The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1925-01-28

Jededlah gr1pped the rope with ting
ling fingers and crouched to listen,
for she was saying something, but he
could not hear, and those with her
cried out: "Oh, Bettyw and she
laughed again. and Jedediah's pulses
throbbed. 1t 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. r
| Betty" he whispered to the lights
Of the harbor. zone day l shall have
ship Of my own and her name shall
be Betty.
Betty he said to the wind that
was driving the mist away, Betty"
But 1t was nearly fifteen years be-
fore Jedediah had boat Of his own
The youngest captain In the fleet then.
She was a three-master, schooner
rugged and painted black. And de-
cause just Betty" seemed too bold
for other men to speak, Jedediah
called her Miss Betty, and had the
name done In 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 fleet
to leave the bay that season. and 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
ging 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 point. They were run
ming before the wind.
"Bring her aboutl" he said with
steady voice. 1--WE go backv
But the man jammed the helm down
and kept to the course, looking fur
lively about to see If any were near.
I'm not daffy," said Jedediah,
quietly, watching him, "but I've seen
that thing that will take her back if
she goes with me alone. Will you
bring her about or" And cowed by
Jedediah'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 scrambling on deck with
scared faces.
sect to the ropes - Jedediah yelled,
and every man was in his place. And
now she had to beat her way, and II
was not until 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
Rowes Welcome-full two days run
wreck Is pounding on the reefs"
"Who spoke us?' some one cried
out.
mo one spoke u.s." Jedediah flung
wide his arms. 81 heard the Stating
of her sails an saw her. Her higgins
strewn across decks-her masts are
gone, and men are clinging in the
ropes and sails and the wind off the
foes is hard over them !"
The men were huddled together
white-lipped. Jedediah crossed to the
foremost and turned.
I'm not daffy, men; bear me out. II
we don't find her in two days-three
give me three-the oil Is yours, an
your wage-Tll sign It,"
A man stirred and held up his hand
to let 1t drop again.
It was no simple superstition of the
sea. Every sailor knew that such
things were, and they would not dick
err for oil with the man who had been
sent the revealing The men crept
back to their places, and Miss Betty
rushed on into the north.
The days were short in the northern
waters, and 1t was In the dimming
light of the third noon that the far
headands of Rowe's Welcome showed
off the port bow, and almost at the
moment of sighting her, Jedediah's
voice rang from the masthead. There
were no words, just great cry that
cut the wind and brought the men
below him.
"Whar away?"
keep her Off! She's broad on the
lee bow" and the men swarmed up
the ropes and then chung there agap,
for across the sea that heaved and
swung and dipped below them, lay a
battered wreck. her masts gone, the
rigging strewn across her decks and
the pounding sea against her. But
there was no sign of life over her,
and Jedediah's orders came in voice
that dashed and bit them into quick
action against the sullen weather.
They kept off before the wind and
then ran down close to the reefs, and
the long boat put out with Jedediah
and three men, though every one had
begged to go; and all the way he eau
toned them what men became after
days without water and food But
when thev were close on her and |