Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-02-14
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your little game? Where my boat
-eh? Where's my boatS'
He wriggled a bit an got his head
up, an when he saw it bowling along
two or three hundred yards away
his temper got tho better o him, an
he swore that if Mr.. Mcmillan didn't
row after 1t hoo knife him.
I'VE can't bother about the boat
said the mate. We've had enough
bother to rescue you.
Who the devil wanted YOU to
rescue mop beloved the man. I'll
mako you pay for this, you miscr-
able swabs. If there's any law in
Ameriky, you shall have it,!
BY this time we had got to the
ship, which had shortened sail, an
the capn was standing by the side,
looking down upon the stranger with
a big kind smile which nearly sent
him crazy.
Welcome aboard, my puir fell
Ter, ses he, holding out his hand as
the chap got up the side
Arc you the author of this out.
rage? SOS the man ficrCcly.
don understand you, Sos the
cap'n, very dignified an drawing
himself up.
Did you send your chaps TO
sneak me out o my boat while !
was having forty winks?' roars tho
other. Damme! that's English, ain t
| it?'
Surely, sos tho cap'n, surely
you didn't wish to be left to per.
ish in that little craft. / had a
supernatural warming to steer this
course on purpose to pick you up, an
this IL your gratitude
Look here, SEES the other. NV
names Cap'n Naskett, an I'm doing
a record trip from New York to Liv-
erpool i'll the smallest boat that has
ever crossed the Atlantic, an you go
an bust everything with your cussed
officiUusnesS. If you think I'm 20.
ing to be kidnapped just to fulfil your
beastly warnings, you've made a
mistake. I'll have the law on you;
that's what III do. Kidnaping's a
punishable offense.
What did you come here for,
then?' ses the cap'n.
Come! bowls Cap'n Naskett.
Come! A teller sncaks up alongside
o me with q boatload of street sweep.
ings dressed as sailors an snaps mo
up while I'm asleep an you ask me
what / come for. Look here. You
clap on all sail an catch that boat O
mine an put me back, an III call it
quits. If you don't, III bring a law
suit agin you an make you the laugh.
ing stock o two continents into the
bargain.
well, to mako the best o bad
bargain, the cap'n sailed after tho
cussed little boat, an Mr.. Salmon,
who thought more han enough time
had been lost already, fell foul o.
Cap'n Naskctt. They was both pref.
ty takers, an the way they went on
was an education for every sailorman
afoat. Every man aboard got as
near as they burst to listen to them,
but Cap'n Naskett had the best O.
| 1t. He WAS II SARCASTIC man an pre-
tended to think the ship was fitted
out just to pick up shipwrccked peo-
pie an he also pretended to think
we was ohstaways what had been
saved by it. He said o course any
body could see at glance we wasn't
sailormcn, an he supposed Mr.. Sal
mon was a butcher what had been
carried out to sea while padding at
Margato to strengthen his ankles.
He said a lot moro o this sort q
thing, an all this time we was chas-
ing his miserable little boat, an he
was admiring the way she sailed,
while the fuSt mate was answering
his rctleXShunS, an m sure that not
even our skipper was more pleased
than Mr.. Salmon when we caught it
| at last an showed him back. He was
ungrateful up to the last an lust
before leaving the ship actually
went up to Cap'n Brown an advised
him to shut his eyes an turn round
three times an catch what he could.
II never saw the skipper so upset
aforc, but / heard him tell Mr.. Nc
MILAN that night that if he ever
went out o his way again after
craft it would only be to run it down.
Most people keep pretty cuict about
supernatural things that happen to
thom, but he was about tae quietest
| ever heard o, an what's moro he
made every one else keep quiet about
it too. Even when he had to steer
nor nor west arter that in the way
o business, he didn't like it, an he
was about the most cruelty disap-
pointed man you ever saw when he
heard afterwards that Cap'n Mas
kett got safe to Liverpool. w. W.
Jacobs in Short Stories.