Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1906-10-11


OF sea green.
Barnacles was experienced, but We
hicle such as this amphibious product
Of Sculpin Point he had never before
seen. With ears pointed and nostrils
palpitating from curiosity. he was led
up to the boat bodied wagon. Reluc-
family he backed under the raised
shafts. The practice hitch was enliv
ened by monologue on the part Of
Captain Bean which ran something like
this:
ssNow, Lark, pass aft that backstay
1.-THE tracel and belay-no, not therel
Belay to that little yardarm Iwhiffie
treel. Got it through the lazy jack
[trace bearer1i Now reeve your jib
sheets finest through them dead eyes
[hame ringsl aud pass 'em aft. Now
where in Tophet does this thingumbob
[holdbackI go7 Give it a turn around
the port bowsprit Eshaft]. There, guess
everything's taut."
The captain stood off to take an adj
miring glance at the turnout.
.She's down by the bow some, Lank,
/ 4
aboard See what you think"
Lank's inspection caused him to med
itate and scratch his head. Finally be
gave his verdict: From midships aft
she looks as trim as liner, but from
midships for'ard she looks scousy, like
a Norwegian tramp after wage
round the Horn.
tsfsaI<,,, old clos dorlsf crit oh
No, it don't, that's SO. But couldn't
find no green an white horse, Lank."
Couldn't we paint him up little,
cap'n?'
by sancho, 1 never thought Of thatr'
exclaimed Captain Bean. Course we
can; git string an wen strike
water line on him."
With no more ado than as If the thing
was quite usual, the preparations for
carrying out this indignity were begun.
Perhaps the victim thought it new
kind of grooming, for he made no pro-
test. Half an hour later old Barnacles,
from about the middle of his barrel
down to bis shoes, was painted beau
tiful sea green. Like some respondent
marine monster shone the lower half
of him. 1t may have been trife BIZ
zarre, but with the sun on the fresh
paint the effect was Enthusiastically
striking. Besides, his color now match
ed that of the dory with startling ex-
actness.
That's what | call real shipshape,"
declared Captain Bean, viewing the re-
suit Got any more notions, Lank y
Strikes me we ought to ship mast
SOS we could rig spritsail in case the
old horse should give out, cap'n."
"We'il do 1t, Lank fust rate ideer'
So mast and spritsail were rugged
In the dory. Also the lines were length
ened with rope, that the captain might
steer from the stern sheets.
She's as fine land goin' craft as
ever see anywhere said the captain,
which was certainly no extravagant
statement.
How Captain Bean and his mate
steered the equipage from Sculpin
Point to the village, how they were
cheered and booted along the route,
how they ran into the yard Of the Met
ropolitan livery stable as port Of ref
uge, how the captain escaped to the
home of Widow Buckett, how the
"splicin'" was accomplished = these
are details which must be sighted.
The climax came when the newly
made Mrs. Bastabol Bucket Bean, her
plump hand resting affectionately on
the sleeve of the captains best blue
broadeloth coat, said cooingly, Now,
cap'n, I'm ready to drive to Sculpin
Point
"All right, Stashia, Lank's waitin'
for us at the front door with the craft.
At first sight of the boat on wheels
Mrs. Bean could do no more than at
tempt, by means of indistinct ejacula-
ton, to express her obvious emotion.
She noted the grinning crowd of vii
layers, Sarepta Tucker among them.
She saw the white and green dory
with its mast, and with Lank, villain
ously smiling, at the top Of a sfeplad-
der which had been leaned against the
boat; she saw the green wheels and
the verdant gorgeousness of Barnacles'
lower half. For moment she gazed at
the fantastic equipage and spoke not.
Then she slammed the front door with
an indignant bang, marched back into
the sitting room and threw herself on
the haircloth sofa with an abandon
that carried away half a dozen springs.
For the first hour she reiterated, be-
tween vast sobs, that Captain Bean
was a soulless wretch, that she would
never set foot on Sculpin Point and
that she would die there on the. sofa
rather than ride in such an outlandish
rig.
Many time had Captain Bean
weathered Hatteras in southeaster,
but never had he met such storm Of
feminine fury as this. However, he
stood by like a man, putting in sooth-
ing words of explanation and endear-
ment whenever lull gave opportu-
.-al.