The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-08-24

LEFT the mooring; now you'll see
how manageable she is"
Ronald and Vane stood and watch
ed the men at their work. In per
feet order, without noise or furry,
the schooner floated from her moor
ing with the grace and ease of
swan on a pond: so beautifully did
she move, so exquisite a picture
did she make in nautical eyes, that
the sailors on the other vessels
crowded to the decks to watch her,
and they raised cheer. Nane's
face flushed with pride for an in
stant. hut the next he frowned and
looked almost displeased and an.
noyed
Don't care for all this fuss"
he said under his breath Let's 80
below"
As they passed the galley, Vane
stopped and looked in. Smithers
had already donued his cooks at
tire, and was busy frying eggs and
bacon and preparing the other con
stiuents of the saloon breakfast.
A cabin-boy stood beside him, gap
ing up a. Mr. Smithers with saucer
like eyes, and listening with a mix
ture of awe amazement to the new
cook, who was informing him, with
all the nautical phrases he could
think Of, that he had been cook on
board Lord Nelson's ship, the Vic
tory, and that he expected Tom, the
cabin-boy to wit to do his duty,
alluding, in any airy fashion, to the
fact that he-Smithers- consid-
cred it his duty to throw the last
cabin-boy he had had to deal with
overheard, and into that part of
the Pacific Ocean which is most
rich in sharks.
Il was fond of that boy Tom"
he was saying as Nane and Ronald
stopped at the door of the galley
'as sorry to part with him as ii
he'd been my own son; but dooty
/ is dooty, and so Fad to do it. The
last | saw of i'm, a shark ad got
! old of one leg. while another 'ad
caught old of the other. 1t was
what you might call sad sight, and
/ oped | might never see the like
again. SO now we understand each
other. Tom Always do your dooty
as the fan said to the p'liceman as
come to take his mother-n-aw in
charge"
Your man seems rather an odd
ity," said Vane, as he and Ronald
passed on.
Yes" agreed Ronald laughing;
but. in his way, You will find him
as reliable as Captain Shanks. III
go bail for him"
Ronald had plenty of leisure dur
ing the day in which to admire the
Hawk, as she flew down the river
on the tide and sped into the Chan
mel II was delightful to feel him
self on board ship again. TO know
that the course of his life, for
some little time at any rate, was
marked out for him: that there
would be no more loafing about the
docks. seeking the employment
which had always seemed to evade
him He had plenty of time for
these and other reflections. for Vane,
though he could not be said to avoid
Ronald, kept pretty much to him
self, sometimes shut up in the cabin
studying some papers, at others pac-
ing the deck or learning against
the deck combing, gazing seawards
with a thoughtful expression, as II
he had something on his mind
Ronald had not, of course, for
gotten Vane's reticence on the pre-
ceding evening in regard TO the des
tination Of the Hawk; but the mat
ter did not trouble Ronald; and he
was too delighted with his present
condition to be curious-as a mat
ter of fact, he did not care where
they were going.
The Hawk kept merrily on hel
way. with all her white wings filled
with the fair wind; and she was
speeding towards the French coast
and the Bay of Biscay. Once oI
pwice as he paced the deck Ronald
looked in at the cooks galley; for
though the weather was fine anc
the sea fairly smooth, he was anx
ious TO kniw how Smithers was get
ting on.
Thank you sir said Smithers. II
answer to Ronald's inquiries; Tn
all right up to the present-in fact