Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-29


long fronds OF seaweed, and covered,
save at high water. by multitude
Of hungry seafowl.
A white cloud Of the birds rose
from their sleep as we approached
and wheeled and whistled and
| screamed and beat their wings over
our heads. wanted to scream. too
but Martin said
My gracious. isn't this splendifer-
| ous?"
Isn't it?" answered, and, little
hypOcrite that ! was began to sing
remember that l sang one Of
Tommys sailor songs. Sally" be-
cause its jolly doggerel was set to
such jaunty tune
on, Saiiy's the gel for me,
oar SdiiU's the gel for me,
III marry The gel that / lone best
When I come back from sea-"
My pretense Of happiness was
shortlived, for at the next moment /
his boat to a ledge Of the rock, and
laying hold of our painter, Martin
leaped ashore, and then held out his
hand to me to follow him, but in fear
OF big wave | held back when |
ought to have jumped, and he was
drenched from head to foot. was
ashamed, and thought he would have
scolded me, but he only shook him
self and said:
That's nothing We don't mind
bit Of wet when we're out asplor-
ing"
In Name of King.
My throat was hurting me again
and could not speak, but without
waiting for me to answer he coiled
the rope about my right arm, and told
me to stay where was, and hold fast
to the boat, while he climbed the rock
and took possession of It in the name
OF the King
DO or die we allus does that when
were out asploring," he said, and
with his sack over his shoulder, his
broom handle in his hand and his it
tie Union Jack clicking out of the
hole In the crown of his hat, he clam |
bered up the crag and disappeared |
over the top of 1t.
Being left alone for the dog had |
followed him. my nervousness in
creased tenfold and thinking at last |
that the rising tide was about to sub |
merge the ledge on which | stood, l |
tried in my fright TO climb the clir
But hardly had l taken three steps
when my foot slipped and / clutched |
the seaweed to save myself from fail |
ing. with the result that the boats |
rope slid from my arm, and went rip |
rip ripping down the rock until II FELL |
with splash into the sea.
| saw what had done, and I |
screamed, and then Martins head ap-
peared after a moment on the ledge |
above me. But it was too late to 90 |
anything, for the boat had already |
drifted six yards away. and Just when |
thought he would have shrieked at
me for cutting off our only connection
with the shore he said:
Never mind, shipmate! We allus
expecs to lose boat or two when
we're asplorin.'
was silent from shame, but Mar
tin, having hauled me up the rock
by help of the broom handle, ratified
away as II nothing had happened -
pointing proudly to a rust eaten tri-
angle with a bell suspended inside
Of it and his little flag floating on top.
But oh dear, what are we to DO
now" whimpered
Don't YOU worrlt about that" he
said. Wen Just signal back to the
next base-we call them bases when
we're out asplorlng"
| understood from this that he was
going to ring the bell which being
heard on the land. would bring some
body to our relief But the bell was
big, only meant to he put in motion
on stormy nights by the shock and
surglng OF an angry sea, and when
Martin had tied a string TO its tongue
IL was n feeble sound he struck from
It,
Half an hour passed, an hour. two
hours, and still l saw nothing on tho !
water but our empty boat rocking its
way back to shore.
WIN they ever Gomez" faltered.
Rather! Just you wait and |
you1 see them coming. And when |
they take us ashore there'll be crowds |
and crowds with bugles and bands
and things to take us home. My good |
ness, yes" he said. with the same
wild look. hundreds and tons Of
theml"
A Born Gentleman.
But the sun set over the sea behind
us, the land in front grew dim, the
moaning tide rose around the quaking
rock and even the screaming sea fowl
deserted us, and still there was no
sign of relief My heart was culver
ing through my clothes by this time.
but Martin, who had whistled ANA
sung. began TO talk about being hun