Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-11
CHAPTER VIII-Continued.

S0<AS Gn v 4x4"SOutluucQ.
His lordship started rowing taking
strokes first with one hand and then
with the other. and the fleet got under
way and waltZed, as you might say. zig
gag across to the main. Twas as calm
a millpOnd and they hit land up to-
ward the point by the Neck road. Then
the clam slaughterers got out and disap-
peared round behind the point. j went
on with my rigging.
1t got to ba II o'clock and no signs of
'em. Then II; lunch time. Tide was
coming in fast. YOU couldn't have got a
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. l had my doubts about
that chowder
Everything was ready by and by and l
stepped to the door to take an observa-
ton. And then | see 'em coming. rowing
more crab fashion than ever. ! walked
down to the inlet to meet 'em. And such
sights as they was. Blessed If they didn' {
look like they'd been through the war
Lord James especial.
Hi, Sol!' sings out Hartley. as the
skiff floats in. broadside on. My. but
I'm glad to see you. Give James a lift
with the clans and things, will you? I'm
done up
He looked it. He was barefoot and
DdTedTHeO, WIFI Ills TROUSERS up
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.
| give one glance at them bare legs and
arms.
For the land sakes.' l sings out. Pull
down your pants and your sleeves.
You're burned to a blister already
And SO they was. Tender white skins
like theirs. wet with salt water and out
in that sun!
They pulled 'em down. looking like they
didn't know what for. and come hopping
and grOaning ashore. His lordship's back
was so lame from bending over that he
couldn't hardly straighten up without
bowling.
Did you need the extra bucket?" I
asks.
why no. l believe not" says Hartley
You see. l dug for while and then
went to 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, l guess. 1 never
saw such creatures. And there was one
place where there were millions Of holes,
but chockful of crabs
"Um-hum.' says l. "Fiddlers. You
must have gone plumb up into the march
bank to run into them"
They was 'orrid things. says Lord
James. rolling his eyes. And they 'ad
you me word 1 was that
''That'n do, James" says Hartley.
well. / was successful at last. skipper
Struck place where CLAIMS were actu-
ally in layers just under the sand. We
turned 'em over with the hoes like wink
ing. / pointed 'em out and James picked
'em up. Just look at those buckets, will
your
1 looked at em. There was three
buckets chock. brimming full.
90
amt clams-they're quahaugs.'
They're clans in New York. he says.
Maybe so.'' says /. I'VE call 'em
quahaugs here. And there's no quahaugs
in this part of the bay unless they've been
bedded. Was there any marks around
'em?"
There was a lot of sticks stuck up
around. he says. but we knocked those
out of the way
- You You did, did,. says I, Did you leave any
You bet We didn't" says he. I'VE
took the last one. Had too much trou-
BILE finding 'em 10 leave any"
"Humph," says l. That's nice. You've
cleaned out somebody's private ouahaug
bed Them quahaugs was all brought
over by somebody and planted where
you found 'em. The sticks was to mark
the place
You don't mean it?" he says.
Yes, do says l. Il callate we'll
And sure enough We did. but that comes
later.
On the way up to the house I turns to
his lOrdship. who was limping barefoot
"Ain't claiming fun?" I says.
MY word!" says he, but ii expressed
his feelings all right.
All the afternoon the clam hunters kept
getting lamer and sorer and sorer. Their
Sun-burnt legs and arms was hurting 'em
M Ia Ia y,fo
chair and stayed there, and Lord James
crept around with his limbs spread out
like windmill sails. And every time he'd
bump into a chair or anything you could
hear him whOop to glory.
Van Brunt got home about supper time.
Scudder rowed him over. j had the qua
haug chowder made and he ate enough
for all hands. Hartley was feeling too
used up to relish il much. and his lord
ship didn't eat nothing. I let him off on
the dish washing and he went off to the
tail end of the veranda and went to sleep
in a chair.
After supper Van told about his trip to
Eastwich. Agnes and the Talford girl
was we'll. he said, and they and their
fresh air tribe was coming to the island
next day for picnic.
by the way. skipper" says Van:
''Scudder says he brought some presents
for us last night after we went to bed.
Where are they?'
Thunderation! I'd forgot all about
them presents I'd felt like an under
taker when I laid EN- away i'm that
drawer. and now 1 felt like grave rob-
Der as i dug 'em up. again I spread 'em
out on the table. coffin plates in the mid
die and wreath on one end, and What
is home without mother?" on t'other.
You'd ought to have heard them Heav-
enlies laugh! Mates presents certainly
made a hit. Van he just laid back and
reared
"Oh. by Jove!' he says. painting This
is too good, This is lovely. Shades of
Hannah Jane Purvis! Martin, how the
widow of the man that didn't feel like
beans would have appreciated these hey?
This-this would have been her idea Of an
art gallery"
Pack 'em away again, SOL" says Hart
ley. Now that the relatives have had an
opportunity to view the remains. the fu-
neral may go on. Bury em quick
Bury emf" says Van. mot much
They're too dreadfully beautiful. Martin,
I'm surprised at You. What is home
without a family vault. anyway? And
YETI Hold on" he says. holding up
his hand. II have an idea. Wen give
them to James"
ITO James," says me and Martin to-
gether.
''Of course, to James James is flI-