Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1896-11-03
CAPTAIN NABB.
BY JAMES BuoKHAM.

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 stick. Since that day,
30 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 merchantmen in the
West India trade, and had won the repu-I
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-
bled ut "the store'-that he had come
home for two months vacation. It
certainly 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 q
jolly soul, and particularly open to adj
vances from them; and soon, in spite
of the great mans awful fame, they
proceeded to take possession of him,
till it was rarely that the old mans
sturdy figure cruised about the village
without being attended by fleet of
his boyish admirers, hanging to him as
closely as native canoes under the bows
of South sea trader.
Thus it 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.
But first, he said, he must go for his
sou'wester, and his oilcloth suit, and
certain other things. There was nc
telling what sort Of weather might
blow up before night.
AT the appointed time Capt. Nabh
came down to the little wharf at the
head of the pond. He carried in his
arms his waterproof garments, large,
tive-jointed spy-glass, compass as big
as the palms Of your two hands, speak
ing-trumpet and a sextant. II never go
to sea without my tools, boys" he said,
''even though it be in 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 g
fresh breeze down the bay.
It wasn't much of a sheet of waite,
they were cruising on, to be sure. The
pond was about a mile long and hall
as wide, perhaps; very irregular in
shape, with many little bays and
sloughs, where the water set bacl,
among wild oats and swamp-grass. Nea,
one end n large brook entered, afte,
devious, windings through the marsh
and at the other end a brook, as like
the feeder as the next pea In c
pod, formed the outlet of the pond. L
would be hard to say which was which
(for neither brook had any perceptible
currently, unless you observed the sur
rounding shores. On the whole, Duel
Pond was not pretty; but it was use
full, for 1t was full of pickerel and bass
and in the shooting season the marshe.
teemcd with wild fowl and plover.
Capt. Nabb showed the boys how tx
tack and jibe, how to come up into the
wind, how to reef and cast anchor, how
| 10 handle the helm and stow ropes, tit
a sailors knot, ballast the boat, ant
steer when meeting, passing or cross
lEg the bows of another craft. He hat
the whole nautical code at his tongue.
end. and the practice of seamanship il
his fingcr-tips; and if the boys did no
learn adj he had to teach them, it wa.
because the limitations of catboa
made it impossible.
why! bless my eyes!" exclaimed
the captain. suddenly, as he finished a,
exciting tale about walrus hunt amons
the icebergs of the North sea. What
become of the SUM-"
Its set" replied Benny Boardman
II saw it go down behind the pine hill
half an hour ago"
Are you sule?" cried Capt. Nabh
leveling his five-iointed telescope to
ward the pine hill. 1T can't be NOR
than four o'clock"
''But heard the whistle blow for six
! long ago." ventured little Carl
BLESS me! the boys are right" eS
claimed the old navigator, as he pulle'
out huge silver watch, almost as larg
as saucepan. 1--WE must be getting
under way for home at once. Now the
--all ready to go about"
| The captain threw over his helm
and the little boat came slowly up int
the light breeze, which had been stead
lily falling for an hour. 1t was almos
a minute before the lazily-filling sa
! drew on the opposite tack. Capt. Nab