The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-01-12

fro and the sail
tapped listlessly in the light breeze,
that scarcely ruffled the surface of the
bay.
''Ye know that young Mr.. Archer
that's stayin' at the hotel?" The
Captain shifted his one eye inquir-
ingly in my direction.
1 raised my hand in warning and
whispered: "Sahr"
The Captain acceded to my request
in silence, and moment later another
fine fish joined its fellows that were
Hopping about box in the cockpit.
A faint splash and the treacherous bait
was scurrying away in search of new
victims.
"Now, Captain, what were you re-
MAJ king?" asked, glancing up from
the water
81 was about to remark that it was
right off here that me an' that senty-
mental Mr.. Archer was one day last
week when he says to me. 'Cap'n, he
says, do you s'pose a man could COM
NIT soocide here?' He was lookin'
mighty melancholy an -"
"Do you mean the quiet young man
with black beard, who has the second
table from mine at the hotel, Skull
carp?" 1 interrupted.
The Captain lowed that he had
never eaten at the hotel aud conse-
quently could not locate Mr.. Archer
Mt his dinner, but he admitted that
the sentimental young man did
have a short, black beard, usually car
ried pipe and pouch of tobacco in
the starboard pocket, and few books
and magazines in the one to port.
Having completed the Identification, l
was not surprised at the suggestion of
suicide, for my attention had been at
tracted to Archer by his avoidance of
all companionship and his distraught
air. In fact, had last seen him sit
ting alone in quiet nook on the hotel
veranda, striking match after match
in an attempt to light an empty pipe,
and accompanying each failure with
violent language, softly spoken. 1
mentioned this to Levi Skullcarp.
'Soocide was the word he used, A"
my skipper said when he had stocked
his pipe, as he called the operation,
for the Captain was fond of using
what he deemed nautical expressions,
though he had never ventured TO poke
his nose ten miles off shore. 1t was
failing of Levi to talk a great deal
about the deep sea, and at times he
even dropped mysterious hints that he
had circled the globe as commander OF
trim clipper, though in common
with the other Great South Bay cap
tains he derived his title from the
ownership of a small catboat and the
six aluminium buttons that adorned
his patched coat.
"'You might commit soocide here,
Mr.. Archer, says" continued he,
"'proyidin' you dove over head first
an then doubled up, or else walked
two miles out T. the channel.
"He looks at me kind o. solemn,
then sighed aud went on erabbin'
The day was iist like this here, only
there was dead cam, an over yam.
der toward Fire ISLAM the clouds was
beginnin' to rise. L mention them
clouds because l was a-hopin' they'd
bring a breeze with 'em, for L was
tired foppin round in the sun while
he lay there on the gunwale, some
times readin', sometimes crabbin', an
most O. the time jist watchin' the
water. That kind o. things all right
fer a man that never done nothin' an
don't have to, but fer a feller like me
ez has been used to sailin' thoo life il
twenty-knot breeze, topsails up, an
every inch of canvas set, studdinsaili
included, to have t flop 'roun' in two
feet of water like a steam dredge, witt
the sun blisterin' me paint-why, sir
it's hard to bear"
Levi was shaking his pipe vigorous
ly, and l deemed it wise to assuage hi
anger by exclaiming with an ominoul
wag of the head: "Oh, you old bar
naclem
This had a soothing effect on In,
Captain, for in milder tone he con
tinued: "We'd been that way 'bou
four hour when L seen another boa
edgin' down our way. Her sail wai
hangin' like clothes ON line, but sh,
was a leetle furder out an caught til,
tide. A man was sittin' in the sterl
an a lady on the gunwale. Mr.