Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-09-30

| Il usual lAllS luty SuN lOO uluCu VI lue
fleet. 1--WE don't care much about the
fleet" he added, except to keep out of
its way. a warship won't swerve from
its course for anything aflOat; and as
for them torpedo boat catchers, he's a
wise man who gives them a wide
| berth"
There will be no danger on Sat
urday night" said the Londoner, "fOr
the ships are all anchored, and the sight
of them will be something a man never
can forget, for each of the craft will
have her outlines defined by something
like thousand electric lights, shaping
her in the fire; maSts. ropes. funnel, and
all the rest of it. There will be over a
hundred and fifty ships all ablaze like
this. and on that night the electric fleet
will be worth seeing"
After imparting this lurid informa-
ton the LondOner went his way and
left the two men medtating over what
he had told them. At last Teddy said
SOlemnly:
III we could run the old man up
against that fleet of fire, and him not
knowing anything of it. he'd think he
had 'em sure, wouldn't he?"
Yes" admitted Billy. 1T would be
kind O. dazzles."
Lets get him aboard" cried Teddy
resolutely, "and give him lesson. We
can drift down Spithead way and come
on 1t Kind o. casual like Saturday night,
then If the fleets abaze. as the strang-
er said, it would make Joe think judg-
ment day had come, and he'd likely
swear off and not touch rum any more.'
Its worth trying" said Billy. "And
anyhow, I'd like to see the fleet all lit
up. We can pretend to Joe that we no.
tlce nothing out of ordnar', and think
that will stagger the old man."
The two fishers without more ado
trudged on to Capt. Joe's cottage. The
skipper was feeling mighty bad and
rusty. He sat with his mead In his hands
and gave no greeting to his shipmates.
The prospect of getting him afloat. did
not look any too cheerful, and perhaps
they would have been unsuc cessful had
not Mrs. Capt. Rattlin told the men that
they ought to be ashamed of themselves
coming after a sick man who ought to
be abed, if he knew what was good for
him. He wasn't in a fit state to 90 out
in boat. This at once aroused Can't.
Joe Rattlin. He'd show her who was
in Il fit state, he cried, so bundling his
two partners out of the house, and
roaring defiance to his wife, who tried
TO stop his exit, he followed them
down to the beach, and in a short time
The Sober Jade was afloat on the salt
water again, heading out from Hast
ings. There was some shrewdness af-
ter all in the captains going to sea:
the doctor had forbidden him liuuor.
and now giving the wheel to Teddy
Luff, the skipper set himself industri-
ously mt the consumption of what rum
there was aboard. No one dared saw n
word to him, or eXpostulate. And thus
the three fishers sailed to the west as
the sun went down on Saturday after
noon.
There came up wild thunderstorm
which drove the captain below for he
had not his Oilskins on, and it also
gave Billy an opportunity of largely di-
luting the rum with water, which the
captain was now too drunk to notice
Teddy began to fear that the old man
would be too far gone to notice the
fleet, even if it all blew up, but he
drenching he got before getting under
cover partly sobered him, and the dilu-
tion of his grog kept him from getting
much more intoxicated. As DARKNESS
came on The Sober Jade had 'risen
the fleet" as Teddy pyt ii, and getting
under the lee of the Isle of Wight, Billy
cast anchor and there they lay.
I'm afraid" said Teddy, that the
old man won't come up on deck again
of his own accord, and don't see how
we can persuade him to come up our
selves, for we can't pretend we see
anything"
"Oh, that's all right" said Billy.
i've put the rum up for'ard and he
hasn't much more to so .on. so well
hear him sing out after y bit"
At O'Clock the first of the illuminat-
ed ships broke out in dazzling sp.en-
dor quite taking away the breath of
the onlookerS, and shortly after the
whole fleet was one gigantic display
OF glittering starlike beauty as if the
consultations of the heavens had fall.
en- and shaped themselves into fairy
ships.
MY gel! said Teddy, 81 never saw
anything like that before"
Nor did L" answered Billy.
Both Of the men Were gazing with
such admiration at the scintillating
fleet that they forget all about their N,
eorlated captain, until he suddenly
roared up at them:
Here you, Teddy Lutf; bring me
some more rum"