Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-02-26
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
!. THE CREW OF
! YAWL THREE
J A Love stcry CT the sea.
! ry W. BEET FOSTER.
9 Copyright, 1851, by ". Bert roa.er.
'VVTTvvyyyTvvvvvV gYyv

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
through the fog which lay
ID a dead weight upon the wa
In ter the outline of great
.FA sail grew slowly. The fog
naae it loom into fairly gi-
gantic proportions, for there was little
wind stirring, and it crept up in ghost
ly fashion.
Suddenly the blocks ratified and the
boom creaked and groaned as it swung
about. For momcnt the craft hung
in the winds eye There was clatter
of feet, yawl towing astern was pull
ed up under the rail, and three men in
yellow oilskins and vanished sea boots
tumbled into her.
Good day to you, lads! Drop down
with the tide tonight and we'll pick
you up off the Hook or thereabouts."
The hoarse voice of broad shoul-
dered man beloved this through the
fog us he leaned over the rail. The
yawl had been cast off and dropped
astern. The boom creaked again, the
sail tapped sharply, displaying huge
"S, and the pilotboat melted into the
fog once more leaving the yawl cour.
tesying on the gray waves.
Mitchell the pilot in charge Of the
yawl, sat squarely in the sternshcets,
tiller rope in each hand. "Give way,
you fellows" he said "if you want to
get to Gurnett time enough to have a
yarn with that girl"
How in blazes can we know where
Gurnett is in this fog?" growled one of
them, bending his back to the ash.
The bow oar laughed. "Terry's sulky,"
he said, keeping stroke while he talked.
NINA didn't care mooch to see him last
time he vas thereof, Terry?"
"Thats lie!" declared stroke rough
ly. "She was just as glad to see me as
YOU"
Shut up, Carl! Don't tease the fell
low" admonished Mitchell. "And you
needn't be so touchy, Terry"
You'd be touchy, MITCHELL" declar-
ed stroke, swelling with his wrongs.
"Those two-he and Mina-jabber away
in their own COMPOUNDED lingo, and l
can't understand half they say. And I
knew her long before he ever came nos
ing round" he added ruefully.
Pooh! l wouldn't be Jealous" said
Mitchell. ITS like the girl would be
glad to see somebody who can talk her
own language"
We'll, she can't have him and me
BOTH" declared Terry, land I'll tell her
that"
Carl from the bow seat chuckled and
showed broad, laughing face to the
pilot. She'll be mooch obliged for
that" he said. "Then she not have to
what you call-ship you herself, eh?'
The others eyes blazed with passion,
and he dropped his oar and with an
oath swung about to get at the Swede,
but the steersman's voice recalled him.
what d'you mean, you swab?' he
shouted. want to swamp the yawl?
Grab that oar. quick"
With shamed face the recreant
stroke plunged his oar again deeply.
"Confound you and the girl bothp
pursued Mitchell. You'll lose yawl
next, and no girls worth that If you'd
been married mans long as me, you
wouldn't get to fighting over n wom-
an"
The stroke hung his head, and even
Carl's merry face looked sober at the
calamity which they had SO narrowly
avoided. He glanced behind him into
the impenetrable fog bank.
1--WE can nefer see where the land is,
even," he grumbled.
You leave that to me-" returned the
pilot. 81 kin smell land. don't need
eyes along this Shore"
1t must have been by the sense of
smell that Mitchell found the long pier
at Gurnett. He steered the yawl al
most directly in to the steps. although
they couldn't see the piles twenty feet
away. Carl stood UP and cleared the
ice drift with his oar so that they could
get in without injuring the yawl. 1t
was after noon when they landed ut
the pier.
"Now, we haven't more than an hour
to waste here" said Mitchell, settling
his hat more firmly upon his head. "If
you so to see that girl, Terry, don't you
forget. Be back here in an hour. I'll
go along up street and buy the provi-
sions we was sent for"
and I'll go along with YOU" said
Carl, with wink. 'Then I'll keep out
of temptation. chi?
Gust as well you do" growled Mitch
ell. 81 don't want you fellows to get
to fighting; now, mind that"
He and the Swedc moved away, and
after moment their companion fol-
lowed them. But Mt the end of the pier
he turned into n side street-a street
which fronted the water, with wharfs
and shipping on one hand and row
of little shops and ship chambers ware
houses on the other. In this neighbor-
hood, over the shops and warehouses
and in the courts and lanes behind
them, lived seafaring folk, many of
them of foreign extraction.
Terry turned into one of the little
shops where a big Swede stood behind
the counter. After greetings had pass
ed between them Terry looked around
as though he missed something or
somebody out of the shop.
'.You lookin' for Nina, eh?" said the
Swede. "She vas joost gone to the
kitchen. She back will be in min
ute"
But the girl did not come in a min
ute nor in several. Terry talked at
random, listening for the girls step or
voice. Somebody came into the room
directly behind the shop, but it was
Mina's aunt, the big Swede's wife, He
asked a question in his own language