Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-09-12
SENTIMENT OF THE SEA.

-
James b. Connolly in Harper's Magazine.
1t was a good breeze of wind. We
picked up other proof of it next day.
Bill johnson had slapped sail to his
Fannie and gone to the eastward, and
the skipper had decided to run for
Newport, and SO we were on u way.
The middle Of the morning 1t was, b
fine day, and as we were still hoping
for fish the lookouts were aloft. Ezra
called out something and pointed. and
we all looked. 1t was part of a drift
ing mast, the lower part broke of
raggedly from q foot or two above the
saddle to the step.
And then we saw q dory, bottom up.
"A yellow dory," somebody said. "A
yellow dory." somebody else said, land
twas a white-painted saddle to that
a a while ago." Everybody repeated
that and then suddenly nobody seemed
to be Saying any more about 1t.
The skipper also put off to get the.
dory. 1t was some little trouble to right
the capsized dory from our dory gum
vale, but we did 1t after a while. A
part of a sword had been driven
through her bottom, which happens
often and meant nothing; but there
was h name on her bow-Nokomis.
We took the dory aboard our vessel
and went on.
A dory, too, could be washed off the
deck of a fishing vessel, so that didn't
prove anything, but the lower n Of
hole in the head-altogether it didn't
look good. n then we picked up part
of a BOBBY hatch and. close by, two
hatch covers. And then Bill identified
them as from of the Nokomis.
She's broke up. Goodby, Nokomis."
said nllr Slinner onS Qir nth vyoak
on to tell about JOIN Pettipaw. Easy
gofn'. nothin' worrit him. The finest
kind of a chap" said Bill. ''Mebbe he
didn't worry enough"
And then we picked up the water
melon. Everybody knew that Petit
low to ship a few watermelons and all
ways kept a couple to cut on the pass
age home. And men don't throw wa
termelons overheard. This one must
have floated out of her hold. which
meant h had broken up: the mast.
now the melon. 1t was John who
spied the melon from aloft, but we
would have missed it only for Ezra.
He made a flying leap into the dory
towing astern, and leaning far enough
out to lay the dory on her side no
spread wide his hands and the melon
just naturally f1oated right over the
gunwale n into his arms and Ezra
Rugged it to his bosom.
Bill took the melon whe it was
passed up over the rail and tested j.
for s%oundness. "Only one little soft
spot he announced, and without any
foolish delay got his dressing knife and
cut 1t up. Poor old Nokomis. I won
der where We be now." observed Bill.
and cautiously tasted the melon. Not
a touch o. salt" he declared. and cut
into it more deeply. poor old Noko-
mis-. I'm sorry for YER" and handed
himself a fat slice. Three melancholy
bites of that and he threw the rind
over the side: and he had another slice
and studied that rind, too. as it slowly
sank under our quarter. Well. his old
shipmates were gone. that was sure.
With his tongue he worked the juicy,
shreds from the far corners of his
mouth. He was staring outhoard. Why
be downcast? He faced inboard. and
cast a side look at the watermelon. He,
contemplated what was left of that, by
now a hollow shell. At last he spoke:
Poor Nokomis! But a damn good
tastin' melon, warn't she?"