The San Francisco call., 1909-02-07

dull ViSaged. broad shouldered water
man ambling more slowly after.
'Nevvy of mine, sir" announced
the cabby. and 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 man, Your boat?" he
asked with the brevity of WEAKNESS
This wye, sir"
At his guides heels Kirkwood
threaded the crowd and, entering the
tenement, stumbled through a gloomy
and unsavory passage, to come out
at last upon scanty, unrailed veranda
overlooking the river Ten feet be-
low. perhaps, foul waters purred and
eddied round the piles supporting the
rear of the building. On one hand a
ladderlike flight of rickety steps de-
scended to a floating stage TO which a
heavy rowboat lay moored In the lat
ter a second waterman was seated
baling out bilge with a rusty can.
Ere we are. sir" said the cabman' S
nephew, pausing at the head of the
steps. Now, where's it to be?"
The American explained terseIy that
he had a message to deliver a friend,
who had shipped aboard a vessel
known as the Alethea, scheduled to sail
at fioodtide; further than which depo-
ACAll dNtllt0 nduS
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 shillings." volunteered Kirk
wood promptly; 40 shillings if you get
me aboard her before she weighs an
Choir; Is if I keep you out more than
an hour, and still you put me aboard.
After that we'll make other terms"
to hail his mate. "'Arf a quid, Bob, If
we puts this gent aboard a vessel
name O. Allytheer afore she styles at
turn o. tide"
In the boat the man with the baling
can turned up an impassive counte-
nance. Coon down." he clenched the
bargain; and set about shipping the
sweeps.
Kirkwood crept down the shaky lad
der and deposited himself in the stern
of the boat; the younger boatman set
tied himself on the midship thwart
Ready"
Ready" assented old Bob from the
bows. He cast off the painter, placed
one sweep against the edge of the
stage, and with a vigorous thrust
pushed off; then took his seat.
Bows swinging down stream, the
boat shot out from the shore,
HOW the tue. Q6iudQQeQ hlrk-
wood, his impatience growing
.On tn turn, SIR he was told
For a long moment broadside to the
current, the boat responded to the
sturdy pulling of the port sweeps.
Another moment and 1T was in full
swing, the watermen bending Justify to
their task Under their unceasing urge
the broad beamed, heavy craft, aided
by the ebbing tide, surged more and
more rapidly through the water; the
banks, grim and unsightly with their
towering. impassive warehouses broken
by toppling wooden tenements. slipped
swiftly upstream. Ship after ship was
passed. sailing vessels in the majority.
swinging sluggishly at anchor, drifting
slowly with the river, or made fast to
the goods stages OF the shore, and in
keen anxiety lest he should overlook
the right one. Kirkwood searched their
bows and sterns for names, which in
more than one case proved hardly
legible
The Alethea was not of their number
In the course of some 10 minutes the
watermen drove the boat sharply in
shore, 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
stentorian voice, summoning one Will
liam