Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-14
By JOSEPH C.. LINCOLN
A NOVEL.

back and rolled around In the bushes
Somebody was having a good time, If We
want.
We moved off stately and slow. like an
ocean liner leaving her dock. We didn't
have any band, but the pig and hens
furnished music. The skiff's rail was al
most a-wash. and my heels dipped on
every little wave.
Van rowed like good one till he got
about two-thirds of the way across. Then
the tide got grip on us and he COM
menced to go slower and groan. He'd
miss stroke and we'd swing half way
around. We was going broadside on
most of the time.
BY and by Hartley spoke up.
What makes this pig kick so?" says
he. like twas some kind of conundrum.
The critter seemed to be doing his best
to answer it. but his language want I'M
derstanda BILE.
You look out he don't kick that string
off his legs l hollers. I had to holler
to make myself heard above the choir.
He bent forward and looked down.
Why" says he IN be shot if he
hasn't done it already
Hang on to him. them I yells For
the land SakeS don't let him loose
Van Brunt gives final groan and
stops the oars.
mo use. skipper he says my Gu
race. / wouldn't row another stroke for
the control of the Standard Oil You'll
have to be shofer the rest of the way
l didn't know what a '.shofer'' was and
L don't know now, but 1 could see trouble
coming
Set where you be- 7 shouted. Don't
move. Enumeration, There you CO."
The pesky idiot had stood up to stretch
leaving the oars in the rowlock. Course
the skiff swung broadside on and a wave
knocked the starboard oar overheard,
Hartley see it going and made jump
and grab He missed it. you might
know. but he let go of the pig.
] ripped out a lively kind of speech and
dove for the port oar. The hen coop was
in my way. and it and me went headfirst
into Van Brunts shirt front When
got out of the mix-up both oars was ten
yards astern. the pig was doing three
laps minute over us and under the
thwarts. and the hens was all out of
jail and proud of it. Likewise we was
drifting out to sea.
''Well." says L. This is nice. amt it ?
Get out. you varmint! This last part
was to a pullet that was Tapping on my
shoulders.
Would you believe it. all them Heaven
roared.
"Ho! ho.'' whoops Hartley "Oh dear
me! This is worth the. price of adms-
sion''
"Ha. ha!' cackles Van. putting for
breath and showing the pig out of his lap.
This is the best ever, The floating gar
den of Eden! Or the ark! Say. Martin.
1 begin to sympathize with Noah.''
Noah sent out dove. if I remember
right" says Hartley. Wonder if it
would work with a chicken? Where's
our Ararat, skipper"
was mad clean through. Here was
twice that I'd been made a fool of on salt
water. I want used to it and it hurt.
THE ark was afloat for forty odd days;
you want to remember that" says l.
. s1xi
loaded the way she is. if she drifts out
side that point
'"Then she mustn't drift there" says
Van. cheerful. Il don't want to get wet
not now. with James gone. This is the
only presentable suit I've got left. If
this is wrecked you'll have to press 1t,
SOL
My. but l was hopping. Talking about
pressing clothes and us next door to go
ing to the bottom!
say right now, Mr.. Van Brunt, that 1
won't tend to them gardens. You
hear"
Van waved his hand. Your salary
from now on" he says. will be-
"No. 1t won't. My salary's big enough
It's me that's short-short about twenty
six hours out of the twenty-four If 1
was two men / might do what's needful
but as It's / can't. / like you both first
rate-when you amt too crazy-but either
III
have to quit. That is. If we get out OF
this mess alive. which amt likely"
All the time / was preaching this way
l was Juggling at the 'midships thwart
Finally l got it loose and showed it over
the stern. 1 was going to try to scull
with it,
The Heavenlies was completely upset
Not by the fear Of drowning-drat 'em
don't cal'late they was afraid of any
thing-but my talk of quitting seemed to
knock 'em silly.
by Jove! you know" says Van. This
is serious, skipper. You can't mean it,"
You bet l can't 1 says, sculling like
all possessed with one arm. and fighting
pullets with the other.
You're not going" says Van. decided.
You re-simply-not. Is he, MARTINI"
Il should say not" says t'other Twin
SOL. if you want more money-or assist
ants-or anything. why. all right. But We
want you. And we're going to keep you"
what kind of help do you want-and
how many?"
Well" l says. cooling down a mite-of
course l was pleased to find they liked
me SO we'll Well 1 says. eff you
round the house. maybe -"
"A COOKE" says Van. Good. We get
a cook-two cooks-ten of 'em. II you say
SO. And we get EN- quick
Lets get ashore first" says l. "rve
81. " hdhc the poiiil there or we III
Our finish. hey?'' he says. ending the
sentence for me. 'All right; make the
point" Then he got out cigar and
went to smoking.
But l want by no means sure We
would make the point. Twas the east
ard end of Ozone Island | was aiming
for. The tide set in strong there. and
could see that the skiff would pretty nigh
hit the beach, if l had luck.
We zig-zagged along. Pretty soon we
got to where the waves was running
higher. They commenced to slop into the
boat.
She'll go under, sure's you're born"
says I. IF 1 can only keep her up till We
get into shoal water"
Il seem to have acquired the castaway
habit says Van. "Once in that other
boat of yours, Sol, and now in this one
I must swear off. This is getting mo-
notonous.'
point. The skiff was half full and the
stopping and the motion stirred up the
menagerie. Such squealing and squawk-
ing and Tapping you never heard nor
saw. Them hens was all over us and the
pig underneath.
We riz on a wave and begun to cap
size.
Here we go.'' yelled. stand by.'
Over we went The hens had the best
fashion. l wished l could. Lucky the
water want more than waist deep.
l ploughed through the sand and un-
dertow and got to the beach. Hartley
come next. toting the pig by one leg
The dear" wriggled loose and headed
for the pines. hurrahing like a sawmill
The most of the hens had gone on ahead.
1,ts