Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1908-10-22

to take the liberty of suggestin such
thing. But my mate gets the devil
In him if he has the handlin of any
liquor.
He's good chap and a fine
seaman, and tries his hardest to keep
out of temptation, he do. He knows
his weakness, and we've both agreed
on not keepin' liquor on board. I'm
teetotaller I am, save for glass of
port once a, week on Sundays"
| "Ill keep it out Of his sight and
reach Tankerlane replied with a
smile
I'D be glad if you would, sir said
| Yardley, "and I hope you'll pardon
the liberty I've taken in speakin' of it.
F., But we've dirty weather in front of us.
and don't want my mate to break
adrift'
| 1t only took the fisherman five min.
utes to row out to the Hope and Glory,
but in that short time Tankerlane had
a foretaste Of what awaited him in
the creek outside. Even in the har-
| bour the waves were big enough TO
break over the bow of the dinghy,
and drench the occupants with water.
In spite Of his oilskins and the thick
jersey he had bought, Tankerlane shiv-
cred as the water splashed into his
face. and he was glad when they
reached the smack.
She was fine boat Of twenty tons,
previously and the sight of her thick
| timbers inspired confidence. He7
mainsail, with three reefs in it, was
already cracking and shiverlng in the
wind, and her jib was bent. A young
bronzed giant with dark hair and
piercing black eyes was hanging over
the side, and caught the nose of the
dinghy with a boathook Tankerlane
glanced swiftly at his face and liked
| 1T. There was no sign Of debauchery
| in that smooth, hard flesh. and clear
eyes, and active body. But he no,
| ticed that Bill Yardley was careful to
cover up the whisky with an oilskin
as he took it aboard, and that he did
not let it out Of his hands till it was
slowed away in locker. 1t was only
the work of minute to cast off the
moorings and get under way, and a
couple of short tacks brought the
Hope and Glory through the mouth
of the harbour into the more open wa.
tors of the creek.
The wind, which was steadily in.
creasing in fury, had now shifted into
the sou'-east, and was in almost the
worst possible quarter for the trip to
Conasea Island. The creek itself ran
three miles sou'-east, and beyond the
mouth the channel ran between great
sandhanks for another f1fteer miles in
| tho S;raofiDy @1,o oo1,
Spit Buoy showed the end of the
Black Deep Flats. After that was
reached, the course turned off at right
angles, and the wind would be fair
into the mouth of the Darkwater But
there would be a dead beat for the
first part Of the trip, against a sea
that had no equal on the east coast in
a sou'-easterly gale, and between the
Scylla and Charybdis of two enormous
sandbanks that always showed uI
we'll in the yearly wreck chart, with
the innumerable black dots which
marked them from end TO end
DR.. Hardy's motor-boat, which only
drew two and half feet of water, had
been able to save at least twenty miles
by taking short cut across the Black
Deep Flats, but the Hope and Glory
which drew six foot, could not risk
cutting off even small corner on I
falling tide
We've got our work before us,
said Yardley, after half an hour;
beating up the creek, and if /
weren't for the money I'd turn back,
would. We amt seed the worst of !
yet There's deal more sea outside
) and there's more wind to come iron
SOU east"
Tankerlane did not answer. Hi
face was white as sheet, and h,
clung feebly to one of the stays.
I'D go below, if were you. sir, an,
| lie down. said Yardley. Tain't Il,
use a-standing W her, Ma gettir