Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-08-12

4SASA AA1SSA 1919 SAS ~ SAS o30S
walk, where, having rubbed his eyes,
stretched enormously and yawned dis
courteously in the face of the east end,
he was once more himself and q hun
drcd times refreshed into the bargain.
Contentedly he counted 3 shillings into
the cabby's palm, the fare named be-
ing one and six.
1.-The shilling over and above the !
tip is for finding me the waterman !
and boat" he stipulated.
"Right-o! You'll mind the 'orse a
minute, sir?"
Kirkwood nodded. The maj touched
his hat and disappeared ineNplicably.
Kirkwood. needlessly attaching him
self to the reins nenr the animals
head, pried his sense of observation
open and became alive to the fact that
he stood in a quarter of London IS
strange to him as had beer Bermond-
sey wall.
, To this day he cannot put Il name
to 1t. He surmises that it was Wap-
ping. His cabby popped hurriedly
out of the entrance to a tenement. a
dull visaged, broad shouldered water
nan ambling more slowly after.
"Nevvy of mine. Sir" announced the
cabby, and q fust ryte waterman.
Knows the river like a book. he do"
The nephew touched his forelock
sheepishly.
Thank you." said Kirkwood, and,
turning to the a "Your boat?" he
asked, with The brevity of WEAKNESS.
This wyc. sir"
At his guides heels Kirkwood thread
ed the crowd and then descended
to a floating stage to which Il heavy
rowboat lay moored. In the latter Il
second waterman was seated, battling
out bilge with n rusty can.
Ere we arc, sir" said the claimants
nephew, pausing at the head of the
steps. "Now, where's it to be-"
The American explained tersely that
he had a message to deliver to a
friend who had shipped aboard Il vessel
known as the .Alethea, scheduled to
sail at food tide. further than which
deponent averred naught.
The waterman scratched his head.
"a ard job, sir. Not KNOWN wot kind
of a boat she are mykes it 'arder." He
waited hopefully.
"Ten shlllings," volunteered Kirk
wood promptly-'1O shilltngs If you
get me aboard her before she weighs
anchor, Is if 1 keep you out more
than an hour and still you put me
aboard. After that We'll make other
terms"
The man promptly turned his back
to hail his mate. "'Arf a quid. Bob, If
WI puts this gent aboard a vessel
name O. Allytheer afore she styles at
turn O. tide"
In the boat the man with the battling
"a turned up an impressive counte-
nance. Coon down." He clinched the
bargain and set about shipping the
sweeps.
Bows swinging downstream, the
boat shot out from the shore.
"How's the tide?" demanded Kirk
wood. his Impotence growing.
"On tn turn, SIR" he vas told.
For a long moment broadside to the
current. the BOAT responded to the
sturdy pulling of the port sweeps. An
other moment and it was in full
swing, the watermen bending Justify
to their task. Ship after ship was
passed. and in keen anxiety lest he
should overlook the right one Kirk
wood searched their bows and sterns
for names, which in more than one
case proved hardly legible.
The Alethea was not of their num-
Der.
In the course of some ten minutes
the watermen drove the boat sharply
inshore, bringing her up alongside an
other floating stage, in the shadow of
another tenement, both so like those
from which they had embarked that
kirkwood would have been unable to
distinguish one from another.
In the bows old Bob lifted up a stem
torian voice, summoning ne William.
In answer to the third ear racking
hail a man, clothed simply in dirty
shirt and disreputable trousers, showed
himself in the doorway above, rubbing
the sleep out of a red, bloated counte-
nance with a mighty and grimy fist.
"'Ello," he said surlily. "Wots tn
row."
$780," interrogated old Bob, holding
the boat steady by grasping the stage,
twas tn party wot Engaged yer larst
night, Bill?"
Party name O. Allytheer." grow1ed
the drowsy one. "W'y?"
PARTY 'ere's looktn' for i'm. Where
will I find this A~llytheer?"
"Best look sharp r yer won't find
'im," retorted the one above. "'E was
at anchor off Bow creek larst night"
Kirkwood's heart leaped in hope.
what sort Of vessel was she" he
asked, half rising in his eagerness.
"Brigantine, sir"
And again the boat was flying down
I'm midstream, the leaden water, shot
with gold of the morning sun, parting
sullenly beneath its bows. Hugging
the marshy shore, they rounded the
Blackwell point, the boatmen pulling
hard. Young William looked to Kirk
wood, caught his eye and nodded.
"Here?"