Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-07-30
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distant boats with wall for the husband and father
sailing away from her in her grief. What could he
do? She did not know, but he should be there to
help. But the fleet had gone far, and stalwart
Jacques smoking his black pipe and looking
silently out on the water while his mate hunmed
song and wondered what would be the catch that
day. And beneath piece of an old sail, out of
sight and fast asleep lay little Pierre. He had crept
of the house before daybreak to carry out plan
he had long nursed, for it slow, this grow
ing up and whenever he had begged to go with his
father, the had been: wait bit, my boy,
you but six; grow fast and then you climb
into the boat with long legs like dad and pull in the
nets with stout arms like dad, and then you will be
fine fisher boy; better" And he was handled
on his fathers knee and told many a story of the
perious ocean. But this did not satisfy his seafar
ing heart He had watched the boats in, and
had watched the boats go out till his head and heart
were filed with desire big to go too, that this
night he had crawled into bed with fixed deter
mination to sail along with dad the next morning.
Before the village was awake, he had dropped
out of the low window, and had run along the beach
in his bare feet, carrying his wooden sabots in his
hand, for their catter would have betrayed him. He
knew well his fathers boat for it had its place
among its brown companions. To Chamber in
hard, he had done it before; and full of glee
he slowed himself away beneath this bit of cloth
under the high seat and cured to await the start
But it was long coming and he was very sleepy,
so the first that Pierre knew, he hearing
splash spash, and feeling so deliciously rocked. as
sometimes in his mothers Slowly he opened
his eyes, an dslowy his wits back to him and
To- he found himself in the very heart of his longed
for adventure
He was only six, but he had a roaming SOUL
and to feel that he going, going somewhere
and that this somewhere the seattle big
big seal
But, oh, he was hungry! And now he must sur
prise dad, so he carefully lifted up his head pushed
aside the covering and called joyously: Good day.
my father"
But there was nothing but fright on the fathers
face the tiny form crept out and climbed
the ropes coiled the bottom of the. boat
Heaven us, what is this"
* T is I, my father, Pierre" and the urchn
laughed gleefully at the of his surprise
"Oh, thy mother, Pierre thy mother Oh. what
will she do? She will think thee dead drowned"
And the fisherman casped his little boy and looked
back toward the far-off shore Pierre, frightened
and hungry, chung to his father while the two
talked. What should they do? They well
under way, neither of them could afford to lose the
days catch. Money is much to poor fisherman;
and the tide not right They talked the matter
seriously. and decided to go for the fish,
and because the boys eyes frightened and
beseeching it dawned him that he had done
wrong, and that his dear dear mother suffering
because of this and for love of the little lad the
father Struggled him down and sought in his pocket
for bit of bread and cheese to comfort him.
Then they both smiled. The father, because he
could bear that little Pierre should be sad and
the child because his fathers face had cleared be-
the bread and cheese were SO good and be-
cause the sky was blue and the big
dancing and the boat lifting him high high up, and
then dipping downward as if to let in all the
@ them.
This was being fsher-boy, and as he munched
his food and lay in his fathers arms, he con-
tent.
And so the day went by, and Pierre was never
weary of the waves, of looking out see the
wonderful big ships, which his father pointed
They not like the fishing vessels but high and
stately. and white, against the sky.
And he wondered where they were bound, and
why He watched the men pull in their nets. and
was bit afraid of the squirming,- gttering
fish that struggled vainy in the meshes. For this
was life to the boy; the catching of fish, the bring
ing them honeward-this was the story of the sea
he loved, and he cared for no other.
AS the boat sped toward home, under full sail
and with brisk wind, it seemed the impatient
heart OF the father to stand STILL for he kew full