Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-04
fcHApTER x-continued1
Sopyright-By Bobbs, Merrill Co.

chapter X-Continued.)
Fascinated, he fixed his gaze upon
the Keeling brigantine, and for space
1t was as il by longing he had project
ed his spirit to her slanting deck, and
were there, pleading his case with the
mistress of his heart.
Voices approaching brought hiln
back to shore He turned, resuming
his mask of sanity, the better to CON
fer with the owner of the cottage and
boats-a heavy, keen-eyed fellow, I'M
gracious and truculent of habit, and
chary of his words; as he promptly
demonstrated.
sI'll hire your boat" Kirkwood told
him, -'to put me aboard that brigantine,
off to leeward. We ought to start at
once
The fisherman shifted his quid of to.
bacco from cheek to cheek, grunted in.
articulately, and swung deliberately on
his heel, displaying bull neck above
a pair of heavy shoulders.
4Dirty weather" he croaked, facing
back from his survey of the eastern
skies before the American found out
whether or not he should resent his
insolence.
GLOW much?" Kirkwood demanded
! 49,
curtly, annoyed.
The man hesitated, scowling blackly
at the heeling vessel, momentarily in
creasing her distance from shore. Then
with a crafty smile, Two pound" ne
declared
The American nodded. Very well, .
he agreed simply. Get out your
boat"
Tho Srhar,,,o, +,rpad awo1y RI sham
Bile noisily over the single, huge boot
ed heels crunching, toward one OF the
dories To this he set his shoulder,
showing it steadily down the beach
until only the stern was dry.
Kirkwood looked back, for the last
time, up the road to Sheerness. Moth
ing moved upon it. He was rid of
Mrs, Hallam, if face to face with a
sterner problem. He had few pence
over ten shillings in his pocket, and
had promised to pay the man four
times as much. He would have agreed
to ten times the sum demanded; for
the boat he must and would have. But
he had neglected to conclude his bar,
gain, to come to an understanding as
to the method of payment; and he felt
more than little dubious as to the
reception the fisherman would give his
proposition, sound as he, Kirkwood
knew it to be-
IN the background the cabby loiter.
ed, snawed by Unsuitable curiosity.
The fisherman turned, calling ovel
his shoulder: IF ye'd catch yon yes
sci. comet
With one final. twinge of doubt-the
task OF placating this surly dog was
anything but inviting--the American
strobe to the boat and climbed in, TAX
ing the stern seat The fisherman SHOW
ed off, wading out thigh-deep in the
spiteful waves, then threw himself il
over the gunwales and shipped the
oars. Bows swinging offshore, rock
Ing and dancing, the dory began to
forge slowly toward the anchored
boat. In their faces the wind beat
gustily, and small, shaping waves
breaking against the sides, showered
them with fine spray
In time the dory lay alongside tbs
cat-boat, the fisherman with gnarlet
hand grasping the latter's gunwale tt
hold the two together. With some diff
fculty Kirkwood transhipped himself
landing asprawl in the cockpit, amid {
tangle of cordage slippery with scales
The skipper followed, with clumsy ex
pertness bringing the dorys painter
with him and hitching it to a ring-bol
abaft the rudderhead. Then, pausinl
an instant to stare into the east will
somber eyes, he shipped the tiller ant
bent to the halyards AS the sail rat
tied up, tapping wildly, Kirkwoot
marked with relief-for it meant S,
II, i
close reefed.
But when at least the boom wa
thrashing overhead and the halyarl
had been made fast to their cleats, tn,
fisherman again stood erect, peerin:
distrustfully at the distant wall o
cloud.