The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1901-05-03

public applause and aS vet he had not
asked for public criticism. he wouih
work by the fiickeriE:g III, -, : c.1 INTO
the night and appeared 80 wrapped Ir
In his labors that sometimes We would
speak three or four Tires 10 him acU
not get an answer. Mere than cu"v
fancied that he WAS under sD2u aud
wo6dered whether Do0 Miguel had tGr
power of the evil eye. For udvcl ms
sworn shipmatc's manner Was Cftoa
strangely distracted
Sometimes he would Sit ;.GHinC mood.
lily at his work: sometimes he N;C:li
stare intently ut the fantastic Shado,G
pictures which the jcrky flames cast on
the dark bushes Mt the edge of the cir.
Gle of light. and then he would set 20
and destroy greater part of the fab.
ric he had toiled over amd start patient
ly to fit and carve it all arrcsh.
And the old man, who, whC-l not On
guard below, sccE!cd always to hr
watching these nttc@ptg. would rub
his shining hands and burst out into a
weird "Oh, ho, Eo!' OF approval.
Now and again the modClor would
| take one OF his tiny craft TO Il secluded
| part OF the harbor and openly saving
lie wanted no company would test il.
SO we supposed. And how his play.
| things had behaved in these trials we
could always guess Dy the look on his
| grave face when he returned. pleased
| or gloomy according to the result.
His knife had fashioned simila;
strange vessels in the old days at Whit.
by, where the unbcIicving iccrs Of the
shipwrights had made him DESTROY
Them MI hn
looking at his new designs with the
critical eye of sailors rather than with
the partial one OF comrades. pointcd |
out to him grave defects and useless |
innovations. he would quietly bid us |
wait, wait, wait. and rot criticiSc the |
unfinished work until we could base |
our Judgment on shown results rather |
than on the strange and unlikely looks |
OF his new models.
And so In the long summer evenings |
when our work was done while Ale" |
pondered and laborcl, the rest of Us
smoked our cigariluS, drank palm
wine, spun yarns of mcrmaidCnS and |
sea monsters and giants such rs Ma
gellan found by the icy southern ocean.
And sometimes we sang the old sen
songs Of England, and sometimes again
new songs Of Spanish torture, of blood
and of revenge, songs which the old
man made for us and which he delight.
ed to teach us to sing. Cruel. dcviIiSn |
songs they were. ana the old mans
weird laughter ran Through The chorus
like demons accompaniment but to
some Of us their very horror was their
charm.
But when the labor of colirciin:: the
planks and timbcrs was nearly over l:v
our captains orders we others BEGAN
building toy ship OF orr own. design.
Ing her upon what we considered the
fastest and haudiest Inns .a'atr WV Sr-- I
lieved, the larger vessel for which we
had collected our material cor!l best
be built. Put Cpon OF" lAVttl" ty Il
challenge to pit our brains against IL"
captains, we spared 10 pains - pC".
feet the details of our lit;.p craft, and
SO from boltSprit TO miT%CA, from the |
poop lanterns to the heavy round tops. |
from forecastle to aftcrCaStlc. she was
as pretty n plaything rs the heart of =
sailor could desire. And that when put |
to the trial she would prove fastest in
sailing, quickest in getting about and
handiest to fight her builders had not y
doubt
1t was declared a holiday when the
two little vessels were placed in com.
petition on the rutlied waters of the
harbor, and after slowing the Span
iRrds away snugly in their jail Except |
some half score who were dispatched |
on pig hunt and afterward were the
cause Of no little uneaSineSs to us) all |
hands assembled to see the trial.
Two courses were to be Sailr1-ouc. Il
dead run before the wind, tie other Il |
trial Of speed close Lauled-for. as VII |
lie Trehalion justly put 1t. n haystack |
can drift, but 1t takes u tidy ship 10 |
run to windward in anything like |
weather"
Alec capta.ced his own bark and | |
ours. and wien each navigator hai |
trimmed sails tie two vessels were
headed, with I'll" wind straight Of |
shore, toward the ether side Cf ti.r |
harbor.
AS regards looks, our bark unqucs
tionably made the bravcr show. Her
square stern lowered out of the VIZ
ter like the gable of some quaint OH
| house, and her frowning ports com
manded the sea all around. Her
| courses. topsails. sprltsail and miZZcn
bellied out in graceful curves, and her
bluff, sturdy bow rode over the wave
let's like some restiVc charger and
churned them into foam Beneath iiev
keel. Proud would the pygmy cap'aiI
| have been who could have stood Oh
that lofty poop and looked d"wp Il
/. the pygmy crew in the waist below
| as they passed In and out Of the doors