Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-08-27
CHAPTER w.
The PI0 Race,

The Pig Race.
don't cal'late that | ever had a
better run down the bay than done
tina, morning. Twas fair wind. and
smooth sea. not the slick, greasy
kind, but with littl. blue waves cha.
sing each other aod going "Spat.
! spat." under .he Dora Bassett's quar-
| ter as she danced over en- And
that's inst what she did--dsnce. There
want any hog.wallowing for her: she
jaSt picked up her skirts, so 20 speak,
and trippcd along-towng the little
landing skiff astcrn OF her-like a 16-
year.old girl going to n surprise party.
An early July morning on the bay
down our way is good enough for
yours truly, Solomon Frat. Take It
with the wind and water like I've said;
with the salt smell from the marshes
drifting out from the shore. mixed up
with the smell Of the pitch-pines on
tho bluffs. and me in the stern OF p
good boat with til" tiller Ia my hand
and pipe In my face-weil. all right.
That's my natural life: and | don't
need no book TO tell me so. neither.
The Heaycnlies enjoyed H. and
they'd ought to. Twas clear then,
though It got hazy over to the east ard
| later on But then, as | say, twas
clear, and you could seq the schooncrs
strung out on the skyline. some full
up. with their sails shining white in
the sun. and others down over the
edge. with only their topsls showing
Far of, but dead ahead. Just as IL
somebody had dipped the'y finger in
| the blu!ng bottle and smouched it along
| the bottom OF TIL Sky. was the Wapa-
tomec shore. and away aft. right over
the stern, was the Trunlct lighthouse,
/ like Il white chall; mark on yellow.
fence the fence being the high sand
bank behind It.
The Twins laid back and soaked in
the scenery. They unbuttoned their
Jackets and took long breaths. They
actually forgot to smoke which was
a sort OF miracle, as you might say,
and even Hartley, who had been bluer
thai. o spoiled maokcrel all the morn
ing. braced up and got real clipper. BY
and by they resurrected that book VI
theirs end had what you might call a
Natural Life drunk. | never see print
Ing that went 70 a persons head the
way that bool; seemed to go to theirs.
/ J"'e,n ,"aS nrnu i!tur aIu Eupsy
! reading and naturally RI and filed the
empty places same as you'd az a bal
loon.
ha
James. and | could see that he want
easy In his mind. He set about amid
ships Of the cockpit and hung onto tho
thwart with beth hands. like he was
/ afraid twould bust loose and leave
him adrift. II The Dora Bassett had
struck derel!ct or something and
gone down sudden I'll bet they'd have
dredged up that Hopper valet and the
thwart together. And then they'd
have had to pry EN- apart. His lord.
ship want used TO water unless twas
to mix with something else
BY and by Hartley shoves both
! hands into his pockets, tits his hat
back and begins to sing. More effects
Of the Natural Life spree, suppose,
but twas bully good singing Nigh,
have been saying most anything, call
Ing me short lobster for what |
know, cause twas some foreigners
lingo, but the noise was all right even
II did have to take chances on the
words. ! cal'late to know music when
l hear 1t.
Good" says Van, when his chum
stopped Martin you're better al.
ready. | haven't beard you sing for
two years or more. The last time
was at the Delanceys at home Do
You remember the dowaEer and my
daughter Heavens and my daugh
ter's' piano playing Agnes told the
dowager that she had never heard
anything like It. You and she were
together, you know. Give us another
verse"
But Martin wouldn't. Shut lip like
a clam and reached into his pocket for
cigar.
THAT was A No. 1, MT Hartley"
says I. Il wish you could hear Scion
EasSett play the fiddle; you'd appre,
ciate It,"
Van he roared and even Hartley
managed to smile. AS fc Lord James
he looked at me like I'd trod on the
queens corns.
Blessed II | could see what there
was funny about It. Scion can play
like an Injun. Why, I've seen him
bust two strings at THANKSGIVING
ball and then play Mrs. Mcleod
Reel-you know. "Buckshee. nanny.
goat, brown bread and beans"--on
t'othcr two. TIL there want still foot
in the hall
We made Eastwtch Port about noon
and had dinner. | cooked up kettle OF
chowdcr-fetched the clans alons
with me from homeland 'twould
have done you good to see the Heav
enlics lay into It, Lord James he
skipped around like a hoppersrass in
a hot skillet, fetching glasses and
laying out nine or ten different kind
Of forks and spoons side Of each
plate, and opening wine bottles, and
don't know what all. When he hove
In sight of the wharf that morning be
was toting a basket pretty nigh az
big as he was. | asked him what II
was.
why. the 'amper." says he.
Tho which," says !.
Tho lunch 'ampe:, OF course" he
says. THE 'amper for the heatebles'