Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-09-10

lugged the milk and butter and the
rest OF the truck up to the house and
started In on another stretch Of work.
Ia had vacation Of ten minutes or
so; now twas time to begin again.
After I'd cleared up round the kitchen
and the like Of that. went of down TO
the Dora Bassett and tackled her. Van
Brunt had c1it away about everything
but the mast and had to rig new
halliards and sheets and downhauls
and land knows what. Drat that Heav.
enlyl twas two days Job
While was making a start on Il
Hartley comes loaflng down from the
house.
Skipper" he says. lets have an.
other one Of your chowders for lunch,
will you? They're the real thing
We'll, I tell you, Mr.. Hartley" says
!, ~ we have chowder I'd ought to 20
and dig the clans right now, on ac-
count OF the tide. And, honest. hate
to leave this work I'm on. Still, Of
course. II you say so. why"
What's tho matter with my digging
'em?" he says.
grinned. why, nothing" says,
so far as | know, except that It's
something Of a Job
job he says. 9TH be fun. Tell
me where 10 go--and what to dig EN-
with. and-and how to do It.
I told him to take the skiff and a
clam hoe and n couple of buckets and
t1
clans all alongshore there, knew
You go along til you see lot o!
little holes in the sand" says. then
you dig Want to look out that they
amt sand-worm holes, nor razor fish
And when you begin to dig" | says,
You want 70 lay right into 1t, cause
the clans are likely to be run-downs
and they get under fast So"
Hold on minute" says he 'Fov
am | going 10 tell worm.hole fem a
clamhole or a clam-hole from a--vhat
was it?-barber fish hole?"
Razor fish" says l. Not barber
Well. don't know how to tell you. ex
actly. II It's sand-hole there's likely
to be a little tiny hole alongside thu
regular one that Is, there Is sons
times and sometimes there amt And
| II It's razor fish-wcll, I can tell EN-.
but cal'late you'll have 10 use you,
own judgment"
He said all right. he guessed he'd
get along. SO of he went, and pretty
soon him and Lord James comes dowu
and gets aboard the skiff His lore.
ship was loaded with no less than four
buckets. besides clam hoe and the
garden hoe and the stove shovel. Twas
the most imposing clam hunt outfit
ever l see. II Id been a clam and
SEQ that battery coming my way 10
have took 10 tall timber.
Sure you've got hoes and bucket
enough" l asks. sarcastic.
Il guess SO" says he. looking arouna
at the weapons. We might need an
other pail perhaps, but II We do IL!
send James after II"
His lordshlp started rowing taking
strokes nrst with one hand and then
with the other, and the feet got under
way and waltzed. as you might say,
zigzag across TO the main. Twas as
calm as . mil!pond and they hit land
UP towards the point by the Neck Road.
| Then the clam slaughterers got out
and disappeared round behind the
point. went on with my rigging.
II got to be II o'clock and no signs
Of EN-. Then - lunch time. Tide
was coming In fast. you couldn't have
got clam now without a diving outfit.
But stu all quiet on the Potomac.
went up to the house and commenced
to slice ham and fry potatoes / had
my doubts about that chowder
Everything was ready by and by
and stepped to the door to take an
observation. And then see EN- COM
ing, rowing more crab fashion than
ever walked down TO the inlet TO
meet EN-. And such sights as they
was. Blessed II they t.1n't rooL Iiis
they'd been through the war-LOrd
James especial,
Hi, Sol" sings out Hartley. as the
sk!ff floats In. broadside on. My! but
I'm glad to see you Give James a
lit With the clans and things, will
you? I'm done up
He looked IT, He was barefoot and
barearmed, with his trousers rolled up
above his knees and his shirt sleeves
above his elbows. And the valet was
| the same, and both Of en- soaking wet
and just plastered with wet sand and
clay.
gave one glance at them bare legs
and arms.
For the land sakes'" sings out.
| Pull down your pants and your
sleeves. You're burned 10 blister al
ready"
And SO they was Tender white
skins like theirs. wet with salt water
and out in that sun
They pulled EN- down looking like
they didn't know what for and come
hopping and grooming ashore. His
lordships back was so lame from
bending over that he couldn't hardly
stra!ghten up without bowling,
Did you need the extra bucket?"
asks.
Why. no, believe not" says Hart
ley. You see | dug for while ard
then | went 10 look for better places,
and James did the digging. We found
holes enough, but they didn't seem to
be the right kind Worms, did you call
those things? Sea serpents, You
meant, guess. never saw such
creatures. And there was one place
where there were millions Of holes,
| but chockfuI of crahs