The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1925-07-08

"tNCNuNu AAANNCN the E4NG WIN Ting
ling fingers and crouched to listen,
for she was saying something. but he
could not hear, and those with her
cried out: "Oh, Betty" and she
laughed again, and Jedediah's pulses
throbbed. It was long after they had
passed into the city that Jedediah
swung down to stand on the quay just
where the girls laugh had rung up to
him.
Betty" he whispered to the lights
Of the harbor. zone day I shall have
a ship Of my own and her name shall
be Betty.
Betty" he said to the wind that
was driving the mist away, Betty"
But It was nearly fifteen years be-
fore Jedediah had a boat Of his own
the youngest captain in the feet then.
She was a three-master, schooner
rugged and painted black. And de-
cause just Betty seemed too bold
for other men to speak, Jsdediah
called her Miss Betty, and had the
nNme done I'm gOld-where all the
others were In white.
Miss Betty's first voyage was into
the straits for Arctic whale, and Jede-
diah had not seen the headlands Of
ROwe's Welcome since his bOyhOOd
cruise. She was the last Of the feet
to leave the bay that season, ana with
full cargo was running south again,
well down the straits, when. In the
lurid dawn, the man braced at the
helm saw Jedediah slip from the rig
Ving where he had climbed at mid
night on sOme strange purpose Of his
own.
He came to stand by the helm, but
did not speak for some moments, and
when he did his voice was unsteady.
Bring her-abOut -
"What?" the man cried, and the
helm slipped a point. They were ran
Uing before the wind.
Bring her about" he said with
steady voice. I'VE 90 backr
But the man jammed the helm down
and kept to the course, looking fur
lively about to see II any were near.
I'm not daffy," said Jedediah,
quietly, watching him, "hut I've seen
that thing that viii take her back II
she goes with me alone. VIII you
bring her about, Or" And cOwed By
Tedediah's eye, the man slowly showed
the helm over till the sails Quivered
and Stacked and then Jared to the
shock Of the wind, head on, and the
men were scrRmbling on deck with
scared faces
Get to the rOpes!" Jedediah yelled,
and every man was In his place. And
now she had to beat her way, and II
was not untn she was rushing free on
the backward course that Jedediah
called the men to him. His face was
white, drawn, stern with big purpose,
but over his eyes was the mist Of
revery that was over Lucia's, and his
voice was full:
straight above us-maybe nigh
ROwe's Welc0mO-fulI two days run
a wreck is pounding on the reefs"
"WhO spoke UsT some one cried
out.
mo n spoke us" Jedediah flung
wide his arms. 81 heard the Slattinq
OF her sails an saw her. Her higgins
strewn across docks-her masts are
goG2, and men are clinging in the
ropes and saiIA and the wind of the
foes is hard over themr'
The men were huddled together
whIte-lipped. Jedediah crossed to the
tCremast and turned.
I'm not dafy. men; bear me out. II
we don't hnd her in two days-three
give me three-the oil Is yours, an
your wage-rn sign It."
A mar stirred and held up his hand
to let it drop again
II was no simple superstition Of the
sea. Every sailor knew that such
things were, and they would not dick.
er for oil with the man who had beer
sent the revealing. The men crepI
back to their places, and Miss Betty
rushed on into the north.
The days were short sn the northern
waters, and it was in the dlmmins
light Of the third noon that the faI
headlands Of ROwe's Welcome showed
or the port bow, and almost at tho
moment Of sighting her, Jedediahl
voice rang from tie masthead Their,
were no words, just q great cry thai
cut the wind and brought the meE
clambering below him.
"Whar aWayP'
keep her on Shes broad on Oh,
lee bow" and the men swarmed N
the ropes and then clung there agaD
for across the sea that heaved anS
swung and dipped below them, lay +,
battered wreck, her masts gone, d,
rigging strewn across her decks an.
the pounding sea against her. Bu
there was no sign Of life over her
and Jedediah's orders came "a q vote.
that dashed and BIT them into OticI
action against the mllen weather
They kept or before the wind an,
then ran down close to the reefs. an,
the long boat put out with JedeEial
and three men, Though every one ha,
beQved "a. 60 nna-al the wav ha o,~