The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1900-12-21
1 Lung aLDOn his ,rortls.

lung upon his ,rortlS.
brew, he sat down on the bench out
side the kitchen door ard to pay for
his drink spun me such wonderful
yarns CT floating islands on which
there lived magicians who sold winds,
of mermaids and sen serpents and 9TH
er marvels of the deep, all Of which he
had himself seen il his travels, that l
hung upon his words and thought him
the greatest hero had ever seen. And
afterward, whenever l met his squat,
square figure rolling down the street,
he always had nod or n CHEEKY How
goes 1T, my young master?" for me, q
piece of condescension which gave me
more pleasure than did the most ex-
travagant praise from the schoolmas-
ter or any other Of my lawful teachers.
, That my estimate Of Willie's quail
ties was not altogether accurate was
proved by the manner Of his leaving
Whitby.
One night, In frolicsome mood, en-
gendered. no doubt, by liquors more
potent than the vicarage beer, he at
tempted to break the constable's head,
and as next day he had to sit in the
stocks rs penalty for his joke he con-
sidered that he had been insulted by
the inhabitants Of Whitby. He disap-
peared, therefore, from the town, and,
though l did not see him again for
nearly eight years, remembered his
stories, but the man himself became q
mere hazy phantom in my mind until
on the day after our adventure with
the alchemiSt met him again.
About midday Don Miguel had called
at the vicarage and asked to see my
father. They were closeted together
for long time, and, as began to fear
that this conjunction of the church
with one Of the DEVILS own favorites
BODIED i'll for my comfort presently,
told Alec.
"Well," said he, what can we do?
We shall just have to take our punish
ment."
Eyes, l suppose so," said I, "but If
I've to be punished don't see why
shouldn't have some fun first, and in
any case 1t would be n shame to waste
fne a6ss aa5tssrRa9q seem Like tRis at hqebieu,
land it will be very hot and weari-
some, with nothing to do but poster old
Prosody in his after dinner sleep. Come
on; let's do something else"
Right. What shall we do?"
"Fish"
'The very thing! Then I can take a
salmon as n present to Dame CARAT in
the evening. She's apt to get sharp
tongued If go too often empty hand
ed to see IneZ."
So we borrowed boat and net and,
set up the river ut the second hour of,
the flood. We had just grounded our,
boat on the bank near the high bluff,
where the stream turns off to the north ),
and were busy making fast one end
Of our net on the shore when we no.
ticed that stranger had taken up his
quarters on the opposite bank.
He was short, dark, sturdy man IT.
the dress Of sailor. He wore loose
knee breeches, with n short canvas
smock over them; coarse blue worsted
| stockings and shoes latchcd with brass
| buckles. Round his waist was q broad
leather belt, into which was stuck a
| bone handled sheath knife; on his up
per spars was q huge brown, wide
sleeved, wide skirted coat, with the
tails looped up to be out of the way,
| and on his head was n cap Of brown
skin. He was standing in 20 foot
boat, which he had fitted with house
of canvas and wood, and was finishing
his work by giving it all generous
coat of tar.
The figure seemed somehow familiar
to me, and when saw that the tar poi
hung from hook which had been sub
stituted for o right hand the feeling
that 1 ought to know the man grew
stronger. Suddenly he broke out into
q song, accompanying himself by beat
ing O tattoo with the tar brush on Tx
top of the cabin. The song was one
frequently had heard Willie TrehalioI
bawl through the Whitby streets year:
ago:
| Sail away,
| Hack away,
| Plunder Trap with tar brush.l
! Scatter all the money like Q man.
| Come back,
| Nothing lack,
Thunder IRsp.l
| Gather all the valuables you cSn.
This one verse was solo and choru
both, and to begin singing the son
was very much like starting to roll
big stone down hill--it was easy t
start, but almost impossible to stop I'll
the voice, like the slope, was exhaust
ed.
"Willie Trehalion, ahoyw cried, an
the singer turned round to see who wa
calling.
He had not altered one jot since
saw him last. His face was browne
by the sun, wrinkled by the winds an
. purpled by strong liquors, and, as thi
} richness Of coloring was in strong col
trast to the rest of his head, which, ui
derneath the protecting otter skin cal