The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-03-17


o comb, creasing the morning
-aH paper into folds and tossing
S&& it on the bed, what are
| you plannin' to do now that our late
| lamented owners have committed
financial suicide by cuttin' you off in
the flower Of your youth, SO to speak p
1t was late the morning Of the third
day after the captains return from his
| flying visit to New York. They had
said goodby to the Thomas Doane the
previous forenoon and were now occu-
pying room In the United States ho-
| tel.
Bradley, who was sitting by the
window, looking down upon the hats
OF the people In the narrow street,
answered slowly: II don't know. I've
been waiting to find out what you in
tended doing"
The captain crossed his legs and tilt
ed back in his chair.
II caPlate," he observed, 'that !
could walk out Of this gilded palace
OF luxury and run afoul Of anothe.
skipper's berth inside of an hour. Not
ut my old wages, of course, but a pref
ty fair berth, all the same. But fact
Is, Brad, I've had kink in my main
sheet for considerable spell. I've had
notion that some day was goin' to
cut loose and cruise on my own hook.
You know I've limited at It for over q
year. Now, 1t looks as If this was my
chance or never. Brad, how'd you like
to be wreckerT
"a wreckerT Bradley's face showed
his absolute astonishment.
"Oh, don't mean the line of wreck
In that is maxim your eyes stick out
at this minute. Do you know Caleb
Burgess, Cap'n Jerry's cousinr
Yes; Bradley knew MIN. He owned
little schooner that fitted along the
Cape God coast, picking up floating
wreckage when Il was of value, drag.
ging for anchors, dredging fof chains
and ironwork lost by vessels In trou.
bic and doing sort Of nautical old
junk business.
Wei" went on the captain, "Calebs
gittin' old, and he'd like to sell out.
Most folks think he's scratched a bare
livin' from the shoals, but happen to
know that he's done good deal better
than that. The old man told me how
much he had In the bank, and 1t want
to be sneezed at. Now, could buy that
schooner OF his cheap. She isn't much,
and money would have to be spent on
her, but SEED do for a start. You under
stand. the wreckin' business I'd do
wouldn't be anchor draggin' alone.
There's money In first class wreckin'
plant on Cape Cod. Wrecks! Why,
they pile up there three deep every
winter. Now, listen a minute, while
rise to blow"
Bradley listened. and the captain
talked. He had evidently given much
thought to this proposition, and his
plans were ambitious. He believed
that II capable man bought the Lizzie
that was the name of the Burgess
schooner-added to her equipment and
sailed her himself be could build up
profitable business. The salvage of
cargoes of stranded schooners and of
the schooners themselves played q
large part In his plans. One or two
good sized jobs Of this kind taken on q
commission basis would bring in capital
enough to warrant the purchase of a
bigger vessel. fitted with auxiliary
power, fitted with diving equipment.
derricks and the like.
"EEut YQnlSct that take capitalY"
"Sartin sure. But let me-us-prove
that the profits there and the capital III
be donated, like frozen potaters at q
minister's surprise party. Oh, I've
thought 1t out! Now. here!
The captains plan for Bradley's CO.
operation was, briefly stated, Just this:
He Captain Titcomb) would provide
the money for buying the Lizzie and
whatever else was Immediately neces-
sary. Bradley would contribute his
savings to the pile. They were to be
partners on equal shares, but Bradley
was to pay from his share Of whatever
profits might come from time to time
the amount necessary to make his in
vestment the equal Of the captains.
NO new move was to be made without
~~$ ~A OOtA PoI lucES. IL WAS u
very generous offer, and Bradley said
so.
mo generosity about it." protested
Captain E5l9 "I'm lookin' out for
myself, and need you, as the tipsy
man said tofthe lamp post. l tell you,
honest. l sha'n't 60 into this thing un-
less you go in with me. Maybe it's
fool notion anyway. Well, there" he
concluded, "nOw that I've unloaded
my mind. we'll go down to the Cape
this afternoon. I'll look round, and
you take week to think things over
IN. AT the end Of the week you can
say Yes or No."
They caught the 4 o'clock train for
Orham.
The "old maids" were washing the
supper dishes when Bradley surprised
them by walking into the dining room.
WhQn n Grck c1