The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-14

Long ago, when young Luke Dart, the
Boot Bay trader, was ambitious 'or snore
patronage. he said to Solomon Stride OF
Ragged Harbor, a punt fisherman:
Solomon, by, an you be w,llin,' I'll
trust you with Irvine for cod-trap. An
you trade with me, by, I'll trade with
you, come good times or bad."
Solomon was young and lusty, mighty
youth in bone and seasoned muscle, lunged
like a blast furnace, courageous and fiae-
u sanguine. Said he:
An you trust me with Irvine for a
trap. skipper, I'll deal fair by you, come
good times or bad. I'll pay FOR un. skip
per, with the first fish / cotches."
Said Luke Dart: when ] trust, by, ]
trust. You pays for un when you can
1t was compact, So at the end OF the
season, Solomon builded cottage under
the Man-oWar. Broad Cove way, and
married a maid of the place. In five
months of that winter he made the trap
every net of it, leader and all, with his
own hands. that he might know that the
work was good to the last knot ami splice
In the spring he put up the stage ard
the flake and made the skiff which dine,
he waited for a sign of fish. When the
tempered days came he hung the net on
the horse, where it could be seen from tie
threshold of the cottage. In the cvenirg IS
he sat with Priscilla on the benc at the
door and dreamed great dreams, while the
rel sun went down in the sea and the
shadows crept out OF the wilderness.
Woman, DEAR" said this young Solo,
mon Stride, with slap of his great
thigh, twill be gran season. for fish
this year."
Sure, by said Priscilla, teuderly.
twill be gran season for fish,
''Ay," Solomon sighed, twill that-this
year"
IT'S handy t three hundred an fifty
dollars I owes Luke Dart for the wine"
unused Solomon.
IT'S not much, said Priscilla, smiling,
when you has trap"
"Us'll pay un all up this year. said
Solomon.
'Sure!" said she, echoing his confidence.
"Usll pay un for trap, dear" chuck
led Solomon, IAN have enough left ov .r
L buy "a
oh she cried with an ecstatic gasp,
"a SEWN machane!"
'Iss." he reared. Sure girl,''
But in the beginning of that season.
when the first fish ran in for the caplin
still hanging off shore. drifting warranty
with the wind; and there came gale
in the night, springing from the north.
west-a great vicious wind, which gath
cred the ice in pack and drove il swift.
ly in upon the land
Solomon dragged the trap from the bot
tom. Great holes were bruised in the
nets, head rope and span line wer, ground
to pulp, the anchors were lost. Thirty
seven days and nights it took to make
the nets whole again, and in that time
the great spring run of cod passed by.
So in the next spring Solomon was deeper
IN the debt of sympathetic Lake Dart
Tor the new twine and for the winter
food he had eaten; but of IN evening
when he sat on the bench with Priscilla
he looked through the cleaning shadows
gathered over the harbor water and
hanging between the great rocks to the
golden summer approaching, and dreamed
gloriously of the fish he would catch in
his trap.
Priscilla, DEAR" said Solomon. Stride.
slapping his iron thigh, "thev be fine
sign o. fish down the coast. Twill be a
gran season, I'm thinkin''
Sure. by Priscilla agreed; will he
gran cotch o. fish you'll have this
year"
"Us'll pay Luke Dart this year, tolls
YOU said Solomon, like boastful boy
"Us'll pay un twice over
!" Twill be fine t. have the machane,''
said she. with SHINING eyes.
An the calico t. use un on" said he
And so, while the night spread overhead,
these two simple folk feasted upon all The
sweets of life; and all that they desired
they possessed, as fast as fancy could
form wishes, just as though the tcnah
were a bit of magic furniture, TO bring
dreams true-until the night, advancing,
thrust the red and gold of the sunset
clouds over the rim of the sea, ard Il was
dark.
Leave US goa in said Priscilla.
This year, said Solomon, rising, II be
goain' t. cotch three hundred quintals o
fish Sure, be-this year."
g Twill be fine," said she.
1t CHANGED in that year that the FISH
failed utterly; hence. in the winter TO.
lowing, Ragged Harbour fell upon days
of distress; and three old women and one
old man starved to death-and five chill
dren. of whom one was the infant son
OF Solomon Stride. Neither in that sea
son, nor in any one of the thirteen years
coming aIter, uld THIS man eaten threi
hundred quintals of cod in his trap IL
pure might of body-in plentiful le ant
quality of strengthen the full, eager
power of brawn-he was great as the
men of any time, a towering glory to the
whole race, here hidden; but ne coulj
not catch three hundred quintals of cod
iii spirit--in patience, hope, courage AVID
the fine will for toil-he was great; but
good season or bad. he could not catch
three hundred quintals of cod He mot
night, cold fog, wind and the fury OF
waves in their craft, in their swift as
sault, in their slow. crushing descent; bu,
all the cod he could wrest from the sea-
being given into the hands of Luke Dart
an honest man, yielded only sufficient pro
vision for food and clothing for himsel:
and Priscilla-only enough 20 keep their
bodies warm and still the crying of their
stomachs Thus. while the nets of thu
trap rctted and Solomon came near IL
middle age. the debt swung from s7OO Il
81, and back to $73, which it was on an
evening in spring when he sat with Pris
ella on the sunken bench at the door