Sunday Washington globe., 1902-06-29
A CAPTAIN KID ADVENTURE.

A CAPTAIN KID ADVENTURE
The Mist, being broad of beam, was
comfortable and roomy. A man could
stand up right in the cabin and what
with the stove, cooking utensils and
hunks, we we're good for trips in her
of week at time And we were
Just starting out on the first OF such
trips, and it was because it was the
FIRST trip that we were sailing by
night. Early in the evening we had
beaten out from Oakland. and we
were now of the mouth of Alameda
Creek, large saltwater estuary
which fills and empties San Leandro
Bay
Men lived in those days" Paul
said, so suddenly as to startle me from
my own thoughts I'm those days Of
the sea-kings, l mean" he explained.
said oh" sympatheticallY and
began to whistle Captain Kid"
Now, I've my ideas about things"
Paul went on. "They talk about ro-
nance and adventure and all that,
but say romance and adventure are
dead. We're too civilized. We don't
have adventures in the twentieth cen
tury We go To the circus"
But" I strove to interrupt,
though he would not listen to me.
You look here, Bob" he said. I'm
all the time you and I've gone to
gether what adventures have we had?
True, we were out in the hills once,
and didn't get back till late at night,
and we we're good and hungry; but
we weren't even lost. We knew
where we were all the time 1t was
only a case of walk. What / mean is,
we've never had to fight for our lives.
Understand? We've never had a pis
tol fired at US, or a cannon, OF
sword waving over our head, or--of
! anything"
You'd better slack away three OF
four feet Of that main.sheet," he said
in a hopeless sort Of way. as though
IL did not matter much anyway. The
winds still veering around"
eased the Mist several points and,
the wind putting up, we went plow
ing along at a pretty fair speed, pass
| ing the light so wide that we coulC
not make out what manner of craft
II marked Suddenly the Mist Stacked
up IN a slow and easy way, as though
running upon soft mud. We were
both startled. Thc wind was blew
ing stronger than ever, and yet We
were almost at a standstil
''Mud-hats out here! Never heard
of such a thing!"
So Paul exclaimed with a snort OF
unbelief, and, seizing an oar, showed
it down over the side. And straight
down it went till the water wet his
hand. There was no bottom! Then
we were dumbfounded. The wind wa.
whistling by, and still the Mist wai
moving ahead at a snail's pace. There
scanned something dead about her, and
it was all | could do at the tiller tC
keep her from swinging up into the
wind.
'Listen!" l laid my hand on Paul'i
arm. We could hear the sound OF
rowlocks, and saw the little white
light bobbing up and down and now
very close to us. There's your
armed boat" whispered in fun
Beat the crew to quarters and stant
by to repel boarders!"
We both laughed, and were still
laughing when a wild scream Of rage
came out Of the darkness, and the ap
! preaching boat shot under our stern
BY the light of the lantern it carried
we could see the two men in It die
/ tinctly They were reign-lookiIs
fellows, with sun-bronzed faces, ant
with knitted tam-o -shanters percheC
seaman fashion on their heads
| Brght-colOred woolen sashees wer,
around their waists, and long sea
boots covered their legs I remember
yet the cold chill which passed alonl
my backbone as noted the tiny gol,
earrings in the ears of one For al
the world they were like pirates step
ped out Of the pages OF romance. AM
to make the picture complete. theh
faces were distorted with anger, ant
each fourished a long knife. Thel
were both shouting, in high pitched
voices, some foreign jargon we coult
not understand.
One Of them. the smaller of tn,
two, and II anything the more vicious
looking put his hands on the rail o
the Mist and started to come aboard |
Quick as a fash Paul placed the en-
of the oar against the mans ches
and showed him back into his boat
He Fell in a heap, but scrambled t,
IL.
ing
You breaka my meta! You break /
my metal"
And he held forth in the jargoi
again, his companion joining him, anl
both preparing TO make another dasl |
to come aboard the Mist.-JacI ION
don in the ST. Nicholas.
Spades Made From Elorseshoes.