The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-06-06

| Inc WlnQ sang Through tie liSSihS VI
| the Vanguard, and swept out of the
foot of the mainsail in cold and
steady blast The sky was setting
| into an UNMARRIED dome of gray, and the
color of the leaden sea was broken only
| by the angry crests from which the
seething foam was whipped. In that
drear waste of sea and sky the Van
guard plunged along, now rising until
| half her hull was clear of the water and
| showed the perfect symmetry OF her
lines now falling until her bowsprlt
was buried and a deluge of water
swept her glistening deck. Every part
of her in that hard, cold light was per
fectly defined, and the figures on her
deck stood out in sharp relief.
It's goin' to be dirty night" re-
sumed the skipper, "an' there'll be some
mischief done afore the sun shines
again. But if it blew six times as
ard as it's going to, I'd carry every rag
| I've got. This breeze is too fair TO
| let any of it be missed. If we go on as
we're going now we should be on the
safe side O. the st. Nicholas afore to-
morrow noon. I'm goin' below to feed,
and you can come shortly. Wen I've
/
beggars by the boiler"
A heavy squat struck the Vanguard
as the skipper put his foot on the lad
der to descend. The smack went over
until her lee bulwarks were under wat
err but her rigging, spars and canvas
held stanchly.
Didn't 1 tell you it was comm
said the skipper, proud OF the fulnll-
ment of his prophecy. But shes the
highest craft af1oat, and things o that
sort won't 'urt 'er. Lots O Smacks
would ha' gone down under strain
like that They're pretty strong puffs,
SO I'll send Joseph up to give you
and at the tiller.'
| He went below, and piloted his way
| to the spot where the rest of the crew
were sleeping on the floor, near the
| furnace-bo box of the little vertical boil
err They had cast themselves down in
their clothes as soon as they had got
the Vanguard clear of the fleet, and
were needless of the frenzied motion of
the vessel in the rising gale.
| The skipper kicked the sleeper who
was nearest to him, one whose curly
hair shone like dull gold in the light
from the furnace, and whose strong
white teeth showed family through his
parted lips. He was resting Soundly,
with his head pillowed on his right arm,
but awoke as soon as he heard the
| shippers voice.
"All right, govnur,' he said, sitting
up and yawning. TN go on deck. I'm
feeling peckish; will dinner be ready
| soon?''
Lord love 'erh; allus thinkin' of their
bellies" said the skipper addressing an
imaginary listener.
1--WE touched nothing since break
fast, skipper, and that's a sight O. a
time since. Dinner was put off SOS we
could get away for 'ome. 1t must be
| three now
! Never mind; the later you get it the
more fashionable" said the skipper.
1.-THE Queen doesn't get 'ers till bed
| time, they say, an sometimes l don't
get mine till the day after-wen I'm
very fashionable indeed. So 'op on
deck ,.-.~sSsse.,s.ss
The skipper was in a mood to dine
snugly, and So he shouted to the mate
to clap the hatch on, which the mate
did. Then the skipper took off his OIL
skins, and having ordered the boy to
wipe for him the space on the floor in
front of the fire, he sat down, opened
his pocketkni and, using his fingers
as fork, attacked a heap of potatoes
and boiled mutton in a tin dish placed
upon his knees.
The skipper felt that this was lux
ury indeed. His fire roared cheerfully,
the hatch was secured, and a little oil
lamp swung above his head and threw
it's feeble beams upon him. A mug of
tea was beside him. and a buster in
the oven was keeping hot for his con-
sumption.
This" said the skipper, stirring his
tea with the blade of his knife, 'rthis is
wot I call comfort-the wind 'owlin'
outside; the water thumpin on deck
tryin' to get in; the 'atch on; an the
lamp shinin' in the darkness LIKE
don't know wot. Boy he added sud-
denly, looking ait the cook, who was
seated on a locker, watching with pro-
fesSional pleasure the relish with which
his patron and employer fed upon the
victuals he had cooked, isn't there
some po'try wi a light ouse in it?''
Let the lower lights be burnin',
Send a CLEAN across the wave,
Some poor faintin strugglin' seaman
you may rescue, you may save.
the boy quoted promptly.
An said the skipper, posing a po-
tato on the end of his knife, e was a
fine man wot wrote them lines; they
make you feel as if you'd like to sit on
the stove Itself SOS to get all the com
fort you can. It's awful to think o. the
sufferin's o. shiDwrecked men WI the
cold seas washin over 'em. We ought
to be thankful we're SO comfortable an
appy, boy. Are you 'appier here 'ere
nor you wur in the work us'?''
"A sight" said the boy, unhesitat-
ingly.
AN you'll not be runnin' away first
minute you touch the quay?"
| mo fear" replied the boy. i've had
enough of the work'us an pattin' on
the cad by red-nosed guardians. There
was one on 'em allus used to drag me out
as prize boy to show visitors low they
tanned wild little fellows in that place.
This is one o. the wickedest imps
we've ever 'ad in the 'ouse,' he said to
some ladies as e was shown round: .
but the systems curin' i'm; isn't it, my
| little man.? I 'alted to be shown off like
that so / threw is and off my cad an
kicked i'm on the shins."
"An' that's why they sent you to
me, isn't it?' queried the skipper.
Yes admitted the boy: they said
they'd pack me off to a skipper wot I'D
either make me do as I was told or
break my back"
"Ah,'' said the skipper, drinking from
his mug, they said that, did they?"
yes; an Red Nose as we called i'm,
said e 'oped there'd be gale that 'ud
carry me off, an all such varmint."
"'E was a nice Christian guardian, e