Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-05-08

wrench from the hand Of the engineer,
who had listened from the engine room
door. 1t struck Elishas chronometer
and knocked it off the house, box and
all, into the sea. The tug steamed back
to her scows.
"That lessons our chance just so
much" growled Elisha as he Joined the
rest. Now we can't do all we
agreed to-"
Keep dead reckonin', 'Lisha," said
Martin. Oats good 'nough for US.
An, say, can't you take sights by
watch, jess for bluff, to show in de
logbook?"
might. 'Twouldn't be reliable. Good
enough, though, for logbook testimony.
That's what I'll do"
Inch by inch they gathered in their
cable and coiled 1t down. unmoved by
the protesting toots Of the steamers
whistle. When half Of it lay on the
deck the steamer slowed down, while
her crew worked at their end Of the
lope; then she went ahead, the schoon-
er dropped back to nearly the original
distance, and they saw long stretch of
new manila hawser leading out from
the bride and knotted to their cable.
They cursed and shook their fists, but
pumped manfully on the windlass and
by nightfaIl had brought the knot over
their bows by means Of messenger"
and were heaving on the new hawser.
"Weakens our case just that much
more" growled Elisha. 1--WE were to
furnish the towline."
"Heave away, my boys" said Mar
tin. "Dey's only SO many ropes aboard
her, an when we get 'em all we've
got dat boat an dem men,"
So they warped their craft across the
western ocean. Knot after knot, haw-
ser after hawser, came over the bows
and numbered the deck.
They would have passed them over
the stern as fast as they came In were
they not salvors with litigation ahead,
for their hands must be clean when
they entered their claim, and to this
end Elisha chalked out the longitude
daily at noon and showed 1t to the
steamer, always receiving a thankful
acknowledgment on the whistle. He
secured the figures by his dead reck-
oning, but the carefully kept logbook
also showed longitude by chronometer
sights, taken when the sun shone, with
his old quadrant and older watch, and
corrected to bring result plausibly
near to that Of the reckoning by log
and compass.
The coming up to the bow Of an an
chor chain of six inch link told them
that the end was near, that the steam
er had exhausted her supply Of tow
lines and that her presumably sane
skipper would not give them his last
means Of anchoring, the other chain.
The steamer ceased her coyness, and
her crew watched from the taf1rail,
while those implacable, purposeful men
behind crept up to them.
On a calm, still night they finally un-
shipped the windlass brakes and look
ed up at the round black stern OF the
steamer not fifty feet ahead. They
were surrounded by lights Of outgoing
and incoming craft, and they knew by
soundings taken that day, when the
steamer had slowed down for the same
purpose, that they were within the
hundred fathom curve, close to the
mouth Of the English channel, but not
within the three mile limit. Rejoicing
at the latter fact, they armed them
selves to q man with Delaying pins
from their still intact pin rails and
climbed out on the cable. the whole
eighteen of them, man following man,
In close climbing order.
Now, look here" said a portly man
with gilt bound cap to the leader OF
the line as he threw leg over the tam
rail, whats the meaning, may ask,
of this unreasonable conductT
"You may ask, Of course" said the
man-it was Elisha-"but we'd like
to ask something too" (He was spar
ring for time until more should arrive)
WED like to ask why you drag US
across the Atlantic ocean against our
will"
Another man climbed aboard and
said: az
Eyes, we gree to steer you into New
York. You's adrif' In de trough Of de
sea, an you got no chronometer, an
you can't navigate, an we come long
under command, mind you-an' give
you our towline an tell. you de road to
port. Wha' you mean by disr
'Tut, tut, my colored friend!' an.
swered the man Of gilt "You were
,dismasted and helpless, and gave you
q tow. It was on the high seas, and
I chose the port, as had the right"
Another climbed on board.
"We were not helpless" rejoined
Elisha. ave had q good jury rig un-
der the bows, and we let It 90 to assist
you. Are you the skipper hereT h:
"I.am." a..