The citizen., 1896-09-18

found your land breeZes!' he said,
somewhat testify. Il believe we are
going to have dead calm"
And so it proved. In ten minutes
more the little sailboat lay becalmed
in the center of the pond. Slowly the
twilight gathered, yelling the distant
hills, and obscuring the outlines of the
marshy shores. The old seaman fumed
and fretted. He placed his big COM
pass on the thwart in front of him, and
fixed the homeward course by the needle
as we'll as he could, after studying vari-
Gus fading landmarks with his glass.
His lips were shut very tightly, lest
any strong nautical language should
escape them in the presence of Benny
and Carl. But finally, as darkness closed
around, the necessity for utterance SO
grew upon the old man that he seized
his speaking-trumpet and, in tones that
made the shores reverberate, roared
out:
"Topsham, ahoy! a-h-o-yl"
The boys listened in awed silence,
but there was no reply to the stentorian
hail, though thrice and four times re-
peated. But as if the echoes, circling the
pOuO, Hdu SIlIItO SOu1o SluSRlSA Cul
rent of air and set it flowing again, a
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 away on
starboard tack. Give us a song, my
hearties!" he cried, gayly, to Benny and
Carl. Then, Strengthening himself up.
he roared stanza of rollicking sea
ballad, beginning:
Oh, Nancy was a sailors lass,
AS fair a lass as eer knewi
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
ashore!" cried Benny. "See! we are
in the swamp-grass."
'Shiyer 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 a heap in the bow.
''Well, WE'LL" painted Captain Nabb
as he finally struggled up on thwart
"That's the first time l ever lost my
reckoning"
"And it's the first time 1 ever lost
a tooth!" sputtered Benny, as he leaned
over the side of the boat.
"Dear me! That's too bad!" said the
captain. 81 don't see how it happened
According to the compass we should be
in clear water, steering a straight course
for the wharf"
"But, captain, you must remember
that the pond is crooked" suggested
Benny.
"Bless me! that's factl" cried the
old tar. 81 never thought of it,
They all got out into the shallow
water, and after much pushing and
hauling, foated the Mermaid again.
Then Capt. Nabb took an observation
of the stars, replaced his compass on
the thwart, and ventured upon new
course. This at length brought them
which one they could not tell, as the
water was dead, and it was impossible
in the darkness to tell anything of the
surrounding country.
Then the great navigator, who had
beeh 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 of
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:
''On shore! Ahoy!"
"Ahoy yourself! Don't deef-en fell
low. What do you want?" came gruff
reply out of the darkness, not so yards
away.
Capt. Nabb lowered his trumpet rather
sheepishly. "We have lost our reckon
ing, friend,'' he said, addressing his re-
marks to the unknown in the darkness.
"Will you kindly give us our bear
ings~
You're just ten rods up Dead creek"
replied the hoarse voice of the unknown,
''and / wisht you'd back out and quit
soaring the pouts."
dead creek! Why, that's way at
the further end of the pondl" ex-
claimed Benny. cts mile from here
to the wharf, and 1 don't believe you can
ever sail us there in the world, cap
tain"
Right you are, youngster!" cried
the navigator, heartily, though it was
a sore blow to his nautical pride.
"Can't We find your way homer" came
the voice out of the darkness.
"No!" replied the globe-girdler and
the two boys, in mournful chorus.
"I'll come aboard and sail ye there
for rs cents" The proposition was
mercenary but practical, and had a
welcome ring of assurance in it.
Capt Nabb hesitated, looked up at
the stars. then at the shivering boys.
"Lay aboard!" he said, shortly.
Half an hour later Benny and Carl
were crawling gratefully into bed, and
Capt. Nabb was packing his big black
chest, moved by sudden, inextinguish-
able longing for the open sea.-Outlook.