The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-04-07


Coptnin Titcomb managed this part of
- business. and the bargains he made
Win Caleb Weeks and other store
hespcfs were wonderful and In some
0ssee not too profitable for the sellers.
~ Mr.. Weeks said: "Ez Titcomb spent
Aaf tho forenoon with me today, and
store he got through talkIn' he'd tan
6Isd me up so with figlyers that don't
know whether sold him salt at cent
. pound or cornmeal at dollar
barrel III have to put In the rest
g the day carlatin' and addin' up.
+, o1s to know whether I've made money
- lost L." 'f
Doon the work on the Freedom was
- full swing. and the great hull hum
I'D like beehive. Men were stand
~ By the hntghes and by the derriclxs.
1Gen were wokking by the rail trans
1rrring ropes aud ironwork to the DIV
~ Belle. Down In the hold gangs of
mn with fDces sooty black excep |.
U1ere tho sweat strcaked them with
pAuid channels were shovellng the Goa
nyeo the big iron buckets that the
ecoaring derricks lifted and swunt;
ovor the side. The donkey engines
.puRed and whIstled. the chains ratified.
on6 ton after ton of good hard coel
ponred from the opening buckets and
washed into the tumbling waves OF
80 channel.
The captain and Bradley. together
Or r,oment. stood In the bows. where
- htnvy cable ted, taut aud rigid.
1cOns the windlass out to the sub,nerg-
- ant:hors. TIE Freedom had moved
ellGhtiy In the hst few days. and the
usrtntrs were encouraged.
ny crimus, Brad" exclaimed Cap
onzn 1itcomb, pointing. with grin ON
- gTimy face. to the stout little Div
- Bale Just then shooting or to the
Ntnt with load OF strippings from
\ 9hs Freedom. that's the little critter
3hat ass rAade II possible for us to
1 1andls this Job. I don't know what we'd
~ do,e II we hadn't had her. See her
- VIII youf Files round like fiea
- 4 iryiu' pan. don't she? You never
- Jour money into anything better
~ tie size than her. and don't you let
e1nt iact alp your mem'ry."
Tbe new schooner had proved her
vor(ll twice over. Equipped. as she
WoA with the engine. she performed
~ rtrt Of steam launch. q tug and
1uHy Don't. She had carried out and
4zeyyed the anchors In the channel:
~ ts6k her owners and 7ew OF the
hnnds to and from Orhnm every night
elnd morning; she was always ready
- always useful. In fact. as the cap
1oln said. they could scarcely have
lund ed the job without her.
Brs dley. dirty and bareheaded. look
"a n the little vessel.
II snan't feel easy until we pay OF
MT mortgage" he said. And an
uGAos thing. you mustn't forget to see
u6ed and close that insurance deal. Il
worrics me to think she Is not protect
- u all"
THAT'S %. Fact Ia. I've been 30
tsvsrlasEin busy lately that I'd forgit
- eat X ! hadn't got In the habit of Il.
put must settle that right OF. The
snly thing that's kept Il from goin'
'nro'Uh afore Is ON account of that
Saynsmits In the hold. The papers are
'oondy. only 0bed won't dicker until
- take that stun OF: his comp'ny
voat insure against explosives."
little OF the dynamite that they
hAd been usIng In blowing up the hulk
eootiining the tar was still stored In
~ Diving Bellies hold. Captain Tit
'eeml, had promised to see that II was
'lAksn ashore. but he always forgot It.
'ngatiIcy would himself have attended
- the matter. but the captain seemed
- nuke the offer as q personal refiec-
IN on his own management. It was
~ same with the insurance. Any
tAiny that the captain undertook to do
- hated TO give up to another.
'T,on't you want me to attend to
nat dynamiteT asked the junior part
~.
NO. no. I'll tend to II myself. Told
you ! would. didn't II"
Bradley saw that Il was time to
<Aatige the subject. He looked across
ehs ocean TO the horizon. The air was
eesar and cold and the November sun.
ngAs lay upon the water with a steely
Detnllic glitter that had no warmth
IN n.
Z wind to the south'ard." he observ-
q. "and seems likely to hold that way.
II u only holds fair long enough wen
win out yet"
where's that special weather bu-
reaii OF ours?" asked the captain.
"Ain't had prophecy for two days or
mote" He stepped to the hatchway.
HI. Peieg~ he shouted. "Pelcg Ny
rici:. ahoyr'
A distant voice from the hold replied
that Peleg was aboard the Diving
HelIe.
That's so." said Captain Titcomb.
SO he In. Well, wen see him later"
When the schooner again ran along.