Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-08

me out to the breakwater, where the
little bluefsh were running in multi
tudes.
He bent to the oars and pulled with
long, even strokes, every exhalation OF
his deep breaths being marked by
little puff of blue smoke. Suddenly he
looked up at me with twinkling eyes
and spoke between his clinched teeth.
''I'll bet know what you're thinking
about. Miss Telham," he declared.
''Well?'' inquired skeptically.
You was comparing me to a putting
donkey engine. eh?' he grinned.
l blushed and evaded the accusation.
You're not so very little, Captain Bar
nabas," said hastily.
''Ho, no, ho-' he laughed down deep
in his throat, and l realized that once
more had the captain exercised his al
most uncanny powers OF telepathy.
You shall tell me good story in re-
turn for that, Captain Barnabas," 1
said as he brought the boat skillfully
around to the most advantageous spot
in the fishing ground.
Il got to think up one, then" said he,
Pumping the anchor overheard and
sliding his oars along the thwarts. Big
as he was, the old captain stepped
around the small craft as agilely as
one Of the cats that infested his cabin
on the beach.
AS he arranged the lines and baited
the hooks 1 looked contentedly around
at the encircling bluffs, wooded to their
submits and faced with heavy yellow
sand near the pebbly beach.
Ready called the captain Justify.
and l reached forward and took the
baited line from his hand and tossed it
overheard. All around US were anchor
ed other small boats whose occupants
were industriously pulling in the hun
CRY blueish.
When harbor blues are running all
Ounce Haven is redolent Of frying fish
at the dinner hour.
Captain Barnabas dropped his line
over, and Immediately it stretched taut
and then quivered suggestively. He
began to pull in with gratified smile
creasing his leathery skin.
"You got whale on there, capt'n,"
called neighboring fisherman.
| Want any help?" sang out another
Delay there" retorted the captain,
| his grin changing to a frown as he
| yanked into view a large skate. which,
at the moment of landing, snapped the
line and disappeared beneath the trou-
bled waters.
An echoing laugh ran around at the
| captains expense. and his hearty "Ho,
| no, ho!' was the loudest of all. While
! he prepared another line l felt nib
BILE at my own and pulled in wrig-
| Cling little blue. which the captain
promptly removed.
This is a good time to begin the
story" l insinuated when We were
comfortably settled once more.
'Lemme see," he unused, pushing the
straw hat back from his head and
skillfully refilling his pipe with one
hand. Something about that there
skatefish | just caught makes me
think of Ananias Shines whale"
I'm rather sorry it's an Ananias
story, captain"
"whyG" Again his eyes twinkled
at me.
"Oh, becausev'
He laughed heartily. That's an in
situation against Ananias Slime. whose
name is against him and
He certainly lives up to it, cap
tain"
''Ho, no! OF course I've described
Ananias Slime to you before, and you
know he was little and mean looking,
with pop eyes and a light bald head.
/ mean his hair was light color, what
there was of it. and, come to think OF
it, it wasn't overloaded with common
sense. and he had a most murderous
smile and a hand that was cold and
damp like a dead fish.
when he was my first mate aboard
the old Indus he used to sit aft with
me and tell stories, the greatest yarns
l ever did hear. l never met a man
who had so many wonderful adyen-
lures as did Ananlas Slime and could
tell 'em 80 they sounded more like
truth than fiction, either. Well. one
night when we was homeward bound
from LuzOn we sat out under the
southern cross and watched the glm
mering phosphorescent waves. and as
a little spicy breeze came along on its
way from some little south Pacific
island Ananias folded his arms and
tilted back against the rail.
Says he: This reminds me of the
time was wrecked hereabouts Want
to hear about it?'
Eyes says /. And so he begins.
at was on my first voyage to sea
and / was young fellow and every
thing was new to me We was on
our way to China when the ship got
afre and all hands escaped in the
boats, all except me. | was
"'I'll bet you was shopping around
the cabin to see II the captain had left
any loose money behind or something
like that Clipped IN. but Ananias
only gave me one Of them murderous
smiles and went on with his yarn.
~ was still manning the fire hose
and trying TO pump water aud hold
the hose at the same time when all OF
sudden l was alone. There wasn't
boat left. There wasn't anything
except some siush tubs. and 50 1 put