Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1896-11-13
W'a5hlngton Standard
CAPTAIN NABB.

''4'''t VIZ lli' >'HItIiHS itIll' g!
Capt. Nalh, in the little Village, hacl,
among the Connecticut hills, from
which he had first gone forth with his
bundle Sung on stick. Since that
day, 80 years past. when lie had set
forth tn -rcl, Iii, fortune. the captain
had h',Ii fuur tiuu,~ around the world,
tNir,. III hi- own ship. and had visited
almost every known port in civilized
and uncivilized countries; had COM
manded the largest merchantmen in
the West India trade, and had won
the reputation OF first rank among
expert and daring nayigators.
What wonder, then, that all Top
sham was agog when the captain, one
fine evening in June, lurchcd out oi
the rocking old stag" and announced
f"lk-thc majority OF whom were AS
scmblcd at "thc stOrc'-that he had
come home for a two months vaca-
cation. 1t certainly seemed like an
act OF unparalleled condc>cenSion on
the part oil the great navigator, and
Topsham felt duly honored.
1t did not take the boys OF the vii
lage long to discover that Capt. Nabb
was Jolly soul. and particularly open
to advances from them; and soon, i'll
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 Il
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 young
or 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 morning air.
But first, he said, he must go 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.
At 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, large,
five-jointed spy-glass, a compass as big
as the palms of your two hands, a
speaking-trumpet and sextant. al
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 max
ing sail. After considerable bungling,
Ben and Carl got up their mainsail,
the Captain cast of, and away they
skinned before fresh breeze down
the bay.
1t wasn't much of sheet Of water
they were cruising on, to be sure. The
pond was about a mile long and half
as wide, perhaps; very irregular in
shape, with many little bays and
sloughs, where the water set back
among wild oats and swamp-grass.
Near one end large brook entered,
after devious windings through the
marsh, and at the other end brook,
as like the feeder as the next pea in a
pod, formed the outlet of the pond.
1t would be hard to say which was
which (for neither brook had any per-
ceptible current), unless you observed
the surrounding shores. On the
whole, Duck Pond was not pretty;
but it was useful, for it was full of
pickerel and bass, 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 sailors knot, ballast the
boat, and steer when meeting, passing
or crossing the bows of another craft.
He had the whole nautical code at his
tongues end, and the practice of sea-
manship in his finger-tips; and if the
bows did not learn all he had to teach
them, it was because the limitations
of catboat made it impossible.
"Why! bless my eyes" exclaimed
the captain, suddenly, as he finished
an exciting tale about a walrus hunt
among the icebergs of the North sea.
What's become of the sum-"
ats set" replied Benny Boardman.
al saw it go down behind the pine
hill half an hour ago."
care you sure?" said the Captain,
leveling his five-jointed telescope to-
ward the pine hill. 1t can't be more
than four o'clock"
But l 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 huge silver watch, almost as
large as a saucepan. awe must be
getting under way for home at once.
Now then-all ready to go about"
Tl,o ooDto;n tbraw ont his holm