The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-10-16
CAPTAIN NABB.
BY JAMES BUCKHAM.

Great was the seafaring fame of
Capt. Nabb, in the little village back
among the Connecticut hills, from
which he had first gone forth with his
bundle slung on a stick. Since that day,
so years past. when he had set forth
TO seek his fortune, the captain had
been four times around the world,
twice in his own ship, and had visited al
most every known port in civilized and
uncivilized countries; had command
ed the largest merchantman in the
West India trade, and had won the repu-
tation of first rank among expert and
daring navigators.
What wonder, then, that all Top
sham was agog when the captain, one
fine evening in June, lurched out of the
rocking old stage and announced in
hearty tones to his former townsfOlk
the majority of whom were assem-
bIed at ''the store''-that he had come
home for a two months vacation. 1t
&C rtainly seemed like an act of unpar-
alelled condescension on the part of
the great navigator, and Topsham felt
duly honored.
1t did not take the boys of the village
lcng to discover that Capt. Nabb was a
IpllN SDul- anu pdIllculdIlN open W 'td-
vances from them; and soon, in spite
of the great mans awful fame, they
proceeded to take possession of him,
til il was rarely that The old mans
sturdy figure cruised about the village
without being attended by n fleet of
his boyish admirers, hanging TO him as
closely as native canoes under the bows
of a South sea trader.
Thus ii naturally came TO pass that.
when Benny Boardman and his younger
brother, Carl, became the owners of
small sailboat on Duck pond, the
first thing that occurred to them was
to ask Capt. Nabb to accompany them
on their maiden cruise. The old sea-
man consented. after glance at the
four points of the compass, and an in
quiring sniff of the fresh inland air.
Tiut first, ne said, he must 20 for his
sou'wester, and his oilcloth suit, and
certain other things. There was no
telling what sort of weather might
blow up before night.
vt the appointed time Capt. Nabb
came down to the little wharf at the
head of the pond. He carried in his
arms his waterproof garments, Il large,
fiye-j nted spy-glass, compass as big
as the palms of your two hands, a speak
ing-trumEet and a sextant. 81 never go
10 sea without my tools, boys" he said,
even though it be in n washtub." He
stepped down into the little catboat,
deposited his burden and himself in the
stern, and proceeded to instruct the
boys in the art of making sail After
considerable bungling, Ben and Carl
got up their mainsail. the captain cast
off, and away they skinned before
fresh breeze down the bay.
1t wasn't much of a sheet of water
they were cruising on. to be sure. The
pond was. about n mile long and half
as wide. perhaps; very irregular in
shape. with many little bays and
sIoughs where the water set back
among wild oats and swamp-grass. Near
one end a large brook entered, after
devious windings through the marsh.
and at the other end a brook, as like
the feeder as the next pea in IA
rod. formed the outlet of the pond. 1t
would be hard to say which was which
flor neither brook had any perceptible
current), unless you observed the sur
rounding shores. On the whole, Duck
Pond was not pretty; but it was use
lul. lot IL NdS ihii VI piShciCi anu DdSS-
and in the shooting season the marshes
teemed with wild fowl and plover.
Capt Nabb showed the boys how to
tack and jibe, how to come up into the
wind. how to reef and cast anchor. how
TO handle the helm and stow ropes, tie
"A sailors knot. ballast the boat, and
steer when meeting. passing or cross
ing the bows of another craft. He had
the whole nautical code at his tongues
end. and the practice of seamanship in
his finger-tips: and If the boys did not
learn all he had to teach them, it was
because the limitations of n catboat
made it impossible.
.Why, bless my eyesi" exclaimed
the captain, suddenly, as he finished an
exciting tale about walrus hunt among
the icebergs of the North sea. What's
become of the SUM-"
ITS set" replied Benny Boardman.
Il saw it go down behind the pine hill.
half an hour ago.
Are Won sure?" cried Capt. Nabb.
Ieveling his five-jointed telescope to-
ward the pine hill. 1T can't be more
than four o'clock"
But heard the whistle blow for six,
long ago" ventured little Carl.
BLESS me, the boys are right ex-
| claimed the old navigator, as he pulled
| out a huge silver watch, almost as large
| as saucepan. ''We must be getting
| under way for home at once. Now then
| all ready to go about"