Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1903-12-04

by lamp. You are going out to sail on
a yacht Can you tell me what the
main sheet is?''
''Of course can. Do you take me for
a knockkneed idiot? The main sheet is
the main sheet is the rope that hauls
down the main jib in gale"
The BoWser cat was born and reared
almost within sound OF the surf, and
she knows thing or two about salt
water. 1t liz. Bowse:'s reply she fell
over as if dead and Mrs. Bowser made
such an effort to preserve her serenity
Of countenance that her hair curled.
"The main sheet, Mr.. Bowser," she
said when she could control her voice,
lis the rope used to haul in or let out
the main boom on board Of any vessel,
no matter what her rig.''
"What! What! Whatv' he howled
as he jumped up and waved the tele-
scope in the air. "Woman, this is
something unendurable! You seem to
take me for first class fool"
mot at all. You have simply got the
nautical fad, while you don't know
anything about nautical matters. For
instance, what head sails does the or
binary ship carry"
''And you ask me that you who
know more about dishpans and fat
irons than shipsv' he gasped.
Eyes. ask, and I should like an an
gwer.'
"They carry jigger jib, Of course.
Perhaps you will deny it and say they
carry t:olecloth instead"
1.-THE lead sails of the average sail
ing ship, Mr.. Bowser, are staysail, jib
and flying jib, but on a full rugged
craft they carry an outer jib as well.
Let us turn to the dictionary again and
see if am right
"Turn to nothing! Woman, what dc
you mean by such conduct? Do you
wish to drive me from the house to-
night to get drunk at a saloon?"
"Of course not"
Mr.. Bowser started to glare again,
but the look became a soft, oily smile
as he thought of something, and min
ute later he asked:
Just answer me a question, please.
How many masts has schooner got?''
'"The ordinary schooner has only two,
the same as brig. but they have TAX
en- to building them with three. four.
five and even six masts. The rig of an
ordinary schooner, if you wish to
know. consists of foresail. mainsail,
fore gaff. main gait, a stays,,il aad TWO
jibs.''
lis that all?'
"'That's ALL"
"Then that shows all you know
about it. Where does the forcrcyal
0kysail come in. the principal sail on
the shipY
There is no such sal, known on any
6h1p Of any rig. Mr.. Rowser. There
are foreroyals and skysails. but they
the dictionary?
The commodore wanted to spring to
his feet and shout through hts trunt, It
for all hands % pull up the for'x.:s,
by the ROOTS and cast the cook s@fkal-
ley overheard. but be east two anchors
b windward and held himself fast for |
q moment while he asked:
Mrs. Know 1t All, perhaps you can
tell me what scuttle butt is?''
II can," readily replied Mrs. Bow
oer. 1T is a barrel dashed on deck
and containing fresh water for the use
Of the crew. may tell you at the
same time that harness cask is bar
rel or cask containing meat to be cook
ed as wanted"
An I'LL
ANY partition on shipboard is call
ed bulkhead, whether in the cabin or
hold. Now let me ask you what the
ratlines areT'
Mr.. BOWser was about to answer
that anything that ratified around on
board ship was a ratline, but he had
come to realize that he was beaten
man. and. his dignity could be saved
only in one way. Lord Nelson never
took more heroic resolve. He clew-
ed up his main topsail, close reefed
his fore, and after hauling his jibs to
Windward and shivering his ,foresail
he rose up and said: u IL
woman, you have seen fit to try
to make fool of your husband, and
this little performance will now come
to an end" -: ..%jsSg
"But do you know how. to box the
compass?" she asked.
mo, ma'am, I don't. 1 don't know
q yacht from starch box nor a full
rugged ship from henhouse. All I
know isis -.n
And the man of the salty sea and
the dashing spray and the ocean roar
banged his telescope down on the floor
and banged his ,jaunty yachting cap
down after it, and then he jumped up
and down on them and cried out "Ha,
ha! Aye, aver in such deep sea tones
that the cat was swept to leeward and
Mrs. Bowser was drowned in her state |
room.
Nov, then," he said as the ship got
through rolling and came back to an
even keel, you have driven me from
my home, and you have driven me to
get drunk, and you take the conse-
Quences and make the best of them"
Then he ro1le6 60yvn tho hail rIaHA.