St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-11-14

any strong nautical language should
Escape them in the presence Of Benny
and Carl. But finally, as darkness closed
around, the necessity for utteranee 70
grew upon the old man that he seized
his speaking-trumpet. and. in tones that
made the shores reverberate, roared
out:
Topsham, ahoyl a-h-o-y!"
The boys listened in awed silence,
hut there was Go reply to the stentorian
hail. though thrice and four times re-
peated. But az II the echoes, circling the
pond. had stirred some sluggish cur
rent Of air and set it flowing again, .
slight breeze began to stir the sail Of
The Mermaid. and she moved slowly for
ward in the darkness.
Capt. Nabb's face beamed with de-
light, and. tiller in hand. he leaned over
the big compass and sailed awny on
starbeard tack. "Give us a song, my
hearties!" he cried. gayly. to Benny and
Carl. Then, Strengthening himself up,
he roared = stanza Of q rollicking sea
ballad. beginning:
Oh. Nancy was q sailors less,
As fair q lass as e'er knVW!
The captain was about to start up
the chorus, when there came . swish
ing sound across the bow Of the Mer-
maid.
Look out. captain! We are running
sshore!" cried Benny. .See! we ere
in the swamp-grass.'
''Shiser my timbers!" shouted Capt.
Nabb. in amazement. He jibed the
Mermaid, and she rushed through the
shallow water and the bending marsh
grass till finally she brought up on a
muddy spit and stuck fast, while all
the ballast, including the captain. the
two deck hands, and the nautical in
struments, pitched forward and brought
up in q heap in the bow.
'Well, well!" painted Captain Nabb,
as he finally struggled up on thwart.
That's the first time ! ever lost my
reckoning"
And it's the first time l ever lost
a TOOTH" sputtered Benny. as he leaned
over the side of the boat.
"Dear me! That's too bad!" said the
captain. II don't see how it happened.
According to the compass we should be
in clear winter. steering straight course
for the wharf"
"But, captain. you must remember
that the pond is crooked" suggested
Benny.
BLESS me! that's fact!" cried the
old tar. II never thought OF IT,"
They all got out into the shallow
water. and after much pushing and
hauling, fioated the Mermaid again
Then Capt. Nabb took an observation
of the stars, replaced his compass. on
the thwart, and ventured upon a new
course. This at length brought them
into one of the two large brooks, but
which one they could not tell. as the
water was dead. and it was impossible
in the darkness to tell anything of thu
surrounding country.
Then the great navigator, who had
been around the world, scratched his
head, and made another calculation;
the result of which was that, after sail.
ing, as it seemed. for hours. these night
explorers found themselves in the slug
gish mouth Of the other brook, quite
as uncertain as before which end oi
the pond they had arrived at.
Thereupon Capt. Nabb seized his
speaking trumpet and beloved again
and this time he sent forth less def
mite and confident hail:
ION shore! Ahoy!"
.Ahoy yourself! Don't decf-en fel
low. What do you want?" came gruil
reply out of the darkness, not 50 yards
| away.
Capt. Nabb lowered his trumpet. rather
sheepishly, .hae have lost our reckon
ing, FRIEND" he-said, addressing his re
marks to the unknown in the darkness
win you kindly give. Us our bear
ings?"
you're just ten rods up Dead creek.
land wisht you'd bts and quit
soaring the pouts."
dead creek! Why.that's way a,
the further end of the p6nd!" ex
feAihed ,Repay.. .;::It's ayssails from here
to the w9AFf. ana ! dop't helisye you car
ever san I IS shYess in. The world. cap
II ~ vNV
.Iighssyoa are. y,ossester." cried
the navigator; heartily; though it was
a sore blow. s0shis nautieAa 'pride.
Cant We find your way homer" came
the voice out Of thu dgEkpess.
"No!" replied.tAs .Rlobe-girdler and
the two boys; in imd6fhful chorus.
"rll come aboard and sail We there
for IS cents" The proposition wa.
mercenary but practical, and had Z
welcome ring of assurance in it.
Capt. Nabb hesitated, looked up al
tile stars, then at the shivcring boys
Lay aboard!" he said. shortly.
Half an hour later Benny and Car
were crawling gratefully into bed. ant
Capt. Nabb was packing his big black
chest. moved by a sudden, inextingu;sh
able longing for the open sea.-Outlook
Hawk OutgcneFaled.
An Alabama gentleman has a flock 81
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