The Opelousas courier., 1903-05-30

my hands so badly?" said the cap
tain. well, take the tiller while We
make this long reach to the fishing
grounds, and I'll tell you. It's some
thing that happened about Is years
ago, long before l settled down to
shore fishing and taking city men out
for a days try at the cod.
"In the winter of 'SS I went out OF
Gloucester to the Banks as first hand
on. the schooner Never Fear. When
we pulled up our. anchor fof the last
lime, in March, and started for Bos-
ton, we were full Of cod to the deck
beams, and SURE to make over $50 a
man. Everybody on board was feeling
good.
Five of the feet got under way to-
gether. Talk about your cup races!
They don't compare for a minute with
a brush between three or four fisher
men with their bowsprits pointed for
market and home after a fresh trip,
to the Bonks. Minutes mean dollars
then. Every stitch set, lee rails I'M
der, and nothing taken in after it's
blown away!
"For the first hour it was nose and
nose between. us by the wind, all log
ging over 10 knots with stiff northerly
breeze. Then the Never Fear drew
ahead of the bunch. and we shook a
ropes end over the taffrail: You can't
blame a crew for feeling a little frs
ky when they're leading the feet, and
their duck is lifting them landward
at the rate of a mile every six min,
utes.
Before dark we had a good lead
over the nearest schooner, and when
we went down to supper their running
lights were twinkling well astern. TIL
wind showed no signs of going down;
on the contrary it seemed to be fresh,
ening every minute. This just suited
us. for we had the best rough-weathel
boat on the Banks, and we knew that
even if we did have to put in a single
reef, our rivals behind would be put
ting in two.
The cook gave us the best he hat
that night. IL there was a man OF
board who failed to do justice to thai
smoking hot supper, / didn't see him
J The only dissatisfied ones were thu
watch on deck, who began to be afrait
that there wouldn't be anything lief
for them, and who kept shouting down
the companionway for us to give then
a show.
after supper those who had nj
work on hand busted themselves il
writing letters, making boats, or play
ing games. During the trip I hae
played checkers a good deal with on
of the men named Howard Johnson.
few days before we had arranged
tournament of five games; each ha'
won two, and now was to come tn
rubber. We set our pieces, and thre
OF four of our shipmates gathers
round us to watch the battle.
1.-THE board was equipped after
unique fashion. In the middle of eac
square was a little hole to receive
short brad fixed in the bottom of tn
checkers. This prevented them froT
rolling off, and we could play, eve
when the vessel was on her beam end
without fear that the position of on
men would be disturbed by the motion
"At it we went in good earnest an
a series of cautious exchanges soon lei
us only three kings apiece. Then en
sued several minutes Of maneuverin
to gain the advantage. / was just gel
ting my opponent in a tight place whe
all at once we heard the captain shou
from deck:
Gail hands to reef the mainsail!s
$50 engrossed had we been in GU
game that we had paid but little al
tention to what was going IN abov'
and we were hardly aware that til
staysail, foretopsail, balloon lib an
maintopsail had already been taken il
But that last order brought us up "a
standing for we knew that it woul
never have been given without need.
81 grabbed my reefer from its hoo
and pushed my arms through til
sleeves, jammed my cap down IN m
head, pulled on my mittens and mad
a Jump for the companionway. Thins
were lively enough outside. A Twin
gale was blowing, and the spray fe
over the bow, as the Never Fear heele
to her lee rail, cut through the tun
bling seas. The sky was perfect
j clear and dark blue. and the sta,
shone large, cold and brilliant.
I'm a few seconds the deck swarmt
with men. The halyards slackt
away, the bull-rope hauled out, ga
rings passed. and we began to KIN
the reef points. As first hand I tor
my place at the end Of the booI
which was q very long one. runnii
out almost 16 feet beyond the ster