The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-12-02
BEFORE THE WIND.

| am a landlubber Of the first water.
if | may a allowed the simile. NJ ia
nili@.ityD nth Yachting is equal 10 nv
personal acquaintance with prehistoric
Man. and the more l endeavor TO master
the subject the more hOpelessly III
volved | become. But that does not
detract in the least IRON the pleasure
j enjoy while upon a yacht. nor
does my ignorance embarrass me. /
have stood upon the sail yards AID won
dered why the sail didn't come down.
! have sought to hoist the ensign 10 the
peak and left the rope halyard. |
should say-so slack that IN a few min
utes the flag was dropped to halfmast.
and every captain in the hartor has
called to express his regret at the sad
occurrence. | always throw cigar ashes
and such things over the wrong rail and
receive the words Of the skipper re-
garding the matter with a Chrisrianlike
humility that well becomes me. In
fact. | have the true love Of Yachting at
heart and a lightness Of spirit that rises
superior 10 the difficulties with which
lubber has to contend and the sarcasm
tina Is freely poured out 10 him. This
explanation Is necessary. because the
yachts1nen who read this story will
laugh at the easy way in which | get
things wrong, but | write not for the
yacht race. for yachts and races are
subordinate TO the little romance IL
which | took a hand.
Our feet-that is, the feet of the
Deep Bay Yacht club-was on its an
nual cruise mp Long Island sound. was
a guest upon the sloop Dawn. and had
the captain and owner not been a great
friend Of mine l fear that l might have
been put ashore early in the cruise and
left to get home as best | could. race
straight away across the sound was ar
ranged for thesecond day. and the boats
all lay at anchor in Blacklist harbor
OH the little town of Nutmeg. same
state. There We're but two 40 footers
IN the fieet-the Dawn was one ard the
Foam the other-and between the two
captains a strong friendship and an in
tense rivalry existed. Until late in the
night we were discussing the race he
tween our two boats. and heavy odds
were laid on each. There was a good
breeze blowing early on the day Of the
race. and We all tumbled upon deck
about T. O'Clock in the morning. NAV
be allowed to state inst here that the
crews Of the boats We're all amateurs.
and as l was superlatfve in that degree
i did land duty whenever it was neces-
sary. so that about half past Z | went
ashore to replenish the water barrel.
The skipper rowed me over to the land
ing place, where he was Joined soon aft
er by the captain of the Foam. while |
took a man ID tow to get the water.
While working thus, in very ordinary
clothes, a horse and buggy came fving
down the road. and when the driver
saw me he mistook me for a boatman-
! have since paldoned the mistake-it
was balm after being so long assailed
as a lubber.
Il say he cried, pulling up his
horse. have you a boat? | want to get
over to Long Island right away" And
as he spoke he glanced n~ervousIy I'D
the road.
We'll. no." answered. Il am
aboard a yacht"
DO you see him." interrupted !.
sweet voice from beneath the hood of /
the buggy, and for the first time | no
ticed a girl within.
Mono. the man replied soothing
ly, and then he turned to me.
Can you lot aid me-" he asked. Il
am er-er"-
saw it in a moment. The pair had
eloped. and papa was probably close le-
hind. A thought flashed through NV
mind, and | first ventured to ask, DO
you want a minister"
Yes" the man answered, but |
must get into Long Island first-the
old man is too neal for fun"
"Oh, Henry" called the girl. and
hearing her voice again decided me.
Come" l said, this way" and in
q moment the pair had left the buggy
and were following me to the dock.
Charley, Jul skipper, stared as l came
mp, but / motioned the two in the boat
in a moment had told him of the
case. It wa just as / knew, and he
tumbled in after me, leaving the cap
tain of the Foam to ask, More passen-