The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-08-27
ROMANCE OF ROCKETS
THE Old SOLDIERS STORY OF the JAMES
By Col. D. A. Dickert.
ssSssSss SSs:s55 - SS3S53S
(Continued.)

The old sailor man had been wait
ing our coming for some time. The
girls all called him Captain Buck,
saying he had been buceaneer, or
pirate, or something like that, and
we all called him Capt. Buck, too. He
was a jolly good fellow, and looked
the true skipper that he was, with his
oil skin cap, his sou'wester coat and
leather belt encircing his waist,
from which hung the ever-ready sail
or knife. His face was weather.
beaten and bearded all over, and out
Of it sparkled merry brown eyes. He
seemed to be on the best Of terms
with the girls, especially the little
Mother Superior, calling each and
every one by her first name, and they
calling him Buck, with equal candor.
Once on board, Capt. Buck yelled
out, "Cast away the bow line," and
we began backing gently out into the
stream. The sails gradually spread as
they caught the wind, and we soon
found ourselves midway in the murky
and turbid waters Of the James. We
all soon paired off with our girls, in
stray corners Of the rakish little
craft. The wind was against us at
the start, so we had to zig-zag down
the stream, missing a mud bank on
one side. a torpedo on the other. Inc
river was full of these sunken mines,
a stick projecting out Of the water to
indicate a danger point.
The girls pretended to be timld and
skittish at first, continually asking,
"Don't you think old Buck Will run
afoul of torpedo?" or saying, "The
boat will sink,' etc., and such like
kittenish things. But the young gal
lants would stand by with reassuring
airs, boasting their ability to swim
ashore and save them should an ac-
cident befall us. In fact, I felt that
I wanted something to happen, just
to convince my little trusting Maggie
what man I could be for her sake.
Capt. Dell was having il out with
Hester. Dell declared there was 10
danger of her drowning, so long as
her shoes held water tight, that she
could row herself ashore. Hester
came back by saying his upper deck
was so light and airy, he could not
sink if thrown into the water:
Dueklegs, with the little Mother Su-
perior, promenaded the deck, talked
of stars and consultations, and the
beauty of the, shadowy banks, as our
lights cast a simmer on the foliage,
Duck even comparing the light IN her
little black eyes to that of Orion or
CassiopeaB. or some such outlandlsh
iargon. Well the truth was, the little
widow did look marvelously beautl-
full that night, as she stood by that
uneainly. lanky combination OF arms
and LEGS. But Ducklegs held his end
up pretty we'll. and. to a certainty,
Connie didn't let hers drag.
Hot Spur and Dixie were all the
time talking about battles and Selges,
while the other couples would 60 be-
low occasionally for refreshment.
But Maggie and I-well we talked
and we talked. No battles, nor stars,
nor stupid sentiments we talked OF
love, or. at least, I did. Her little
ewes of heavens blue were watching
the little billows as they splashed up
against the vessels side, but her ears
were eagerly, it seemed to me. drink
inc in every word of love. l never
tired Of telling her Of my affection,
and she seemed not loath to have 1t
repeated Occasionally she would lit
her ewes from the water and look
wistfully into mine. as much as to
say. rs this all e?''-then would
cast them downward again and to me
if looked as if she was satisfied and
said. "This is true, he loves me. -
When I pressed her little fingers l
.;wore eternal love and loyalty, and
that when this cruel war IS over,
csc.. etc. Well I believed it at the
time, and perhaps so did she. 'lt IS
better to lave loved and lost, than
never to have loved at all.
I wonder where my little first love
is tonight She no do'bt thought l