The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-06-01

y 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 failing of Levi to talk a
| great deal about the deep sea, and
attimes 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 captains, 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" contin-
ued he, 'providin you dove over
head first an then doubled up, or
else walked two miles out to the
channel.
he looks at me KIND 0 solemn,
then sighed an went on crabbin.
The day was jist like this here, only
there was dead ca m, an over yam
der toward Fire islam the clouds was
beginnin to rise. | mention them
clouds because was a-hopin they'd
bring a breeze with 'em, fer | was
tired floppin 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 feller like
me ez has been used to sailin throo
life in 20 knot breeze, topsails up
an every inch O. canvas set, studdin
sails included, to have to flop rolJn
in two feet o. water like a steam
dredge, with the sun blisterin me
paint-why, sir, it's hard to bear"
Levi was shaking his pipe vigor-
ously, and l deemed it wise to as
suage his anger by exclaiming with
an ominous wag of the head, "Oh,
you old barnaole ~
This had soothing effect on the
captain, for in milder tone he con-
tinued: '"We'd been that way bout
four hour when l seen another boat
edgin down our way. Her sail was
hangin like clothes on line, but
she was a leetle furder out an caught
the tide. A man was sittin in the
stern an lady on the gunwale. Mr..
Archer, he seen 'em, too, an watch
ed fer long time Then he turns
to me an says, 'Cap'n, the CLAWS.
"That's just what he called-the
CLAWS.
I" A trim little, craft, cap'n, says
he. To do him credit, he knows a
good boat.
"'I don t like the lines O. her body, |
sir, ventures.
AT that be kind O. smiles an says,
i means the lady.
'He was right there, too, fer a
trim enough craft she locked, with
her white duck suit an sailor hat,
though ! couldn't see her face.
was just gittin my eye fixed on that
part o. her hull when Mr.. Archer
jumps up, runs for'a'd to the mast
an stood there like he was -sightin
land after a month adrift on raft.
Cap'n, kin you run leetle near !
er that crafta know her, he calls.
In this winf / asks.
'Pole' he yells.
81 could pole, I says, had I a
pole, but / hain't.
"He give long groand an set
down on top O. the cabin yander an
KEEP his eye throo the glass at the
other boat that was foolin aroun
bout mile off our bow.
: "By an by he says, 'Cap'n, there's
a breeze comm.
~'I've been a-watchin it, sir, says
I, an ups with me anchor an sail.
''It caught the other feller first,
an of sudden her canvas filled, an
she begin to cut throo the water on
a beat up the bay. had the tiller
ready, an it WASH t a minute till we
was movin too. 1t was slow at first,
but we soon had to reef an went
tearin throo the water to beat a
steam la'nch. The clouds had