The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-12-28

| be bold, to tell Julie Richaud that he
was leaving Madrid, going as far away
| inland as his feet would take him, TO
some place where he never need lie
| awake through another hideous night
with the drum of surf spelling out
| CHASTITY stories in his sleepless ears
| He had been afraid to tell her that
| She would not have believed him. Nor
| had he mentioned his fathers plans
! for him in the fishing fleet.
He strobe on Below the hills
Madrid Bay huddIed against its Dunes
| showing sad sprinkle of dimly
lighted windows and misshapen blOts
/ of luminous reflection on wet roofs
| The street was deserted. Only the
boo! hall blaZed uagnifcently.
Pug Downey, its owner stood on the
porch, splitting enormously. his wooden
| leg propping open the screen door
He waved his arms excitedly when
| he saw Norman, and Immediately
hobbled back into his establishment.
| Norman approached. The rooom was
silent as he opened the door. A
crowd of fishermen pressed together
in the back of the room.
Here he isl" Pug Downey cried i'm
| portantly.
.'Come here, you, Norman" three
men called out together.
Upon the bar stretched Gustat Err.
| ickson. His gray hair lay in thin wet
| strings across his forehead. His eyes
were closed, lips battened tight, his
cheeks whittier than Norman had ever
seen any mans.
"He amt dead yet" Pug Downey
said. ~#
what happened?" Norman demand.
| ed
No one answered. quick hot tin.
| gle ran over his scalp. man gripped
his arm. 1t was Jim Nelson, an old
sea mate of Gustaf.
"Where you been?" Nelson asked
Come here" He pushed Norman
ahead through the crowd. "Sure we've
call't the doctor. Mccarthy from Cop
perhead. We've give Gus shot or
two of stuff. SOS to hold him out
Mccarthy ought to be here by now.
Where you been?"
His voice was accusing Norman
| stared bewilderingly at the old mans
| grim oyster face and did not answer.
Nelson had sailed salt water with Gus
! tat Erickson when both were young
The chance that follows the seas had
| flung them together in Madrid.
Battle AK mail boat put out just
| afOre dark, bout sundOwn," Nelson
said. couple of ladies wanted to go
along across with Lem Hardy. Too
much weather, he says. Told 'em he'd
come back and get 'em tomorrow. He
just puts off when the thunder and
lightning lets go. Where you at, you
| didn't hear the thunder?"
81 heard it." said Norman.
swell, the lightning hits the mail
boat She wasn't fifty fathom off the
| end OF the crib. Sets her afire, Gus
yO1r paw hes down
at the fish shack, tendin' some gear
! or other. They was mean sea run
min. Lem Hardy ought to knowed
better than go out hisself Well, he
didn't know better"
"My father 2" Norman be-
| gan.
"Never waited minute" Nelson
said. "Casts off alone soon's he sees
| the fire. He ought to have knowed bet.
| ter, too. LENS boat rammed against
| the cedar poles in that old break
water south CT the harbOr. Your paw
| carried a line over, but the seas run
MIN so dirty he can't hold the two
| boats together. We was all down shore
| by that time. We see Gus duck into
| LENS cabin once. That mail boat
| burnt hard | tell vel We see from
| here he could never get Lem out.
| told you ii was mean sea? Well,
! guess Gus saw it was no use, couldn't
get throug the fire. He'd give it up
and was tryin' to get back on his
| own boat when the two of them pulled
apart and he goes down a-tween 'em.
| They was smashin' together right
hard"
Nelson wiped his lips with the ,Lc,,
of his hand. The dying wind booted
| outside. Norman shuddered.
"Sea WI; he'd him in about where
that old pier used to run out" Nelson
said bluntly. "SOme OF the boys brung
in his boat knowed your paw wouldn't
want that boat to break up. He's got
| busted leg and back, fgger. Least
sometimes wrong with his back. We
! can't get no sense o. what he SAYS.
Lem Hardy? Lor'. he went down with
the mail boat! We sent for the coast
guard from Blind Mans point wanted
70 make it regular and all. Tele-
phoned right off for Mccarthy"
Doctor Mccarthy, fat. Iniddle-aged
and undisturbed, arrived at the pool.
room in thirty more minutes. The men
stopped their talking. The doctors
| face became severe.
"Open those windows, DOwney, all
of them. Get outside, you fellows.
Two of you stay. What's the matter
with you. lad?" he swung critically on
Norman. "Why you so white? This
isn't your funeral! Your father? This
| your father? Take him along" he babe
Jim Nelson, "get home and fix bed.
Have it warm. Take some stones, so
big, heat em hot and wrap 'em up in
paper"
Norman scuffed blindly out of the
poolroom, stepping twice on Jim Mel
| sons boot heels.
Good man, your paw" Nelson said
awkwardly. There's real sailor!
Tellin me today you're goin' partners
in the fish boat with him"
| Norman mumbled. think his backs
broker" he asked.
| Looks like II to me- answered