The Carlisle independent., 1918-03-28
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey
 Company
CHAPTER XIV.
The Voyaqe of the Merry Widow.

went down to the cove. As I had rather expected, I found Bill Johnson there with his motor scow, the Merry Widow, with her nose driven up on the beach.
 Bills father was Danish, I believe, and his mother was French Cana dian His speech is combination of patois that he heard at home
 Quite a sea out there" I indicated the lake.
 "She shall run pretty high,' replied Bill. but not so high like she do awhile ago"
 "Just come out for the rider" queried.
 No. The Merry Widow she bring over young man, a newspaper feller He says he give me three dollars or I wouldn't, by yimminy Christmas, do it. No, sare, not for two-fifty even I shan't do it" Then he added. with a slight wink, "The sea she ain't so high now as l make him think"
 Do you know where Huntingdon's island is?" I inquired, vague plan of action forming itself in my brain.
 
 bout three mile, maybe four or two and a half"
 'Well, the young man you brought over here has decided to stay for an hour or so. While you are waiting I want you to take me over to Hunting don's and get Mrs. Green"
 Mrs Green! What she do by Hunt ingdon's?"
 'I'H tell you later after I think up .lsome interesting explanation. At pres Dent l shouldn't be able to do the sub ject justice. How about it? Will you take me over there?"
 He hesitated.
 Here's a dollar" I said. "The storm is quieting down d good deal, and, anyhow, you know the Merry Widow is the best sea boat on the lake"
 The fattery won him. What owner, even of the veriest motor monstrosity, is not susceptible to praise bestowed upon his darling.
 II guess she shall run all right. One waive she shan't work yust so good as she ought, but l got some wire. I fix him up.''
 I helped him shove off, and Bill tin kered with the one cylinder machine gun which propelled the barge until he induced it to bark at irregular inter- vals.
 Have 1 forgotten to mention that the Merry Widow is an open boat with no superstructure or canopy of any sort? If 1 have, let me state here that her lines are very decollete. and a large wave meets with little obstruction save the passengers when it starts to travel from the bow to the stern.
 "She shall be, by yimminy Christ mas, sure choppy,' Bill commented. 'The wind she shall haul to the south and make cross waves.
 He was absolutely correct. AS soon as we left the mouth of the cove we went through some evolutions which I would have said it was absolutely impossible for man of my build to perform I was favorably considering the idea of being seasick when a larger wave than usual washed over and struck the engine. It expired peacefully Cn the spot.
 What has happened?" I asked, with a landsman's justified terror.
 "The engine has stopped" Bills calm statement of the obvious exas- perated me.
 "Of course it has stopped. Can we ever start it again?'
 Sure She shall run some more. The wave, she short circuit the spark. See," Bill pointed, "she all wet" His enthusiasm as a lecturer on the gasoline engine made him for get the lake outside.
 It was brought to his attention by a large wave which tipped us on our beam ends and dropped Bill and my \ self in an affectionate group into the stern of the boat, where we were join ed presently by collection of oil cans. wrenches, grease cans and other marine impedimenta.
 Bill removed his elbow from the pit of my long since hopeless stomach and scrambled to the engine.
 "She hain't hurted bit" he an :. nounced Lend me your handket- chief"
 I silently passed him the article he desired He carefully wiped off Q large part of the engine with it be- fore be offered it back to me l de clined and told him to consider it my contribution to the equipment of the boat
 Now. sare," he directed, you must hold the coat over the spark so she shall not get, by yee vizz, again wet"
 He showed me how to protect the engine from the clements by interpos- ing my coat and my shivering body between it and the waves. This being accomplished, he started the machin-