The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-07-29


the three ships met, and the merchant
man staggered on like stag with two
wolves hanging to Its launches. For
stricken hour the hell-cloud movet
slowly across the face of the water,
and still. with our hearts in our
mouths. we watched the flap of the
flag. straining to see If it were yet
there. And then suddenly the ship,
as proud and black and high as ever,
shot on upon her way, and as the
smoke cleared we saw one of the lug
gers squattering like a broken-winged
duck upon the water, and the other
working hard to get the crew from
her before she sank
For all that hour l had lived for
nothing but the fight. My cap had
been whisked away by the wind, but
/ had never given it thought. Now,
| with my heart full. turned upon
Cousin Edie, and the sight of her took
me back six years. There was the
vacant. staring eye and the parted lips,
| just as I had seen them in her girl
hood. and her little hands were
clenched until the knuckles cleaned
| like ivory.
"Ah, that captain!" she said. talking
to the heath and the whin bushes.
There is a man-so strong, so reso-
lutel 1 would give year of my life
to meet such man. But that is what
living in the country means. One
never sees anybody but just those who
are fit for nothing better"
l do not know that she meant to
hurt me, though she was never very
backward at that; but, whatever her
Intention, her words seemed to strike
straight upon a naked nerve.
Every WELL Cousin Edie," I said, try
ing to speak calmly. "That puts the
wick tonight"
"Oh, you'd look so handsome in a
red coat, Jack, and it improves you
vastly when you are in temper. I
wish your eyes would always flash like
that, for 1t looks so nice and manly.
But 1 am sure that you are joking
about the soldering"
"I'll let you see If I'm Joking" Then
and there I set off running over the
moor, until 1 burst into the kitchen
where my father and mother were sit
ting on either side of the ingle
Mother" 1 cried, I'm off for a
soldier"
Had said that was off for bur-
glar they could not have looked worse
over it, for in those days among the
decent, canny country folks 1t was
mostly the black sheep that were
herded by the sergeant But, my word,
those same black sheep did their coun-
try some rare service, tool My mother
put up her mittens to her eyes, and
my father looked as black as a peat
hole.
"Hoots. Jock. you're daft" says he.
Daft or no, I'm going"
'Then you'll have no blessing from
me-"
"Then I'll go without"
At this my mother gave a screech
and throws her arms about my neck.
saw her hand, all hard and worn
and knuckly with the work that she
had done for my upbringing, and It
pleaded with me as words could not
have done. My heart was soft for her,
but my will was as hard as a flint
edge. put her back In her chair
with kiss, and then ran to my room
to pack my bundle. It was already
growing dark, and had long walk
before me; so 1 thrust few things
together and hastened out. AS came
through the side door someone touched
my shoulder, and there was Edie In
the cleaning.
| "Silly boy" said she. "You are not
really going? don't want you to go,
Jack"
"You said that the folk in the coun-
try were fit for nothing better. You
always speak like that. You think no
more of me than of those doves In the
cote. You think Tn nobody at all. I'll
show you different" All my troubles
came out in hot little spurts of speech.
She colored up as I spoke and looked
at me in her queer. half-mocking. half
petting fashion.
'Oh, think so little of you as that"
said she. "And that is the reason why
you are going away. Well. then, Jack.
will you stay If am-if am kind to
your
We were face to face and close to-
gether, and in an instant the thing
was done. My arms were round her,
and was kissing her, and kissing her,
and kissing her, on her mouth, her
cheeks, her eyes. and pressing her to
my heart, and whispering to her that
she was all. all TO me, and that could
not he without her. She said moth
ing. but II was long before she turned
her face aside. and when she pushed
me hack 1t was not very hard.
'Why. you are quite your rude. old,
/ r<.lR catd ey, t,.~
hair with her two hands. "You have
tossed me, Jack. l had no idea that
you would be so forward"