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

makes me go ruther close-hauled than
this driftin' boat'll stand. tn take Il
good many tacks. Guess the cap'n's
LATIN at me-"
His face flushed and then set in sud.
den determination.
"I'll .sail this boat or my names not
Bob Saunders nor my father a sailor,
neither! The cap'n can laf and laf; but
the laf's goin' to be on my side.''
Then Bob gave the tiller good grip,
looked now forward toward Hogg Is
land, then off the starboard side toward
shore, until he found how close to the
wind the boat would sail without drift
ing.
I'm doin' pretty well for first time,
he muttered, as he at last approached
the Hogg Island shore. s'It's one for
you, Bob Saunders. It's just like what
Carnegie said in that paper was readin'
in the barber-shop yesterday. You've
got to keep everlastin'ly at it. But if
you're Bob Saunders you will. Now 1
must tack!"
Starboard tack, port tack, starboard
tacks port tack-four in all-Bob still
had to run through before he worked
far enough up the bay to run with the
wind on the home stretch for his stake.
A good boat would have taken but two.
"She drifts TERRIBLE" growled Bob
land the cap'n's most a cheat-no,
don't know that ought to say that; he
could have sailed her. It's tough learn
ing. Now for home.''
This time Bob put the tiller hard a.
port. He did not realize that he was
jtbiDg, not lacking. The boat described
q course in the arc of a circle, keeled
far over on her side, and made a great
swish through the water. Bob was
frightened. Then, as the sale came into
the eye of the wind, the breeze caught
the canvas and swung the boom over
with such force as to fell Bob senseless,
spin out the main-sheet with whistling
noise, and bring up at its end with a
crash. Altho his head was aching wild
ly from the force of the blow, Bob
picked himself up and desperately
pushed the tiller to starboard.
"Landlubber !" he muttered. sJibed !!
And not sense enough to 60 it easyl"
AS the boat swished through the grow
ing dusk toward the stake Bob vowed
that come what would he'd make a sail
or. Once, twice, thrice, Bob missed his
stake, while the captain stood on shore
and laughed. Then Bob vowed again
that the laugh shouldn't last long, and
after finally tying up and making things
shipshape, he trudged home tired, vexed,
yet happy.
Day after day Bob sailed the sharpe
in rough weather and smooth, until the
captain ceased to laugh, and the boat
builder himself condescended to remark
that he did pretty well for boy.
As August wore on, biuefish became
scarce and commanded good prices.
Bob bethought himself that here was a
chance to make money. He borrowed
two lines from the captain, who gener-
ously gave him some eelskins for bait.
As the fish had moved their feeding
far down the big bay, some
miles below the Birds Island light, Bob
slept on the boat all night and started as
light dawned. A gray mist hung over
the water; but that did not trouble Bob.
He knew the habor too well. sMorning
gray and evening red. he said to himself,
and felt sure that the weather would be
fine. As he stood with his knee against
The tiller he kept q sharp lookout ahead,
and calmly ate the lunch his mother had
put up for him. He skirted Tobey's
Island nearer than a stranger would
have dared to do. He coolly left the
red buoy to starboard-the wrong side
in going out; but he knew that boat
would have to draw good deal Of water !
TO strike bottom there. Once past the
black buoy and the rocks that lay be-
tween il and the southeast point Of |
Island, Bob steered BY trusty