The Irish standard., 1893-08-26
''PULL AWAY, MATE" SAID TnE MAN.

low and narrow; the hair coarse and
sandy; the beard coarser and sander
still: He might have been about fifty
years of age. His dress was curious,
consisting of yellow sou'wester, a
pair of seaman's coarse canvas trousers
and blue pilot-jacket, ornamented
with brass buttons which bore the in
sigma of her majesty's naval service.
Presently, without turning his eyes
again from the far distance, the man
spoke in husky, far-away whisper:
s'Matt, do you see summat ut yon-
der?''
Matt strained her gaze through the
dazzling sunlight, but failed to discern
any object on the light expanse of wa
ter.
"Look We now" continued the man;
'sit may be drifting weed, or it may be
a wreck; but it's summat. Look again. )"
'Summat black, William Jones?''
eyes. Coming and going. Now it
comes, and it's black; now it goes, and
the water looks white where it was.
If it isn't wreck, it's weed; if it amt
weed, it's wreck. And the tides flow
ing, and it'll go ashore afore night at
Caldron point, if wait for it. But
shan't watt" he added eagerly, 'Tlgo
and overhaul it now"
He looked round suspicious, and then
said: 49,
"Matt, did you see any of them
coast-guard chaps as you come along?'
"No, William JONES'
s'Thought not. They're up Pencroes
way, fooling about: so there's chance
for an honest man to look arter his liv-
ing without no questioning. You come
along with me, and if it is summat, I'll
gle thee tuppence some O. these fine
days.
AS he turned to go, his eye fell for
the first time on her attire.
'sWhat's this, Matt? What are you
doing in your Sunday clothes?
The girl was at a loss to reply. She
blushed scarlet and hung down her
head. Fortunately for her the man
was too absorbed in his main object of
thought to catechise her further. He
only shook his fat head in severe dis
appreciation and led the way down to
small creek in the rocks, where a
rough coble was rocking, secured by
rusty chain.
"Jump in and take the paddles. I'll
sit astern and keep watch"
The girl obeyed and leaped in; but
before sitting down she tucked up her
dress to her knees to avoid the dirty
water in the bottom of the boat. Will
liam Jones followed, and pushed off
with his hands. Calm as the water
was, there was a heavy shoreward
swell, on which they were Immediately
uplifted with some danger of being
swept back on the rocks. Matt handled
the paddles like one to the manner
born. and the boat shot out swiftly on
the shining sea.
The sun was burning with almost in
siderable brightness, and the light
blazed on the golden mirror of the wa
ter with binding refracted rays.
Crouching in the stern of the boat,
William Jones shaded his eyes with
both hands, and gazed intently on the
object he had discovered far out to sea.
Now and then he made a rapid motion
to guide the girl in the rowing, but he
did not speak word.
Oh, how hot it was out there on the
wideless waves! For some time Matt
pulled on in silence, but at last she
could bear it no longer and rested on
her oars, with the warm perspiration
streaming down her heckled face.
'sPnn away, Matt, . said the man, not
looking at her. 'sYou amt tired, not
your
With long-drawn breath Matt drew
in the oars, and, swift as thought,
peeled Ion her jacket and pulled of her