River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1912-06-13
CHAPTER XXI.

Lurching drunkenly into the harbor
known locally as Alden Back Bay, the
Panjnab came to anchor.
O'Rourke, from the lower grating of
the steamships accommodation lad
der, signaled to one of the swarm of
lowering dinghys, and waiting for it to
come in. reviewed the anchored ship
ping, gathered transiently together in
that spot from the four corners of the
earth, and shook his head responding
ly.
A yellow-haired Somali boatman
shot his little craft in to the grating.
O'Rourke dropped upon the stern-seat
and took the tiller. Post Office pier"
he said CURLY. The dinghy shot away
with dipping, dripping oars, while the
Irishman continued to search among
the vessels for anything that seemed
to promise the speed necessary for his
purpose, and failed to discover one.
"'Tis hopeless" he conceded bitter
ly as the boat wove a serpentine wake
in and out among the heaving bulks
'And, I'm thinking, tbs the O'Rourke
who will presently be Sinking back to
confess he Dragged beyond his pow
ers. The fool that We are, Terence,
with your big words and your fine
promises, all empty as your purse!
IT'S out of patience I am with We en-
tirely!"
Doubtless he made the very picture
of unhappiness.
So, at least, seemed to think a man
lounging in dilapidated canvas deck
chair beneath dirty awning in the
stern of a distant tramp steamer;
who, raking the shoreward-b bound with
a pair of rusty binoculars, had CHANGED
to focus upon O'Rourke.
Looks as if he hadn't a friend in
the world said the man audibly.
Looks as if a letter from home with
cash draft 'ud about fill his little BILL
He grunted in pleased appreciation
of his own subtle wit. A short man
he was, stout, very much at home In
grimy pajamas and nothing else, with
eyes small, blue, informed with twin
king humor and set in a forid coun-
tenance bristling with three days
growth of grayish beard.
He swung the glasses again upon
O'Rourke, and, HE'LL" he exclaimed,
sitting up with stimulated interest.
We'll, by jinks!" said the stout man.
Who'd a-thunk it?"
He got up with evident haste and
waddled forward to the bridge, where
he came upon what he evidently need
ed in his business: huge and bat
tered megaphone. Applying this to
his lips and filing his lungs he bel
lowed with right good will. and his
hail. not unlike the roaring of an
amiable bull, awoke Aden's echoes:
"O-o-Rourke!"
Good morning." murmured the IRISH
man. lifting his head to stare about
him with incredulous curiosity.
Who's that barking at me?"
The pajama'd person continuing to
shout at the top of his voice. by dint
of earnest staring the Irishman event
ually located the source of the up
roar. Now who the divvle might We
be?" he wondered. "Ananias, me
friend'-to the boatman-'row to the
steamer yonder where the noise comes
from"
Whereupon the stout man. seeing
the boat alter its course, put aside the
megaphone. And again peace brooded
over Alden.
On nearer approach TO the tramp
| O'RouTke's smile broadened to a
pleased grin, and airily he waved a
hand to the man with the voice.
Jimmy Quick," he observed with
unfeigned delight. Faith, begin to
believe that me luck holds, after ALL
From the bottom step of the tramp's
ladder he tossed a coin to the boat
man, then mounted to the deck. In
| continently the stout man fell heavily
upon his neck with symptoms Of ex