The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1914-10-15
boat, and SO We beat our way around
lH beach tO fhn STEAMBOAT dOoly

Heet OF DOaCS nlled with the hardy
boatmen of Quincy Harbor, for that old
port has been the home of scores of
sailors, and shipbuilding is still it's
chief industry.
Naturally, our boat led the way. Mr..
Slime hovered over the wheel, his wiry
little form enyeloped in pea jacket
and nautical cap pulled low over his
scaaty tow hair. Now and then he
turned cold blue eye in my direc-
ton. and knew that Ananias wished
that was ashore with the other wo-
nen of Quincy Harbor. Somehow
Ananias Slime and | never seemed to
hit it off. There was carefully con
cealed mutual dislike between US.
Yet Ananias had many admirers
among the fairer sex in Quincy Har-
Dor, and there were several widows
who would gladly have risked another
matrimonial venture with the little
story teller at the helm
How the wind blew that October
morning! How the salt water whip
ped our faces us the little boat breast
ed the waves and made for the har-
boris mouth. Beyond that narrow
opening all we could see was the lift
Of white foam from the sound.
You'll git enough Of 1t outsider
barked Ananias over his shoulder
at Inc.
made some careless reply, but the
wind tore the words from my lips,
and he never heard. There was a
look of SNUG satisfaction on his mean
little face as he bent over the wheel
again. There was no doubt that Aua.
MAS felt that he had entirely routed
ne.
| was il good sailor, for l loved the
salt water and had been on it more or
less all my life, SO was not afraid.
| was more fearful that the sea SER
pent would have vanished and that
would lose my only chance of ever
seeing one.
| Captain Barnabas sat In the bow.
drinking in the wind and the spray
| and sunshine of the day with sailors
love of u or'wester
1t was not until we We're wei! into
the sound and had turned to the east.
where High point jutted u pine crown,
ed summit into the blue of sea and
sky The beach curved in sharply
here. and once in the shadow of the
point we were in the lee of the wind
and the going was little better.
Behind us the other boats rose and
fell on the great waves like bobbins
corks.
Ananias began to take all almost hu-
man interest in the affair at this point.
He turned the wheel over to Captain
Barnabas and stood in the bow, one
hand bent above his brow.
He peered to the right and he scowl-
ed to the left. and suddenly he lifted
his voice and bawled Justify:
''There she blows!"
Captain Barnabas mOtioned me to
the wheel and he joined Ananias Slime
where's the critterY' demanded the
captain skeptically.
Jest about two p'ints south of east, .
explained Ananias. pointing with a
stubby forefnger "See that dark
spot-and that? Jippity Crusoe. but
| she's thutty feet long--what say
capn?"
Regardless of the wheel. my curios
| ity got the better of me. and I, too
arose and sazed in the direction to-
| ward which all of them were uow gaz
| ing
Sure enough. about a quarter Of q
| mile away, close in shore, there ap
! peared about twenty feet of ridged
| back, then an expanse Of water where
| the body was submerged, then more
| ridges. more water, more reptile crown
| ed with some kind Of head that rose
and fell with the swell Of the sea
That was the crowning moment OF
slr. Shines triumph Even l, who haG
| doubted his veracity in the matter Of
| marvellous adventures in which ht
claimed to have been engaged at vari
mentally made handsome apologies t.
| Ananias.
This time he was kight. Before u.
| was the very evidence of our eyes
sea serpent Few had seen one. anG
those few had failed to produce theil
evidence of the truth of what they
bad seen But here was Ananias, {
noted story teller, not only seeing /
sea serpent. but able to confirm hi!
story with the evidence of score o
his neighbors
| sat down and took the wheel. Be
hind Inc heard the sound of excitet
voices as the excited crowd urged theil
boats ahead
The captain and Ananlas stood ther,
| in the bow. their arms interlocked II
friendly fashion and their heads to
gether. They had pair Of stron:
| glasses, and every time the black bod,
of the reptile glistened in the sunligh
one Of them would glimpse It agnil
| with the glasses.
! AS we neared the reptile it suddenl.
submerged. and was relieved of th'
wheel and told to watch ahead closel.
| for it's reapDuarance while the two mel
made ready to capture it.
Captain Barnabas was for capturini
/ it alive and selling it to the aquarium
/ but Ananias wanted it, dead or alive
The captain loaded a heavy shotgun
/ and Ananias brought forth sever;,
/ short harpoons with new lines fasten
| ed in the sllanks
We're going to set you ashore. Mis-
| Telham,' said Ananias boorishly
This amt no place for wimmi'
] folks
said nothing, for knew that i
4 ,pl.n don