Evening star., 1912-07-21

lcrs goes to eeward Of dooty and the country calls
And, judgin' from that there mackerel sky there's
going be water boiling atore the day much older
Immersed in his thoughts and the weather. Welsh
overlooked the obvious. While he plotting and
planning, others also laying their all un
known to him.
The village of Fire Island was close community and
small and the advent Of short, thickset little man
that being little Tom Welsh, life saver OF Barnegat
of melancholy visage and faded flower IN his but
tonole created curiosity, cogtation, and finally con-
firmaton Ito the black-whlskered schooner master)
that the gloomy little was pilot who had jumped
his job account OF png up big liner aIongsh9re.
was wanted by the federal authorities, and was last
spoken (very unciviy) down the waterfront, con-
templatng suicide the easiest out OF his troubles
proof positive being that he had recently removed
pilots badge from the sleeve OF his peaJacket.
Welsh had left his perch the dory and stood on the
edge of the wharf, the big thought terminating He
did ships boat that stole out from shore be.
hind him. nor stealthy black-whiskered individual
who approached the long wharf, until clutch on his
arm and cultural voice greeted him.
"You will not waste yourself in the water, mol You
will sail on my ship-come south with me-yes?
Plainly the newcomer was agtated. "Till this blow
over" he puced the blue patch where the mess number
should be, the vanity OF Welshs one lncognlto
a courting.
aWel, I'm iiggered!" Welsh stared at the black
whiskers the flashing teeth and eloquent hand waved
skvward where the smoderng burned in the dusty
clouds He recognized the impetuous schooner master.
and he objected to his lack of ceremony He jerked
loose grabbing at his hat to it from sudden gust
$50 that's the way the wind! Ugh!'
Little Welsh gl1npSed the DOaI, Dut slep
backward was his undoing The rotten dock crumbed
he gasped and the ocean rose splling over him.
INV best clo'e es, too!' He dived deep to escape
being smashed the pier When he shot up his head
banged into something still solid, and Welsh
passed chokngly away where girls do not trouble and
tilted coastguards are at rest.
LIE woke to vague sense that the wicked were
IL still doing business, and that grinnlng mps
sailed ships on the River Styx. He lay the lean
bowed schooner's deck, sick, salty, and sorry And
those sooty wind TANNERS were gong 10 g1De tnat
fores1 in another second!
aFall her off, you poll parrots! Hard down your
hellun!" His voice came from atar. He struggled up
to face frantic chatterng From the cabin the Cuban
schooner master came running wagg1ng his plratcal
beard =,
aAh, nv pilot! We squeeze you out! You would
not wake The wind and tide send us to sea- And now
you will take charge-not9
aOh, YOU done It, and wouldn't, and it did-and
will an won't, eh?" Welsh from his salty pool.
ominously cain and dripping @lt was the boat putin
pushed me in the drink cause he missed his mate-he
was bound to get mel" He knew it all now. That
touch the back when he grabbed tor his hat was no
dream.
The schooner master saw that he knew and lodged
"Drownded. boathcoked and ahanghaied, all in one
crack! III learn We to-
crew was hi When the little life saver gave over
the struggle he bundled head first feet first into
the cabin the hatch slammed and still fighting mad he
sprang the nearest portfolio, growing and rubbing
his sore head Angry he was-and it was funny, too
"If on'y W'iskers knew how wiln' was to come!"
he grinned. a spose he wants to keep from wig
wagging somebody. Crooked as rams horn, he is
there doubt about that now: he conured up the
malevolent yellow eyes-"cunning a cathshl' And
the crew? Monkeys-with knives!
The schooner was booming southwark on following
wind and sea- with Fire Island village already far astern
Welsh reused suddenly to of his real position
He didn't stay locked in the cabin, with blow
coming on, and he didn't want to 60 to Cuba.
"Well pass the lghtship pretty soon, holdin' this
course and going this gait-and want to get off at
Barnegat. That sneaky shippers all hunk SO long
he's got plenty O. room; but he'll need me bad
when it blows up, an he's got to make his coasting
That's what he collared for. What's the matter
with making friends now-soon's get my bearings?"