Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-03-09

! DICK RODNEY:
; Or. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy~
BY JAMES GRANT

BY JAMES GRANT.

inc lions ana oracleS ot the smoking
room and porch OF the UNCOVERED tav-
ern. where II was tacitly agreed that
nothing could be said about Lord Dun
can. or "the licking he gave these
Dutch lubbers of the TeSel." in our
grandfathers' days.
l had never seen Dutch craft be-
fore: thus the quaint aspect Of this
schooner. with her deep waist, her bow
and stern which were SO clumsy in
their form and strength. SO exactly
alike. and tilted up till she resembled
n cheese cut in half-her leeboards. her
brown. oak planks. all bright with var
nish. and her little cabin windows en-
circled by alternate stripes OF red.
green and white paint. all made her.
to me. n source OF wonder: and | was
daily on board. having obtained free
entry. after the bestowal OF some
schnaps q. e.. gin and water) upon the
captain. Jan van Zeervogel. who told
me many n strange tale Of the North
sea, for he was a pleasant and COM
municative old fellow. having. us he
told me, n wife and children. who kept
his farm on the isle Of Wolfersdyck.
near South Beveland, while he tempted
the dangers of the ocean to dispose OF
its agricultural produce.
One night. while the schooner was
still on the gridiron. hut when her re-
pairs were nearly completed. l was
with him In the little dungeon which
he called his cabin: darkness had set
in, and the hour was late-later than
| ought to have been abroad-for we
kept early hours at the rectory; but
the novelty of the situation. the old
Dutchman's stories. the fumes OF his
meerschaum. and the effect of some
peaches. which he gave me from n
large gall pot. wherein his wife had
preserved them in brandy. rendered
me careless as to how the time passed.
After while proposed to leave the
schooner and return home; but Capt.
Zeervogel said that as he Intended to
sleep that night on board, and as the
crew were all ashore, he begged that
would have the kindness to remain in
the cabin for a few minutes until he
returned from the little tavern where
they were located, as he had some or
ders to give.
"The tide will rise higher tonight
than usual" he added. II must have
the schooner made more secure by ad-
ditional warps. else there is no know
ing what may happen"
could not in courtesy refuse. though
in no way disposed to remain in that
gloomy little cabin. but he trimmed
the lamp anew, as II to make the place
more CHEEKY and, without waiting for
an answer. went on deck. l heard him
descend the side ladder; and, as he
passed away, stumbling among the
logs and chips of the little dockyard,
1 had the unpleasant conviction of be-
ing alone.
MY watch told me 1t was now the
time for supper and prayers at the rec
tory, from which I had been too long
absent. Then n vague emotion OF
alarm came over me, as | expected cr-
cry instant to hear some unaccounta-
BILE sound, or to see something that
might terrify me; SO, to gather Dutch
courage" I very unwisely took one
or two more of Captain Zeervogel's
peaches, which, as already stated. were
preserved in brandy, and consequently
were more potent in effect than the
spirit itself.
Dearly did pay the penalty Of that
act of indiscretion!
l listened intently, but heard no
sound indicative of the captains re-
turn. Once, there seemed to come a
cry from a distance. My head began
to swim and my eyelds to droop. The
fumes of Zeervogels long pipe, which
pervaded and made closer the atmos-
phere of the little cabin, together with
the effect of the peaches, proved too
much for me.
! started to reach the companion lad
der and ascend on deck; but my limbs
seemed to become powerless-to yield
under me, and l fell into drowsy
doze, with my head and arms on tile
cabin table.
The captain never returned; and long
after I ascertained that the poor man
had been knocked down by some un-
ruly "navvies.' that the cry 1 heard
had been his, that he had been robbed
and left senseless in the street of the
village, while lay asleep in the cabin
of the empty schooner, with the flood
tide rising rapidly about her.