Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-31
ON THE BOUNDING WAVE
A STORY FOB BOYS
Copyright, 1889

Copyright, 1850
Whatever men haven't Is generally what
they most long for, and If boys weren't
just like men in this respect they wouldn't
be human.
The boys of Glenway lived fifty miles
from any open water, except brook about
six feet wide, and the brook itself was
navigable only by punt, which drew but
five inches Of water when there were two
boys in the punt. Consequently there was
but little sailing in the brook; the largest
spread Of canvas ever attempted on the
punt was bed sheet which caught as
much wind as any other sail of its size
and worked splendidly so long as the wind
was dead aft and the brook was straight.
but whenever bend of the stream was
reached the punt would insist upon going
across the country, and it would go far
enough to put itself about half way upon
the land and throw the crew forward upon
their respective noses.
So all the Glenway boys longed for a
san upon water broad enough to turn a
boat IN and with shores 80 far apart that
boat could not reach them except when it
should. They read all the articles about
boats in the weekly and monthly periodi-
Gals for boys. and they papered their walls
with yachting pictures clipped from news
papers published in the nearest seaside city,
and they studied rigs and keels and CEN
ing event reported in the aforesaid papers
until, IL you had overheard them in the
dark, you might have imagined them a
lot OF men who knew just how yachts
should be sailed in a race for the America
cup. They made sailboat pictures on their
states In school when they should have
been doing sums. and when the penalty
OF detection was likely to be to sit in the
girls seats for half day. which was much
more severe than a foggng. They dream
ed by the hour. with their eyes wide open,
OF flying across ripping waves behind a
tall, snowy sail, with just enough spray
not too much-to moisten their faces. and
exchanging salutes with the colors or per-
maps little cannon polished as bright as
geld, with other bounding craft. and per-
maps hasteninS to the rescue Of some other
BOAT, which. of course, would contain a
beautiful maiden and her grateful father
but all things come to him who waits
one day the Dashout Hose Company ad-
yertised railway excursion to Paradise
Beach. sixty miles distant, and invited all
Glenway to go at the trifling expense of
enc dollar head. children half price. The
children, for most of them were twelve
years Of age, but this occasion thew
waived their dignity and every one of them
bought tickets, for the hose company's
poster announced that sailboats could be
hired at moderate prices in the inlet of the
beach.
The excursion day dawned in satisfactory
style, except that there did rot seem to be
largest OF the ,boys, reminded the others
that all newspaper reports of yacht races
spoke of the wind freshening with the sun.
and of welcome puffs from unexpected
quarters, and of cats paws and all sorts of
rice boating things which hadn't been Wis
lble In the early morning. Jack was right,
too, for when the train reached Paradise
Beach, and he and five other boys hurried
toward a place where a lot of masts were
visible. and which they correctly assumed
was the inlet. there famed their faces a
delightful breeze. and it was in just the
right direction, too blowing from the head
of the inlet toward the bay.
No time was lost in the selection of
boat: Dicky Murrell. who was an imagi-
native little chap. who sometimes wrote
verses wanted to take the Seabird; but
Jack and the other boys insisted upon char
tering the Diver, because she lay nearest
the bay and to broad water. Then. while
the owner hoisted the sail and collected his
pay in advance, all of the boys crowded
astern, for each wanted to steer.
Here, there"' shouted the owner. as the
sail swung out why don't somebody get
grip onto that sheet?'
The boys looked at one another, and then
looked about the boat. Dicky Murrell saw
a rope going rapidly over the side of the
boat. and snatched at 1T to keep it from
being lost, although 1t never occurred to
him that 1t could be the sheet alluded to.
for no sheet of any kind that he had ever
seen looked at all like rope.
boat. Dicky hauled; but the sail was haul
Ing at the other end. and was much bigger
than Dicky. and had got fairly into the
spirit Of the job, so the rope continued to
go over the side. and soon Dicky and
huge yell went with 1t. Finding Dicky's
whole weight acting as a drag in the water,
the sail concluded to be reasonable. and 1t
came in a little so that the boys could
seize the rope.
Hold her to that!' roared the owner,
while two boys dragged in the end of the
sheet that had Dicky in tow and two more
is tied to the boom Of sailboat. Nov.
put up your helm, and bring the boat
ashore
Dicky having been dragged aboard. the
knew what helm was but Jack scowled
and said:
What does the fellow mean by putting
up the helm? Do you suppose he wants
me to take the rudder out? If do 1t, how
can I steer?"
There was no answer, although the owner
continued to shout something. Meanwhile
the beat was flying down the inlet. Jack,
although a. the helmsman's post for the
first time in his life, knew the purpose of
a rudder, and he had enough natural OBJ
stinacy to push In the direction of the
greatest resistance. yet he steered so wild
ly that Dicky was moved to remark, be-
tween his chattering teeth:
This boat is as fond of the shore as
our old punt in the brook at home, really
do believe"
Fortunately, the bay was soon reached,
after which there was no shore to make
trouble, and Jack was learning rapidly the
ways of a rudder. and the sail was SO far
forward of the mast that 1t took care of
itself pretty well, although it did not look
ship-shape to other sailors, some of whom
jeered the Glenway crew, while one good
natured fellow shouted:
Haul in your sail little, boys, or 1t
will wrap itself around the mast at the
first hard puff"
OF course they didn't want the sail to
wrap itself around the mast, for they
had never read of anything Of the kind
being done at yacht races, SO five boys
crosse and tugged at the sheet. Still, too
much of a good thing is sometimes worse
than not enough; as they pulled they sud-
denly tumbled into the bottom of the boat,
for there was nothing for them to pull
against the sail having suddenly ''gybed''-
gone to the other side of the boat. As it
vent it mixed Jack and the tller and the
sheet in an unsightly tangle, and Jack
let go the tiller to clear himself Of loops
of rope and by the time the crew got up
from the bottom of the boat the sail was
Tapping noisily and the boat was rocking
on the little waves, and not doing any sail
ing of any kind.
'Why don't she go@' asked Sam Shaw.
81 guess she's in IRONS" suggested Peet-
sic Brewer. He didn't know the nautical
meaning of the expression Fin trons," but
Zoe 20 h4r