The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-03-19

Up through the bunch Of scrub pines
we tore, still hollering. And then,
from away Off ahead somewheres,
come the answer. / was 80 tickled /
could have stood on my head.
In a minute here comes Lord James
to meet us. His lordship looked vel.
low and faded, like a wilted sunflower.
and his whiskers seemed to be run
ming to seed. But his dignity was on
deck all right.
"Mr. 'Artley," says he, touching
what was left Of his hat; "'ope you're
well, sir"
where's van?" asked Hartley.
brisk.
"Mr. Van Brunt, sir? Up at the
'ouse, waiting for you, sir"
1.-THE house?" says Hartley.
1.-THE house?" says 1. Then I re-
m%embered.
There is a house on Horsefoot Bar.
1t was built by old man Marcellus
Berry, and in Marcellus' day they
built houses, didn't stick 'em together
with wall paper and a mortgage, like
they do now. Consequence is that,
though the winter weather on Horse
foot made Marcellus lay down a con-
siderable spell ago, his house still
stands, as pert and sassy an old gable
ended Jail as ever was. The house
was there, and Scudder owned II.
Likewise he owned the sheds and
barn in the back, and the sickly bunch
nf cnrith niDnc anI tho hnnph p1,rp
bushes, and the beach grass and the
poverty grass and the world without
end Of sand that all these things was
stuck up in. AS for the live stock, that
was seven thousand hop-toads, twenty
million sand fieas, and green-heads and
mosquitoes for ever and ever. amen.
We fell into the Wallets wake and
waded through the sand hummocks up
to the house. And there on the piazza,
sitting in a busted cane-seat chair with
his feet cooked up IN the railing and
the regulation cigar in his mouth, was
Van Brunt, kind of damp and wrinkled
so far as clothes went, but otherwise
as serene and clipper a Robinson
Crusoe as the average man is likely
TO strike in m life time.
Want we glad to see him! And he
was just as glad to see us.
Hello, skipper" say he, reaching
out his hand. so you got ashore all
right. Good enough. 1 was a bit fear
full for you after you left us last
night"
After I left him! 1 liked that. And
he was fearful for me.
"Humph!" says l, II had a notion
that twas you that did the leaving.
Talk about dropping an acquaintance!
1 never was dropped like that afore!
Look here, Mr.. Van Brunt, afore you
and me go to sea together again we'll
have a little lesson in running rigging.
I want to learn you what q main
sheet is"
"Oh," he says. careless like, a" guess
I found 1t, after a while. At any rate
II it's a rope / cut 1t. I cut all the
ropes in sight"
You did?" says I, with my mouth
open.
Eyes. That's an acrobatic boat Of
youiopiI SChiC " Wohl " lulh oOll-
ersets. l judged that that sail made
1t top-heavy so l told James to take the
sail down. He didn't know how but we
decided that the ropes must have
something to do with 1t. So l cut
EN-, one after the other, and the sail
came down."
SUDDEN" says /.
well, fairly so. Some of 1t was in
the water and the rest of 1t on James.
l resurrected him finally and we pulled
most of it into the boat. 1t went bet
ter then"
did, hey?" says I. l was learning
seamanship fast.
YES" says he. IF I were you 1
wouldn't have any sail on that boat.
She does much better without one.
Then it began to rain and I got some
Of the dry sail over me. I believe l
went to sleep then-or Don after"
Nate Scudder's eyes was big as pre-
serve dishes. guess mine was bigger
still.
Good Lord" says I. did his-did
James go to sleep too?"
NO. says Van. Il hin not. / be-
lieve James was holding some sort Of
religious service. How about it,
james,"
His lordship looked sheepish. We'll,
sir" he says. II don't know, sir. /
may ave been a bit nervous; I'm not
used to a boat, sir"
II shouldn't mind your praying.
James," Van says, sober as a deacon;
IF you didn't yell so. However, we
got here on this island about five
o'clock, l believe. Rather, the boat
came here herself; we didn't have
anything to do with it."
never In my life! They say the
Almighty looks out for the lame and
the lazy. Van Brunt want lame,
but
WELL" says I. "I1l believe In spe-
cial P~rovidences after this"