The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1897-07-23

like you to banker after the sea, jest as
yer pop did. Seem it's you I'll let you
hev her for $40, tibet is It'll mex season.
'Twouldn't be right to charge you city
prices
"Nup! No use! " said Bob, his face
clouding. Haven't got but two dollars
1 earned rowin spells for the ladies, and
I'm savin' it for school shoes. But
well, what can you do with the boat?
It's most too late now to hire it OUT
Captain Percy shifted his short clay
pipe from one side of his mouth to the
other, and looked quizzically at the
black sharpe riding easily on the swell
of the incoming tide.
"Thet's so,' he remarked, refiectively,
with the air of man calculating the
ways and means of the situation. 81
guess III hev to use her for oysterin'
this fall" Then the captain shifted his
pipe again, and looked sharply at Bob
Il guess l hev it young Teller. 'Spese
you should take tibet boat, and Farm to
sail her about, and then work it out oys-
term her for me a spell mex fall. What
dye say?"
Bob's eyes shone a brighter blue.
lawful kind of you, Cap'n," he said,
suddenly stopping short. "But I've got
to go to school How long'll you want
me?"
ga month, mebbe; it's As much as the
hires worth"
SIS it bargain, Cap'n?'
eyes"
Bob jumped into the rowboat and has
tily pushed off for the sharpe. He lost
no time IN tying the tender to the stake,
hosting up the sharpie's sail, and cast
ing her of. He tpew enough about u
boat to do that easily. 1t was tactics
altho Bob did not even know such a
wOrd-that he needed to learn; he call
ed this mysterious knowledge 1.-THE feel
ing in the hand;" and that came near
enough.
The wind was blowing lightly from
the southwest, or more exactly from
southwest by south, so that before Bob
knew it he naturally found himself head
ed for the channel, which lay between
Hogg Island and the mainland and led
toward Onset.
Bob was all elatiop. "Myv he
thought, "this's better'n fireworks and
the Fourth. There's Old Cow off the
starb'rd side, stickin' her head right out
of water; and there's more rocks be-
yond Off che Norcross House. Now, this
is nothin' but fiat-bottom with bit of
centerboard. Might drift on 'em. Guess
I'd better go more to port
He pulled in the mainsheet, bringing
the sail further in, and pushed the helm
slightly to starboard. Five minutes
later he glanced anxiously toward land.
"Seems as il was driftin','' he said,
pulling in the main sheet a little more.
"Therel If / didn't forget to let my
centerboard go-like any landlubber.
That's better Driftin' yet. Goodness
Ii haven't bumped straight on Old Cow
all cause wasn't smart enough to look
under my sail and see where was goln'.
Guess I'd better tack or I'll be on the
rocks under water over yonder."
He pushed the tiller hard to the star
board side, pulled the sail in with the
main-sheet, and then ducked his head to
let the boom pass over. He was now
headed for the middle of Hogg Island,
on the other side of the harbor.
Doesn't drift so much now. Let's
see II she'll go closer TO the wind,' he
said, half aloud, pulling the sail still fur
ther in toward the boat. ''Nupl Drift
in again. Don't see why can't sail as
close as those catboats goin' Just where
they're a-mind to. 'Spose it's cause
this boats fIat-bottomed. Still I'm maxi
ing way"
A sudden realization that he was go
ing to have q very hard time in getting
back to his hitching stake swept over
Bob.
1.-THE tides against me, and the wind