The Yale expositor., 1920-09-09
CHAPTER discontinued.

3
Put not an inch of canvas did she
lower, floundering on in her stolid
fashion, while a little black ball ran
up her peak and the rare old flag
streamed suddenly out from the hal
lard. Then again came the rap-rap-
rap of her little guns and the boom
boom of the big carronades in the
bows of the lugger. An instant later
the three ships met, and the merchant
man staggered on like a stag with two
wolves hanging to its launches. For
q stricken hour the hell-cloud moved
slowly across the face of the water,
and still, with our hearts in our
mouths, we watched the flap of the
flag, straining 10 see If ii 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 broken-winged
duck upon the water and the other
working hard TO get the crew from
her before she sank.
For all that hour had lived for
nothing but the fight My cap had
been whisked away by the wind but
| had never given II q 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-
lutte! I would give a 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"
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 naked nerve.
"Very well, Cousin Edie," said. try
lux W SDtdh calmly nat IulN lilt
cap on II. I'll take the bounty in Ber-
wick tonight"
ooh, you'd look so handsome in a
red coat. Jack, and II improves you
vastly when you are in a temper.
wish your eyes would always fash like
that, for IL looks so nice and manly.
But I am sure that you are joking
about the soldering"
"Pll let you see If I'm joking" Then
and there l set off running over the
moor. until I burst into the kitchen
where my father and mother were sit
ting on either side of the ingle.
Mother" ! cried, "Tm off for
soldier"
Had | said that l was off for bur-
glar they could not have looked worse
over II, for in those days among the
decent, canny country folks IL was
mostly the black sheep that were
herded by the sergeant But, my word,
those saine black sheep did their coun-
try some rare service, too! 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"
"Tben you'll have no blessing from
me-"
"Then TIL go without"
At this my mother gave n 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 II
pleaded with me as words could not
have done. My heart was soft for her,
but my viii 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. II was already
growing dark. and ! had long walk
before me; so l thrust n few things
together and FASTENED out. As ! came
through the side door someone touched
my shoulder. and there was Edie In
he cleaning.
"SlIy boyl" said she. "YOu are not
really golngi don't want you to go
lack"
"You said that the folk In the coun-
fry were M for nothing better. You
always speak like that You think no