Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1907-02-01

AHtA taAHl~A~ Tire fAl.t tHHfl fI.HIFsa~
the sly AMI taasl. OF ru..S rufuln.
NJ 10 meet them. The windows of tie
after de,khonSe were illu"iuai.I
however. and as Bradley and ih' cap.
tain stepped from the wharf 10 The
rail aud from that To The del, man
came up the coupauioaway froA IL"
cabin ana touched his list.
'iiow,iy. car'u:'' he Su.I. "Glld -
see y"u hIrk. Everything rumn'
smooth down homeE"
"lup." answered the >liirrrr:
"Smoolh as Il smelt IIow's it h,rcT'
'Shipshap"," was the reply.
Brad" he said. this is Mr.. Bailey.
the first mate. He'll be your boss.
next 10 me. after tomorrer. Mr.. Bailey.
this is Il new liant. lie hasn't exact
ly shipped Yet. 50 you needn't break
him in tonight unless your conscience
troubles YOU too much"
The mate held cut hand like ham
covered with red sole leather. and
bradley shook ii fCarfullv,
That night Bradley slept in the see
ond mates room Off the cabin. but II
was understood that hereafter he was
TO bunk forward with the crew. The
next morning the captain took him up
10 store on Commercial street. where
sailors bag was purchased. for. so
the skipper said. nobody but a land
lubber took trunk to sea. 1t must be
either chest or a bag, and the chest
Womb Inc II
ferred such of his belongings rs The
captain deemed necessary from The
trunk to the bag. and the trunk itself
was stored in the wharfngers office
until its owner should call for it some
time in the future.
The second mate. q thin young man.
with hair and face both a flaming red
came on board in the morning. and the
crew were already there. Then a tug
took the Thomas Doane in tow and
pulled her out of the dock and around
10 another wharf where she was TO
receive her cargo of lumber. And
from the moment when the TUGS haW-
ser was attached Bradley began 10
realized what Captain Titcomb had
meant by some advice which he gave
the previous night
1t was Here, boy. stand by to take
a hand with that rope" or You. boy
what's your name-git a bucket and
sWab up that mess on the deck Live
ly! D'you hear" The cook WAS
little Portuguese and he delighted to
maze his new assistant, so when, at 0
O'Clock or so, Bradley tumbled into his
bunk In the smoke reeking fo'castle
he was tired enough to drop asleep
even in the midst Of yarns and pro
family
l he lumber. in the hold and on the
decks. was at last on board. and one
morning the schooner with all sail
set, passed Mnot's light. bound for
New York. The afternoon of that dav
was dismal experience for Bradley.
The Thomas Doane was heavily load
ed, and she swaShed and Wallowed
through the good sized waves with
motion 50 entirely different from that
u the catDoats which the boy had been
used to that he was most heartily and
nls~ubly seasick.
But seasickness and inconsistencies
were forgotten Oh the day OF the won.
rilll sail through Long Island sound.
hey passed schOoners of all shapes
and sizes, loaded till the decks were
scarcely above water or running light
and high in ballast. Sharp nosed
kcho0ners, with lines like those of Il
yacht, and clumsy old tubs, with dirty
sails, with patches varying from new
white to dingy gray plastered all
over them.
Night, and they We're fast to Il bic
wharf, with lights all about them; |
lights piled, row after row, up to meet
the stars; lights fringing the river or
moving up and down and across it, |
lights i'll the arching curve of the |
bridge that Bradley had seen so often |
i'll pictures; whistles sounding. bells |
ringing. distant shoutings and the new |
er ceasng undercurrent of hum and |
roar that is New York, breathing stead
lily and regularly.
On the following morning Captain |
Iitcomb left the schooner and after an
hour or two returned with a sharp
eyed man. who smoked continuously.
although the wharf signs shouted in
six inch letters that no smoking was
allowed, and who said little. but look.
Ell great deal. Bradley learned from
the cook, who had been along the wa.
Ter front and. having fallen In with
some friends. was mellow and inclin-
ed to be confidential, that the sharp
eyed man was Mr.. Williams, the
junior member Of the firm that owned
the Thomas DOane and half dozen
other coasters
Mr. Williams and the captain had a
long conversation In the cabin. and
after it was over the skipper was a bit
out of temper, and his orders were I'm
usually crisp and sharp.
On one memorable evening the can.
tain, having previously WHISPERED 70
bradley to put on his Sunday togs."
sent the DO" on an erran9 70 n cigar
store near the wharf and told him TO
wait there "for further orders" In a
little while he himself came into the
store. commanded Bradley to "lay
and say nothin'." and the
pair walked briskly across the city to !
The elevated railway station. Then !
IheY rode uptown, had six course !
Inner in marvellous restaurant
where an orchestra played while YOU J
ate. and then went TO the theater TO !
zee play called ''The Great NIetrop-
Ills" IT was all real to Bradley. and
lie thrilled, wept and laughed alter
lately |