The Democratic advocate., 1909-12-10
FOOling the HarbOr Thieves


ofter a long tow down the river
ine Of the END of the B. & S. wharf
To- TO- water was tapping musically
.ound her bow, and steam hummed
sarowsilv in her boiler. The night was
dark. cold, foggy.; a very good night
for any sort of craft to be fast to a
wharf.
4oin King, the commander and part
oTner of the boat, and his son, Ralph,
Tho Tho had just passed his sixteenth
s,rthday. For the last two years,
palnh % had spent all the time he could
~ the boat, and he was always teas
mo his father to take him on perma-
nantly as one of the crew.
But the captain would not be per-
.raded by the boys arguments; it
ooemed to him that a capable hand
oouId not have grown up in the short
ttr1o since Ralph was only a fat little
tnddler. in danger of falling into the
1Toter or down into the f1re-room.
"yThy, you're only a boy yet" the
oontain would say; "and it takes a
man with mans strength and a mans
orit for our business.
But I'm almost as tall as you,
daddy, and just feel of my muscle"
"Feel of your muscle Ho Ho !!
7 might as we'll try to pull the tail of
an oyster"
YES, dady, you always make fun
Of me, but why don't you give me a
chance the next time you need a new
man? ] don't know Of anything very
hard to do on the Rogers"
Il 'c q
How about hauling in water-soaked
tov-lines in frosty weather when they
come in all coated and stiff and ic1cles
freezing in clusters on your fingers
7 guess you would be wimpering."
II guess not, daddy
We'll, don't bother any more, now,
Your day will come. l hope you'll al
WAYS be as anxious
Some such dialogue as this had Just
nassed between father and son in the
warm, cozy engine room Of the Rogers,
where they had taken refuge from the
driving damp and fog. Some one on
the wharf shouting, "Hey, Cap ! Cap
tain King ~ called them outside. On
the edge of the wharf above them
stood a man who greeted the captain
Familiarity.
"Hallo, captain Just heard you
were here" he said. Say, Logan wants
TO see you about a job tending his
dredges UP in Bucks Inlet. Can you
come ,up right away ? He's waiting" !"
Captain King reached for his, long
ulster and cap. "I'll be right up, tell
Logan" he repied, stirring round win
. businesslike hustle. you're not
afraid to stay here alone, are you =?
he asked Ralph, when ne was ready TO
climb on the wharf.
What should | be afraid OF ?
Ralph replied. a, little Indignantly.
Il don't believe I'll be gone very
long" said the captain as he strobe
away up the wharf, and was lost in
the night and fog.
Ralph turned back into the pleasant
warmth of the engine-roonl, closed the
door. and lay down on the long, cush-
ioned seat, with his hands under his
head. The big brass lantern hanging
lust over the cylinders swung laz1ly
with some almost imperceptible mo-
ton of the hull, and cast dancing re-
dections on a hundred polished sur
faces of the engines. For perhaps
q quarter OF an hour Ralph thus lay
thinking before he heard footsteps
On the deck outside. Not expecting
his father back so soon, he wondered
if it were one of the boat crew.
A hand lifted the latch; the engine
room door on the side toward the mar
cor swung slowly open, and burly
stranger, with a gruff greeting, step
ned in out Of the darkness, and turned
10 close the door Ralph, raising him
self to a sitting position, noticed the
breadth OF the mans shoulders, ana
IS muscular poise..
Bad night outside, sir said the
facing round and regard
ng Raph keen1y from under bushy
)Tows.
Bed enough" Ralph assented. In
severe weather ne mad seen many
wharf-rat," tramp or longshoreman,
2on,a to warm himself in the engine
room, but he thought he had never
seen 9. rougherS1ooking character than
this intruder.
The stranger, pulling off his mlttens
and tucking them under one arm
warmed his grimly hands carefully on
the hot Jacket of the nearest cyllndef'
and cast a quick glance round the Ell,
CINE room. He studied the -lcock-taced
pressure guages for several secohcS'
and Ralph wondered if he were famll-
lar with the machinery. Then, quick
" turning, he drew a long reVolVer
and thrust it almost into the BOY S
face.
Ralph though surprised, was not
really frightened. He sat pef1ectl,y
still and silent and looked his assall-
ant squarely in the eye.
I'm the cap'n of this here boat now
Young teller. And I'm goin' to DO a
title trick with her. The rufflan was
his revolver menacingly with
in six inches of Ralph's nose. IL you
want to save your bacon, you Keep
mum. Not a word out of you or you4l
get chucked overheard with a busted
head !, You understand Hey
Then he seized Ralph by the collar.
Realizing not only the hopelessnesss
of resistance, but the necessity Oh
avoiding a knock on the head that
might deprive him of sense to know
what was going on about Inn, Ralph
allowed himself to be dragged out on
the deck. Although his blood boiled
with resentment, his will kept his
head clear. In the gloom, few feet
away from the side OF the vessel ne
saw a dory with one man standlng III
the stern and slowly scull1ng against
the tide, the three men slttlng. Az d
word from his captor the boat came
alongside, and the men hurrlealy a.
climbed over the low gunwale OF the
Rogers. -, 4b 80 +.
who held Ralph. There's ssean 81