The Delta independent., 1913-01-24

proves of. No-er-hum-ha! mol"
And l explained to Captain Dan.
.els," observed the minister. that I
went there for what seemed to me
good reasons, and, as they did seem to
me good at the time, I'm not ashamed
of having gone. 1t was an honest mis-
take on my part and l may make
more"
But the society" began Elkanah.
Captain Zeb interrupted him.
Don't worry about the society, Mr..
Ellery," he said with emphasis. "Nor
about the parish committee. either.
Great fishhooks! the most of US are
tickled to death over what you said to
Eben Hammond. We think it's a
mighty good joke. You didn't know,
Innocent He! he! he! Did you lay
him out, hey?"
81 think you'll find good many of
the society feel as do, shocked and
hum-ha!-sorry. I'm surprised they
haven't been here to say so.''
Il expected them," remarked the
minister.
$50 did l." chimed in Captain Zeb.
But callate to know why they amt
been. They're all too busy CROWN
over the way Nat Hammond fetched
the packet home last night. You amt
heard. Keziah, have you? Nor you
Mr.. Ellery? Well, / must tell you.
Here's where l gain lap on Didama
Rogers. Seems the Deborah S.-that's
the packets name, Mr.. Ellery-she
hauled out of Boston night after last
on the ebb, with fair wind and sky
clear as bell. But they hadn't much
more'n got outside of Minot's fore the
fog shut down, thicker'n cruel for a
sick man. The wind held till long to-
ward mornih'; then she fiattened to a
dead calm. Bile Perry, the mate. he
spun the yarn to me. and he said
twas thick and fiat as ever he see
and kept gettin' no better fast.
"They drifted along till noon time
and then they was somewheres out in
the bay. but that's about all you could
say. Zach. he was stewin' and sput
term like pair of fried cells. and La
fayette Gage and Emulous Peters
they're Denboro folks. Mr.. Ellery, and
about sixteen p'ints t'other side of no
account-they was the only passen-
gers aboard except Nat Hammond. and
they put in their time playin high low
Jack in the cabin. The lookout was
for'ard tootin' tin horn and his bel
lerin' was the most excitin' thing goin
on. After dinner-corned beef and cab
bage-trust Zach for that. though it's
next door to cannibalism to put cab
bage in his mouth-after dinner all
hands was on deck when Nat says:
thin'?'
"They listened, and then they all
heard it-all 'cept Zach, who's deef in
his larboard ear.
"Stand byi' roars Nat. It's a
squall, dead astern and comm abilin'!
I'll take her, Bile. You look out for
them tops'ls.'
so Nat grabs the wheel and 'Bije
tears for'ard and sends the two fo'mast
hands aloft on the jump. Zach was
skipper. but all he done was race
around and holler and trip over his
own feet. 1t hit 'em fore they got
even one tops1 clewed down. That
one, the foretops1 twas, split to rags.
The main tops1 was set. and when the
squall struck. the rotten old topmast
went by the board 'Kerrash-o! Course
splinters flew like all possessed, and
one of 'em, about foot long. sailed
past Mats head, where he stood heav-
In his whole weight on the wheel, and
lit right on the pinnacle, smashin' 1t
to matches.
well, there they was, afioat but
with their upper riggin' gone and the
compass smashed fiat. A howlin' moth
wester blowin' and fog thick as ever
Zach was a whimperin'. fidgetin' old
woman, Lafayette and Emulous was
prayin' in the scuppers-and that amt
an exercise they're used to. neither
even Bile was mighty shook up and
worried-he says he was himself. But
Nat Hammond was as cool and re-
freshin' as the bottom of my well up
home.
"Then Nat suggests gettin' the spare
compass and, 10 and behold you there
want any. Compasses cost money
and moneys made to keep, SO Zach
thinks.
so there they was Wind was fair,
or ought to be, but twas blowin' hard
and SO thick you couldn't hardly see
the lib boom. Zach he wanted to an.
chor, then he didn't. then he did, and
50 on. Nobody paid much attention
to him.
"What1l we do, Nat?' says Bile,
He knew who was the real seaman
,board.
"'Well. II twas me. / wouldn't an.
;hor till l had to. Prob1y twill fair
of tomorrow. but II It shouldn't. we
might have to lay out here all day.
Anyhow, we'd have to wait for full
tide
I'm afraid we're off the course
says Bile. else we'd been acrost the
har hv fh{c time,