The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-02-09
A STRATAGEM.

Captain Levi Skullcarp sat on the
ornwale of the Miriam, leaning for
ward so that his elbows rested on
,,;s knees. With both hands he
,rasped the short stem of his cherry
nine, and his one eye gazed seaward
,cross the smoking bowl. The tiIler
.reakcd idly to and fro and the sail
,,apped listlcssly in the light breeze
that scarcely ruffietl the surface of
the bay.
You know that young Mr.. Archer
1hn's stayin at the hotel.o The cap
tain shifted his one eye inquiringly
in my direction.
raised my hand in warning and
whispered, "S-sh!"
The captain acceded to my request
- silence, and q moment later an.
olhcriine fish joined its fellows that
were Topping about box in tho
cockpit. A faint splash and tho
treacherous bait was scurrying away
in search Of new victims.
Now, captain, what were you re-
marking?" I asked, glancing up
from the water.
Il wns about 10 remark that it
was right off here that me an that
sentimental Mr. Archer was one
dav last week when he says to me,
.car'n. he says. do you s'rose q
man could commit soocide here r.
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,
Skullcarp?" / interrupted.
The captain lowed that he had
never eaten at the hotel and conse-
aucntly could not locate Mr.. Archer
at his dinner, but he admitted that
the sentimental young man did have
ii short black beard, usually carried
ii pipe and pouch of tobacco in the
starboard pocket and few books
and magazines in the one to port.
Having completed the identification,
Twas not surprised at the suggestion
of suicide, for my attention had
been attracted to Archer by his
avoidance Of all companionship and
his distraught air. In fact, 1 had
last seen him sitting alone ins quiet
nook on the hotel veranda, striking
match after match i'll an attempt to
light an empty pipe and accompany.
ing each failure with violent Ian
guage softly spoken. 7 mentioned
this to Levi Skullcarp.
''Scocide was the word lie uHeil, /"
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 express
sions, though he had never ventured
to poke his nose ten miles offshore.
1t was q failing of Levi to talk
great deal about the deep sen, and
at times he even dropped mysterious
hints that he had circled the globe
as commander of a trim clipper,
though, in common with the other
Great South bay captains, he derived
his title from the ownership Of q
small catboat and the six aluminium
buttons tnat adorned his patched
coat.
"'You might commit soocide
here, Mr.. Archer, I says contin-
ued he, providin you dove over
head first an then doubled up, or.
else walbei; Iwo miles. out to the
channel.
He looks at me kind o. solemn,
then sighed an went on crabbin.
The day was jist like this here, only
there was dead ca IN, an over yam
der toward Fire islam the clouds was
beginnin to rise. mention them
clouds because / was a-hopin they'd
bring breeze with l'em, fer I was.
tired f1oppin round in the sun while
he lay there on the gunwale, some-
times readin, sometimes crabbin, an
most O. the time jist gwatchin the
water. That+kind O. thing Is all right
fer man that never done nothin az
don't have to. but fer fslier like
me ez has been used to sailin throo
life in 20 knot breeze, topsails up
an every inoh o. canvas set; studdin
sails included, TO have to flop rouns
in two feet o. water like steam
dredge, with the cum blisterin me
paint-why, Sir, it's hard to bear
Levi was shaking his pipe vigor-
ously, aud deemed it wise tn ns--
suage his anger by exciaiming with
an ominous wag OF the head, Oh.
you old barnaole II .s..s
This had a soothing effects9n the
captain, for ia a milder tone he con-
tlnued; Wed been that way bout
four hour when seen another boat
edgin down our way. Her snil was
hangin like clothes on line, but
she was aleetIe furder out an caught
the tide. A man was aittin in the
stern an a lady on f1la pi1nUalpA Mr.