The Yale expositor., 1908-12-18

he announces that Scudder must go
right back and drive him over to East
witch. Nate backed and filled, as us
ual, telling how busy he was, and how
he hadn't ought to leave, and so on.
But Van corks him right up with a
five-dollar bill and on they went.
/ logged the milk and butter and the
rest of the truck up to the house and
started in on another stretch of work.
so; now twas time to begin again.
After I'd cleared up round the kitchen
and the like of that, vert off down to
the Dora Bassett and tackled her. Van
Brunt had cut away about everything
but the mast, and l had to rig new
and land knows what. Drat that Heav-
emily! twas two days job.
While l was making a start on 1t
Hartley comes loafing down from the
house.
Skipper" he says, Tets have an
other one of your chowders for lunch,
will you? They're the real thing"
well, l tell you, Mr.. Hartley" says
/, 'if we have chowder I'd ought to go
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, If you say so, why"
whats th6 matter with my digging
'em?" he says.
/ grinned. why, nothing" l says,
$50 far as l know, except that it's
something of job"
Job" he says. It'll be fun. Tell
me where to go-and what to dig 'em
with, and-and how to do it,"
told him to take the skiff and a
clam hoe and a couple of buckets and
row across to the mainland. There was
clans all alongshore there, knew.
you go along till you see a lot of
little holes in the sand" l says, then
you dig. Want to look out that they
amt sand-worm holes, nor razor fish.
And when you begin to dig" i says,
you want to lay right into it, cause
the clans are likely to be 'run-downs'
and they get under fast. So"
Hold on minute" says he. How
am l going to tell a worm-hole from a
clam-hole,o or a clam-hole from a-what
was it?-barber fish hole?"
Razor fish," says /. Not barber.
Well, don't know how to tell you, ex-
actly. If it's a sand-hole there's likely
to be little tiny hole alongside the
regular one; that is, there is some
times and sometimes there amt. And
II it's razor fish-well, l can tell 'em,
but l cal'late you'll have to use your
own judgment"
He said all right, he guessed he'd
get along. So off he went, and pretty
soon him and Lord James comes down
and gets aboard the skiff His lord
ship was loaded with no less than four
buckets, besides a clam hoe and the
garden hoe and the stove shovel. Twas
the most imposing clam hunt outfit
ever / see. If Id been a clam and
see that battery coming my way I'd
have took TO tall timber.
"Surs you've got hoes and buckets
enoggh?" l asks, sarcastic.
Il guess so" says he, looking around
at the weapons. I'VE might need an
other pail, perhaps, but if we do I'll
send James after It,"
His lordship started rowing, taking
strokes first 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 a millpond 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 IL o'clock and no signs
of 'em. Then IL; lunch time. Tide
was coming in fast, you couldn't have
got clam now without diving outfit.
But still 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 l see EN- com
ing, rowing more crab fashion than
ever. | walked down to the inlet to
meet 'em. And such sights as they
was. Blessed If they didn't look like
they'd been through the war-Lord
James especial
Hi. Soil" sings out Hartley, as the
skiff floats in, broadside on. My! but
I'm glad to see you. Give James q
lift with the clans and things, will
you? I'm done up"
He looked it. He was barefoot and
barearmed, with his trousers rolled uT
above his knees and his shirt sleeves
above his elbows. And the valet was
the same, and both of 'em soaking wet
and just plastered with wet sand and
clay.
l 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 to blister al
ready"
And so they was. Tender white
skins like theirs, wet with salt water
and out in that sun!
They pulled 'em down looking like