Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1898-01-27
We were moving through the water
under the fsst freshening breeze.

Nnocr tno 16st fresnenlnH breeze
Where are you going, Captain?" I
asked in q .5one OF remonstrance.
lie gaze the sheet few turns about
cleat, tucked the tiller comfortably
under one leg, filled and lighted his
pipe, and when the smoke was rising
in great volume from the bowl and
trailing astern In clouds that must
have made our boat of distance pre-
sent the appearance of small steam
ship, he EXCLAIMED again: "I'll be
blowed"
Then arose in my wrath and, sup
porting myself by grasping the center
board and facing the obdurate mariner,
cried: "See here. Captain, was un-
der tho impression I had hired this
craft, and" .s
II m goin' fer Mr.. Archer; yan's
her." he said in q frrn,- solemn tone
that brooked no trifing and forced me
| to submission
Hardly had the Miriam touched the
dock when Levi Skullcarp was ashore,
and after giving me a hurried admo-
| milton to be all ready to push off on his
| return, he clambered into rickety
| vehicle aud soon disappeared in a
cloud of dust For some ten minutes
struggled with the rising wind and
sea that kept necessarily pounding
the boat against the dock At length
was relieved to spya cloud of dust
rolling down the level stretch of road
that led from the village. Preceding
it was man on bicycle It was
Archer. He reached the dock, sprang
from his wheel and tossed 1t against q
post, jumped into the Miriam, and
without a word to me pushed her
away, seized the tiller and the sheet,
and off we scudded.
1.-The Captain!" cried, pointing at
the approaching cloud, in the centre
of which knew the redoubtable mar
iner to be.
plague on the Captain" growled
Archer. Then he added, more softly:
"Get to windward, please"
"But there he is now," I expostu-
lated.
Archer looked around. Standing
on the stringpiece of the wharf, vio-
lently waving one hand above his head,
while with the other he pointed sea-
ward, was Levi Skullcarp. The sen
timental man at the catboat's helm
waved hand to imply that he saw the
speck of sail to which he was point
ing, and turned to the business of
navigation. Away we went In pur-
suit.
When the Miriam had at length set
tied down to work and was with clock
like regularity sticking hor nosA into
the solid green waves, and then saucily
throwing it up in the air again and
sending the water skirtlng along the
rail or flying over me, my new com
panion broke the silence by appearing
for the first time to recognize that
was human.
II 'Mister-r-r?
"Kemp,' answered, bowing stiff
ly.
"Mv name is Archer"
Il think [ have seen you about the
hotel"
This must seem strange proceed
ing to you," he said, laughing. Evl
IDENTIFY the popularity had just dawned
Oh him.
Rather" I replied. thawing JUS
enough to smile.
""And perhaps an explanation j:
due, said he.
''Not as long az you can sail. al
swered
On that score I confess / felt no IN
ea.iness, for / soon saw that, sturd,
fellow that he was. Archer va
fully competent to handle the boat
D for all the power there WAS il
, the breeze he got out Of 1t, an'
L though time and again the Miriam
e keeled over till her lee rail was vel
awash and nv heart vas IN my mouth
/ she always swung back again wltllou
swerving an inch from her course
"Ihere is a girl IN that boat that
! am most anxious to see, Mr.. Kemp,
Il said Archer. after pause.
e $50 | should Judge. said I.
l. II have spent nearly all my life !
e London lie went on. L should /
there now had not met her. Sh
:. sailed for home shout two months az
, and ostensiblv by accident but reall
8 by intention | came over on the sam
d steamship. By the fourth day OF
e from Queenstown We had fixed ever,
q thing up nicely Then | happened
is remember another eugage1nent-so
~ Of marriage OF conveulence-a1
like a fool | told her. She shut lie
or self mp in her stateroom for the rest
! the voyage and cut me dead AZ Il
{, pier. l hnmblv followed her 70 A.
l home in San Francisco. She fit
y back East, Al trace ot her was 10
10 anj I came down here 70 sulk"
do YOU thilk we'll catch EN-"
SO asked with suddenly awakened lnte
est.
Thank Won. lie replied This SIT
to pie acknowledgment: q his gratitu'
III for my own evident ,ympa,ny in L
ne venture won me completely ana
rs scrambled 70 tie mast with a reckles
III ness that surprised lie, rhat | mis-
&c get the bearings 8: the craft We We
chasing