The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1907-05-01

Haven in the early morning. The cap
Bradley was thankful He didn't feel
like talking. They found the Diving
Belle lying at the wharf. and Captain
Titcomb watched his companions face
as they stood on the stringpiece look
ing down at her.
They bought the schooner. 1t re-
NAMED only to bring over the check
and take away the schooner, and this
they did a week later. Meanwhile
Captain Titcomb had performed anoth-
er miracle He had hunted up 4 man
who had expressed a desire to pur-
chase the Lizzie and after two days OF
bargaining, during which time the cap
tain had twice pretended to give it up
and return to Orham, had sold him
the old schooner for $50; also he sold
his shares in the cranberry bog.
There was a good sized crowd OF
townspeople on the Orham wharf when
the Diving Belle Slid smoothly past the
harbor mouth and up to her moorings
There was splendid breeze. but they
wouldn't have used the sails for any
consideration. The sight of the NOV
ing pistons in that wonderful sixteen
horsepower engine. the enchanting
smell Of the gasoline, the muffied drum
ming of the propeller under the stern
these were brand new, unadulterated
joys of proprietorship that no mere
Of ssls
expense could induce them to forfeit.
Captain Ezra put in the most of his
spare time improving" the new pur-
chase Bradley told him it seemed
like the Thomas Doane days to smell
paint and trip over a bucket of water
and a swab every little while.
Orham was just then in the throes G.
a burglar scare Two houses III the
village had been broken into. and the
natives were talking of calling an in
dignation meeting for the purpose Of
expressing their opinion of the select
men, Then steam yacht belonging to
a summer resident, which lay housed
over for winter in the harbor, was
boarded and ransacked.
1t was on the day following this rob
berry that Captain Titcomb began tin
kering with the cabin door. This door
and the sliding hatch above it had been
fastened with a paddock. The captains
first move was to block the hatch so
that it would slide back but a little
way. Then he sawed and hammered
away at the door.
"Therer' he cried in triumph after
two hours of hard work. Brad, come
mere. S'pose one of them mean sneak
thieves tries to bust into that cabin.
He can pry the staple off that paddock
easy, can't he? Yes, but the way thai
for him to climb down; he's got to open
that door. And that doors got on it
a three dollar patent lock that can't
be opened without the key, and no ten
cent whistle down the barrel key Ell
ther. The key that'll open that has lace
edgin' on it. You hear me! And I've
took off the knob on the inside of the
lock so it can't be worked that way.
Now, when we want to 60 home we
haul to the hatch and lock it with the
paddock. Then we jest slam the door
Click! There you are! A spring lock
How's that for high? Thunderation
I've left the key inside
Luckily the key was lying on the top
step of the cabin stairs, and they We're
able to reach it with a fishhook on the
end of a stick
Getting up the tar with the aid Of
the patent windlass and the engine
was simply fun. They took out all they
could bring up through the hatchway
and then began blowing out the side
Of the hull with dynamite The explo-
sive was stored In the Diving Bellies
hold forward behind bulkhead with
only one small manhole in it and was
carefully boxed in to prevent accident.
Bradley's whole interest in life now
centered in his work. Gus he had not
spoken with since the night of the
dance: had, in fact, only seen her at a
distance. Sam, while on board the
schooner, was pleasant and, to all APP
pearances, as friendly as Bradley
would let him be. but from Captain
Jabez and from other considerable and
gossip loving souls the junior partner
learned that Hammond was now a
regular caller at the Baker cottage.