The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-10-10
THE BOAT.
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BY Zoe Anderson Norris.


Il III bodb hdu apparently Jug u
grave in the sand and buried it.
self there. The hull was partly sub
merged. The mast reared itself
diagonally skyward. The broken
rudder dangled a wreck.
Beyond il the-wayes, rolling and
muttering, dashed the shore with the
fury of fall-time, and back of IL the
why grasses dotting the sand-hills
we're turning slowly to parched and
dingy brown.
Sid, stretched his brawny length
upon the beach. blew clouds of smoke
about his face from the bowl of
giant pipe. Presently, prodding
down the ashes with hardened fore
finger, he spoke.
1T was good boat" he said; IAN
aow look at i'll"
'How did it happen?" I asked and
scribbled Jagged letters in the sand.
waiting for an answer.
Its long story" he commenced,
taking his time-Sid always takes
his time-"an' all about them fool
atty folk"
With that he smoked.
''Why can't they let q quiet beach
llone?' he demanded by and by, his
blue eyes flashing in the sunburn Of
bis face. "yvhy must they come med
tin' 3 far this island even, bringin'
their new-fangled notions an sp'ilin'
the scenery? There want no quieter
spot on Long Island than this spot
here two years or SO before they
come. All sand-dunes an soft slopin'
beaches an reed-birds an snipes.
Now look round you an see how
different it is. They've done scared
away everything-the reed-birds an
snipes an all. They've dug up the
clans and frightened away the fishes.
an di@fggered the slope o the beach
with them ropes o. theirn, an buoys
an things for their bathin.'"
He pulled hard and Indignantly.
An they call it civilizin' u.s." he
snorted. "Civilzin' us. Humph. All
I've got to say is we didn't want none
= their civilian. We was better off
without it before they come, them
sity folk"
After a time, waving his disengaged
rand toward the far-off beach, he
questioned, "You see that there ho-
lei? Well. the first thing they did
eas to build that. An the way they
went bout il was enuf TO make you
bust out laughin' if il hadn't "a been
that the buildin' of II spilled the
beach there so. You see it was like
this: The channel between Fire is
and an Oak island"
"syin you tell me-" put in, inter
rupting. "why they call it Oak is.
and, Sid?"
II dunno" said he, unless it's be.
cause there amt no oak in 100 mile OF
90 from here. That's IL. ! guess"
"well," qucried, finishing pro
,ongcd pause.
"As I was bout to say when you
interrupted me-" he went on, the
channel between Fire island and OAK
Island il mighty shallow. It's tht
easiest thing in the world IL you aim
kcerful. 10 run aground there will
a boat. an never get loose agln
Them city men knew it. So wher
they see lumber schooner comm
lain along, out they PUSHES with al
their life-boats, an yells to EN-
For the love o. heaven, be keerfu
there or you'll run aground' The'
the captain gets wild-eycd, an yell
back, .Lordl What must We do?
An the city men cries to EN-, Throw
,ff your lumber"
Taking his pipe out OF his mouth
be spat enthusiastically.
.Of course" he continued. I'm goe
the lvmber. an the captain an hi
rev. ,lessin' the city men for savin
their lives. sails away with tears Il
their eyes an wavin's OF handker
.shiefs. Humph!"
.And what then?" said J.
.What. thcn?" he repeated
sNothin'. Only the tide rcllin' y
an. in. rolls the lumber long witt y
an them there city men hauhn' !
lahore built that there hotel ssandin
there blottin' Of the beauty o tn
beach. an n good part o them othe
houses you see here an bout a-doi'
Of exactly the same thing.
"They KEEP right on at that httl
snme o theirn. too. till the lumDe