The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1900-01-06
DICK RODNEY;
Or. The Adventures of
An Eton Boy.
by JAMES GRANT.

BY JAMES

c1rcled by alternate stripes of red,
green and white paint, all made her,
to me, a source of wonder; and l was
daily on board, having obtained a free
entry, after the bestowal Of some
schnaps ii. e., gin and water) Upon the
captain, Jan van ~Zeervogel, who told
me many a strange tale of the North
sea, for he was a pleasant and COM
municative old fellow, having, as he
told me, a wife and children, who kept
his farm IN the isle of Wolfersdyck,
near South Beveland, while he tempted
the dangers of the ocean to dispose of
it's agricultural produce.
One night, while the schooner vas
still on the gridiron, but 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 thai
| 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 mis-
meerschaum, and the effect of some
peaches, which he gave me from a
large gall pot, wherein his wife had
preserved them in brandy, rendered
me careless as to how the time passed.
After a while l 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
Tho no hin For a faur n,in1,tnc until ho
returned from the little tavern where
they were located, as he had some or
ders to give.
1.-THE tide will rise higher tonight
than usual" he added. Il must have
the schooner made more secure by ad-
ditional warps, else there is no know
ing what may happen"
l could not in courtesy refuse, though
in no way disposed to remain in that
gloomy little cabin, but he trimmed
the lamp anew, as if 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.
had the unpleasant conviction of be-
ing alone.
My watch told me it was now the
time for supper and prayers at the rec
tory, from which l had been too long
absent. Then a vague emotion OIL
alarm came over me, as | expected ev-
cry instant to hear some u~naccounta-
BILE sound, or to see something that
might terrify me; so, to gather Dutch
courage" | 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 l pay the penalty of thai
act of indiscretion!
listened intently, but heard nc
sound indicative of the captains re.
turn. Once, there seemed to come {
cry from a distance. My head begar
to swim and my eyelids to droop. Thu
fumes of Zeervogels long pipe, which
pervaded and made closer the atmos
phere of the little cabin, together will
the effect of the peaches, proved too
much for me.
l started to reach the companion lad
der and ascend on deck; but my Limbs
seemed to become powerless-to yielt
under me, and l fell into a drows,
doze, with my head and arms on thu
t cabin table.
The captain never returned; and lons
!, after ascertained that the poor maj
had been knocked down by some un
; ruly '~'navvies," that the cry hearc
had been his, that he had been robbed
and left senseless in the street of thu
village, while l lay asleep in the cabil
t of the empty schooner, with the foo
5 tide rising rapidly about her.