Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-07-18


Haven't you a word for poor old sea.
man who worships the very ground
you tread on? Think over it. None
but the brave deserve the fair you
know"
You mustn't speak like this" she
exclaimed, rising, as though she were
distressed. you are older than am.
And I don't know that you are a brave
man. 1 have only your word for it
Please don't speak to me about thia
again."
The old man saw that he had gone
a little bit too far.
"Wait!" he said, don't be frightened
I promise not to say a word until we
reach England Before we get there,
If we have a bit Of rough weather, I'll
show you the sort Of man I am.
should love a bit Of danger for your
sake"
For the next few days he went about
whistling for a wind, as though he
wanted to send us all to Davy Jones'
locker. AS for his seamanship, no one
ever questioned it; and as for his con-
tempt for danger, he was to get his
chance all right, though not quite In
the way he expected.
It was about a week after his con-
versation with the girl that it came.
Hilda was sitting on the poop deck
reading q book. The old man was
marching up and down with a quarter
deck trot, casting glances at her and
thinking how pretty she was, when
suddenly he let off a howl that would
have frightened an elephant and sprang
into the port mizzen rigging. 1 wasn't
far off him at the time, and l looked
at him, wondering whether he had gone
mad. Then I saw what he had seen,
and I went up the starboard mizzen
shrouds as quickly as he had gone I'D
the port ones The girl raised her head
and looked UP at Hoskins, and he
gaped down at her and tried to shout.
But for some time he could only make
faces.
Look look!" he yelled at last;
come up the rigging The tiger Is
loose!"
She sprang to her feet and looked
about her. Not four yards away from
her the tiger was playing with a coil
Of rope. 1t was paying no sort of at
tention to her at that moment, but she
felt that it might take it into its head
to spring at her at any minute. AS she
stood, she was cornered between the
stern Of the ship and the cabin door.
r. NJ ~
climb UP the rigging. She tried, but
the first step was too high, and she
could not manage it. And when she
realized that thought she was going
to faint
Hoskins was just going down to give
her hand, but at that moment the
tiger looked up and saw him and gave
a kind Of roar. The old man stuck
where he was then, and sort of shiv-
cred all over like jelly in a gale. AS
for the girl, she went white all over
and gave herself up for lost. And
then-out Of the cabin came Prof. Hay.
He just took one look round and saw
the tiger. Then he picked up a broom
some one who had been washing decks
had left leaning against the deckhouse,
and pushed at the tiger with it, looking
1t straight between the eyes. I'd heard
Of the power Of the human eye before,
but 1 had never believed it until that
afternoon. He kept walking forward,
pushing the beast gently before him
right into the waist and back into its
cage.
When he had it safely fastened In he
came astern again, looking not the least
bit excited or worried, and put the
broom carefully into It's place. The girl
was looking hard at him. and her eyes
were shining; but he didn't seem to be
aware Of it. Hoskins had come down
the rigging and was looking a trifle
ashamed Of himself. He hadn't known
it was so easy to push tigers into their
cages with a broom or he might have
had try at 1t. After bit he spoke I'D.
'"That was a fine bit of work, SIR" he
said. "If 1 hadn't seen it couldn't
have believed it."
"Oh, It's nothing" said the professor.
ITS my business. 1 tame wild ami
mails"
After that he seemed to dismiss the
whole subject from his mind, and went
down into the cabin. But l saw him
later in the evening talking to that
girl, and he must have had something
important to say to her, for when the
old man met her next morning and
began making excuses for himself. she
cut him short
Captain" she said, do you remem-
Der advising me to marry a brave
man?"
I do" said Hosklns, a bit puzzled.
well" she said, softly, "he asked
me yesterday, and I'm going to take
your advice"
Which shows you, doctor, that bray
cry is very much matter Of custom.
AS for poor old Hoskins, we had mill
pond weather the whole way home.