Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-27


jobs that brought us to Piper's cay. |
| don want to stay here day longer
than is necessary to put the ketch into
proper trim for another attempt ON the
Santa Catarina's money box. We've
got through a fairish bit of the repair
ing work today, while you two young
siers have bceO amusing yourselves by
tumbling into my piratical ancestor $
| mantraps. But there y still three DAYS
work good to be done before / shall de-
clare the Eureka in fit Trim to weather
an Atlantic blow, so we II make it four
bells doctor, ard all hands to take
their watch below We shall make an
early start tomorrow.
But, as it proved the general over
haul of the ketch was not destined to
begin on that next day, after all, for
in the morning at breakfast Tom Jelly
made statement that gave tie whole
crew other work to do The one armed
sailor arrived at the foot of the com
panion with very embarrassed grin
peeping from anon" the jungle of black
| hair on his face. He kneaded his cap
nervously in his hand and did not seem
to be able 20 speak at all till the cap
tain had twice exclaimed, Come, out
with it. Tom I"
At last, with a loud Introductory
III mr. the man began his explana
| ton.
why cap'n. it's that luhbor Cain'
And there he fetched up short.
"Wellf' said the skipper, with a
trife of impotence. "What's the mat
ter with him? He nasn t been running
away, has he?"
."Why, cap replied Jelly, II be-
lieve you We about hit it. You see it
was this Always: Cain and me was
ashore with the Jolly las thing las
night, and Cain, he says. Tom, says he,
4 bin Il poacher, | bin.
'Ohl says l. Have you recly
now?
"a dasprit poacher, says he 'afore
Zusan Pierce took me in hand, and the
I longing coming on me again now. If
doan 90 poach this night Isl bust.
- Surely not, says |, shifting to
wind ard Of him trihc
/ q" Surely, yes, says he 'Zusan
Pierce not being ere, It's poach or
! bust.
"What's the use of telling MS all this
rigmaroler" broke in the doctor impa
tiently.
with due respect, said the voice
of Tom from behind the black jungle,
"yon'd better hear the whole yarn
Well, says to him, | says, Cain,
when You have done?
. Sun up, says he, secs me standing
where us is now
Then says |, always being wishful to
do the kind TO a shipmate, though he
he but a cook with the clay still yaller
on his heels; Here goes, then, for
showing off wi ont You. But sun up Cain
La what sun Shame or III be getting
into trouble.
sun mp, Tom Jelly says zee, an
starts off into the scrub, leaving me TO
scull the jolly aboard by myself. Now,
cap'n, dat was how it began, but
though sun mp see me ashore again and
| though | waited matter of two hours
no Cain hove in view. So off | sculls
again TO the ketch and tells the whole
business to Enrietta, 'er bcin fust per.
son to hear it,
Tom Jelly, says she, 'you be n
blamed fool Them ) the very words,
cap n blamed fool!' And says she,
get below you black avised swab, and
tell the skipper at oncer Terrible clever
woman Enrietta be, gentlemen all and
miss "
The man was going on, but Captain
Colepepper cut his rambling short with
Il That II dol" wheroupon he saluted
with his solitary fist and tumbled up
the ladder
"What does this mean, Colepepper2 2
the doctor asked picking his wig up
from a locker and clapping it on his
bare sconce. "Thc fellow can't have
been trying to desert, can he?"
4 don't see that there's anywhere
to desert to, " replied the captain per-
pleXedly
Caves and booby traps" suggested
Dolly.
"Ah, " said the doctor, "of course!
fancy that more to the point, Cole
pepper, 1t seems likely enough that
this Internal island fairly bristles with
pleasant surprises of that kind, That
great numbering fool evidently went of
under the impression that he was going
TO lay hands on black game or red deer,
as he was probably accustomed to do
on Dartmoor, when he carried less flesh
on his bones, We heard Of mcn getting
Il touch of that sort of madness when
they find themselves ashore after a long
spell at sea, The only thing which sur
prises me is that this plethoric clod
should have had enough imagination or
energy for such an adventure.
'He'll have found some coy niche,
! expect - said the captain, land have
tumbled off to sleep, We shall hear him
bawling, like one Of his brother Abel Is
bulls, from the shore there in the course
OF the morning, asking to be taken off
again If he'd only screw his voice NJ
INTO some sort of decent sea hail,
believe ia let him off without wig