The record-union., 1894-03-03

Captain Rudolph Rudder.
'By fair means er FOUL" added Captain
Timothy Tacker, with determined little
twist of his head.
u picked her up often a wreck, good ez
under water, long'tood fitty-tour, six,
west, lattood forty five, two, north,
when sailin' th' Nancy Mary twenty
years ago. resumed Captain Ballast.
''Iharabout," admitted IFS two COM
panions.
1--WE all quit sailin' an cum t. Penn
broke fur snug harbor next year."
"'N' Jumped our shares m dunnage
m divided Niney fortnight arter," in
sisted the other two, sticking for historic
accuracy and their rights in the absent
waif of the sea.
Then we called her Viney, kase she
wuz sech tender an twinin' little crit
ter
IN Jetsum, kase she wuz jetsum, m
hadn't tother name," Interrupted Captain
kudder.
"'N' brought her up"
"Arter dead reck nin'," observed Cap
tain Tacker with decision.
IN we got long 'thout ary squall or
foul weather with her eddycashun an
singin', Till that pesky Bosting colleger
cum canoein' an geolOgizin' round Penn
broke"
Maxim up ter US. to make up ter vi
ney," added Captain Rudder with an in
dignant snort.
"Ef he'd made up ter Viney like man
L wouldn't minded, though we has our
rights, continued Captain Ballast mourn
fully, but he jess clawed an edged am
canted an Jigged am didn't bar down
under tull sail like a well-meanin'
craft"
IN gin her shifin' cargo o. unlikely
notions" snapped Captain Iacker.
Told her mebbe she wuz sumboddy
else than Viney Jetsum, m sent her
that cussed orgin," growled Captain Rud-
der.
Yes, an arter she slipped anchor an
stole out o. harbor, we nabbed his tel'-
gram T. Niney ter cum ter his folks, eZ
thar wuz planners an things thar, an
they'd help her find ef she warn't Flot-
sum stead o. Jetsum, with jess th' sig
mater. 'Geologer', at th' tail end o. th'
message"
damn a man ennyhow that dassn't
sign his wrltin'," roared Captain Tacker.
'Speakin' bout signin'," continued
Captain Ballast with increased solemnity,
we're bout ter sign our cOmpac'."
Sign, seal an deliver" suggested
Captain Rudder.
"Th' articles o. our compac' sez we're
ter build tn Happy Thought
''Single-master, sixty ton burth'n.
1udI OOHe, IL uudI Sue IS, lnI0rJeCleU
Captain Tacker, with a look of pride
through the old ships hull window.
''Share an share alike; tittin' am fittin'
alike; grub an grub alike; with extry
cabin fur Viney, when we git her.
Them's done; but let 'em STAN in th' art
cles," said Captain Ballast judiciaIly.
''Let 'em stan jess ez they's writ"
AN pack away th' dunnage O. 'Th'
Three Captings Rest, in Pembroke, till
IL - est rIol1
That's done, shipshape, too"
",N' set sail from Pembroke without
ary but one port-that's Viney." This
from Captain Rudder.
when sailin', Cap'n an Cap n about"
continued Captain Ballast; "crew an crew
about; an cook an cook about"
"Ev'rything turn an turn about" ac-
ceded the other two decidedly.
"Ef ary one mut'nies he loses his share
in Happy Thought am Viney, an snug
harbors in some other port tn rest o. his
nat'ral life"
Fur tn rest O. his nat'ral life," echoed
Captains Rudder and Tacker with evil
dent agitation.
"Th Happy Thought must cruise
in all ports whar thars COINS on an sing
in'."
"Whar thar's COINS on an singin'."
'An' never quit huntin' fur Viney Jet
sum-"
Never quit huntin'."
I'M find th' college whar th' colleger
halls from m sass tn Capting."
IN sass th' Capting."
"'N' lick th' geologer."
Lick tn geologer."
an then git Viney."
"Git Viney."
"Peradventur' Viney amt got sud-
d'n'," here Captain Ballast's voice failed
In % ~ h hoy
pens TO one on u.s." tother two's owners
o th' schooner an Viney share and share
alike"
''Share an share, ekal in both"
"Peradventur' Viney's long, long
time a-gittiG', an eDnything happens ter
two on u.s. Captain Ballast quite broke
down at this point, and Captain Rudder
took up the thread of the compact
''PeradVentur' two on US slips our
moorin's fur th' last port then"
Then th' last Capting," concluded
Captain Tacker, as Captain Rudder found
he could go no farther, ''gits the hull
three's dunnage, cash, th' Happy
Thought an keeps on huntin' an cruis-
in till Viney Jetsum's brought safe to
portr
"Amenl' said Captain Ballast dole
fully. "Amenn' responded Captains Rud-
der and Iacker.
And not until that moment did they
move their honest right hands from the
stovetop. and then only to sign, with
wheeling breath and abored movement,
the compact whose articles OF faith and
purpose were to bind them together to
the end.
This done, they marched out of the lit
tie hut, clambered into their yawl, rowed
silently TO their rocking craft, where
everything was in instant readiness for
the cruise, boarded the" Happy Thought"
loosen her single line and made sail in a
quiet and orderly way as became the old
mariners they were, and, with a few
subdued farewells to Pembroke folk,
which were answered back heartily
enough from the shore, hOated hopefully
out at the turn OF the tide towards 'Quod-
dy Head Light and the sea.
To these little old pilgrims of second
childhood and the sea, there was almost
the reckless and joyous elation OF youth
in their cruise in the Happy Thought"
entirely aside from the real object of
quest. How they ate and ''yarned it'' by
day, slept by day and night How their
sti1fened joints relaxed and the warm
old blood of the good Old days went
bounding and thrilling through their
clogged and feeble veinsi With what
delight they recalled each islet. cove,
headland, bay, tide eddy and threaten
ing reef. along the matchless coast of
Mainel How they hailed passing steam
ers, spoke faroff ships and banded
rugged sailors greetings to crews of lug
ger, bark, brig, sllitf and laboring dory
or freighted smack And how they
traced again and again in each pulsing of
the air, each film OF ghostly fog, each
bearing of the consultations and every