Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-02-02

IN
1 s: :: s: :: !; i; {: s: =; =:
szlsszz@@AA eye, eye gazsd sssTari
yrw~~sln5 across the smoking
bowl. The tiller
S creaked idly to and
fro and the sail
Tapped listlessly in the light breeze,
that scarcely rufied the surface OF the
bay.
that's stayin' at the hotel?" Ihe
Captain shifted his one eye inquir'
ingly in my direction.
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
flopping about box in the cockpit
A faint splash and the treacherous bai'
was scurrying away in search OF ne"
victims.
ssNow, Captain, what were you re
ma1king?" I asked, glancing up from
the water.
ssI was about to remark that it we:
right off here that me an that senty
mental Mr.. Archer was one day las
week when he says to me. 'Capn, hi
says, do you s'pose man could com
NIT soocide here?' He was lookin
mighty melancholy an -"
"Do you mean the quiet young mai
with black beard, who has the secont
table from mine at the hotel, Skull
carp?" I interrupted.
The Captain lowed that he hae
never eaten at tho hotel and conse
quently could not locate Mr.. Archer
at his dinner, but he admitted tha
the sentimental young man die
have short, black beard, usually car
ried o pipe and pouch of tobacco IL
the starboard pocket, and few books
aud magazines in the one to port
Having completed the Identification,
was not surprised at the suggestion o
suicide, for my attention had been at
tracted to Archer by his avoidance O
oil companionship and his distraug h
air. In fact, I had last seen him sit
ting alone in quiet nook on the hote
veranda, striking match after mattel
in an attempt to light an empty pipe
and accompanying each failure will
violent language, softly spoken.
mentioned this to Levi Skullcarp.
"Soocide was the word he used,
my skipper said when he had stoke'
his pipe, as he called the operation
for the Captain was fond of usin!
what he deemed nautical expressions
though he had never ventured to pok
his nose ten miles off shore. 1t wa
failing of Levi to talk a great dea
about the deep sea, aud at times III
even dropped mysterious hints that h
had circled the globe as commander o
trim clipper, though in common
with the other Great South Bay cap
taius he derived his title from tn
ownership of q small catboat and tn
six aluminium buttons that adorned
his patched coat.
"'You might commit soocide here
Mr.. Archer I says" continued he
"tprovidin' you dove over head frs
an then doubled up, or else walke'
two miles out t. the channel.
tHe looks at me kind O. solemn
then sighed and went on crabbin'
The day was iist like this here, onl.
there was dead cam, an over yam
der toward Fire Islam the clouds wa
beginnin' to rise. I mention then
clouds because I was a-hopin' they''
bring breeze with 'em, for I wa
tired foppin' round in the sun Will
he lay there on the gunwale, some
times readin', sometimes crabbin', an
most O. the time jist watchin' tn
water. That kind O. things all righ
fer man that never done nothin' an
don't have to, but fer fe!ler like IN
ez hos been used to sailin thoo life il
twenty-knot breeze, topsails up, an
every inch of canvas set, studdinsail
included, to have T. flop 'roun' in TIVE
feet of water like steam dredge, will
the sun blisterin' me paint-why, sir
it's hard to bear"
Levi was shaking his pipe vigorous
", and I deemed it wise to assuage hi
anger by exclaiming with an ominou
wag of the head: ''Oh, you old bar
naclew
This had a soothing effect on tn
Captain, for in milder tone he con
tinued: "We'd been that way 'bou
four hour when I seen another boa
edgin' down our way. Her sail wa
hangin' like clothes on line, but sh'
was leetle furder out an caught th'
tide. A man was sittin' in the sterl
an "a lady on the gunwale. Mr
Archer he seen 'em, too, an watched
fer long time Then he turns to nj
an says, 'Cap'n, the CLAWS.
"That's just what he called it, thu
CLAWS.
".A trim little craft, Cap'n,' say
he. To do i'm credit he knows goot
bont.
"I don't like the lines o her body
SIR [ ventures.
"At that he kind O. smiles an says
q means the lady
ode was right, there, too, fer
tri,n enough craft she looked, witt
her white duck suit an sailor hat
/. thnu1h ] couldn't see her face. 1 wa