interior. with n
surtained berth on either siile. and n
state-room. rather larger than a good
sized dry-~oods box. M the hack % the
steps leading down from the deck.
which was occupied for the present by
Miss Polly Fla-g. who was making her
vacation voyage with her father. as n
rewari Of merit forimprOvement in her
studies 81 the Bixport town school The
nain-mast. which ran mp through the
cabin f0or sad roof about midway. had
nails driven IN IL on -hich were
hung the Captains oil-elothe- and Pol-
IL biz sGE-bonnet- A sort q folding
table. attached - the sfter-part q the
mast b. a hinge. could be turned up
out Of the way when not ir7 use- A
dingv-fleed cIock- Ike n big litter -.
looked down FROM the waIl. while or
posire was a hi-hly-colorcel hrhog-aPh
representing the once famous clipper
''Dreadnoughr' Pl0wing thruugh very
green seas urdsr n very blue SKY
There was No carpet on the foor-
which. however. was scrupuAoustv
clean. while three chairs. in various
stages Of dilspidafiou. composed the
entire stock q furniture; bur 20 Tad it
was one of the most delightful places
imaginable. and he longe,i for bedtime
To come. 50 that he could stow himself
away in the little berth which had been
assigned to him by Captain fla-E
..An hans on deck gravely an
nounced the Captain. as the city clocks
struck one.
Ephraim. who had been stretched at
length on one 81 the lockers. gathered
himself up. and. motioning Tad 10 fol-
low. climbed leisurely up the com
panion-way.
We're gOin' TO ge, under way this
afternoon" said Eph. land there's a
tremendous lot Of things to do;-lst's
see-what'H we take holt of tirst''
Eph looked Hstlessly about him. and
then. thrusting his hands in pockets.
leaned against the rail in neditafive
.attitude. Captain Flagg came forward
and squinted aloft at the little masthead
pennant. after which he followed the
example Of Eph. Polly. recovering the
small dog from the galley. where
George Washington was singing .
Methodist hymn as he washed the din
ner-dishss. sat down with 10 in her
arms. on a coil Of rope And sd-look-
ing silently on. begaa TO think that ths
hardships Of n sailors life had been
| greatly overrated-
BY and by Captain Flagg rensrked
that he guessed the tide was about
right, and they d better think % gssfins .
under way. Certain line were les O.
and hauled on board. and I'm some
| mysterious manner. cutie incurpre-
hensfble TO Tad. the MARY ~" -a'
slowly extricated from the maze o'
surrounding vessels. the ssils hoistrd
by the united force Of the ships com
pany. exclusive Of Miss Polly. and with
favoring wind the venerable forty-son
schooner began her voyage.
bring up the spy-glass. Polly.
said Captain Flagg. who sat comforta-
bly on the head Of the rulder. his hard
hands grasping the sPokes Of the
/ wheel
What il IL. sir?" asked Polly. as.
having brought the instrument i'm 4nes-
ton from below. her father. placing i
at his eye. gazed back at the end cf the
wharf from which the Mary J" had
| cleared.
Il thought l saw some one I knowed
that's all. Polly" was the reply He
kept the fact 10 himself. however. thai
the person in question was none other
than the ubiquitous Jones. who. OBJ
servant of the Captains telescope
gaze. placed the tip a his thumb At the
end of his nose. and twiddled his In
gers derisively-
Hes bound to keep track of that
ere little han bag. 4" said Captain Flagg
i To himself. with n dubious shake nj fhs
head. For Captain FlAgg hail become
convinced. after hearing Tad's story.
that Mr. Jones. who was evidently Q
sharper of the first water. had a@csr-
tanned in some way best known to him
/ self that the sachel contained some
thing Of considerable value. or he new
| er would have shadowed' its posses
sor so persissenly. "rn advertise IL
for the boy soon's ever we get home. y
ho mentally decided. and then gave his
undivided attention TO the responsibility
consequent upon his command
MIR. SMALL" said Captain Flagg.
I gravely. '.have the decks cleared UP.
an then let the port watch 80 below. "
ave. ave. SIR" answered the long
legged. sandy-haired youth. who. In
his dual capacity Of officer and crew.
was Mr.. Small" or "EPh. according
to circumstances. That i. as Chief
Mate he was addressed with the pre-
fix Of "Nr; !" as q member OF the port
watch. which now consisted OF himself
and Tad. he received his more familiar
title Of '.Eph."
Come for'ard along Of me-" said
Mr.. Small. ungrammatically and
brusqueIy. motioning to Tad. who was
staring at the passing tugs and vessels
in open-cyed amazement. and the lat
ter meckly obeyed- ''Them's the tib
haIyar,ls. /" said Mr.. Small. reclining In
an easy posture against the foremast.
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