New-York tribune. [volume], July 10, 1904, Image 30

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
RD( called Eli tilt a "hard"
man In Newfoundland that means
'"hardy" — not "bad Eh' was gruff
. ..wrin^-eved. unkempt, big: he could
s\ i with the dogs, out-dare all the reckless
s] :'. ■ "l the Cove with the punt in a gale, bare
.hi ':•:. .': breast to the winter winds, travel the
v.--x or dry, shoulder a barrel "i Sour; be was
.: i .'.v. fearless giant, was l£h Zitt at Ruddy
> .<.-. .\:\<\ for this the Cove properly called
| . -.i '"hard'" man.
IVhen |osiah Hunger, his partner, put out to
- a and never came back — an off-shore gale had '.he
■. uilt of thai deed— Eli scowled more than ever and
and ■ deal less.
» "Hell be n-tlni' bad about Josiah," Mid the Cove.
Which may have beea true. However, Eli took
l>■ "f Josiah's widow and son. The Cove laughed
'.-.■. delight to observe hi-, attachment to the lad.
T':i' : '.;.' fellow Bccmed to Ik- unable to pass the child
with ;■ patting him on the back; and sometimes, bo
ex -•:".: was his :" tkm. the pats were of such a
chara ■• r thai jacky lost hi-; breath. IVhereupon. Eli
would hudde the harder, mutter odd endearments
and stride oil on his way.
"Hi be likm' that lad pretty well," sail the Cove.
"Nar a loubt, they'll be partners."
tad ' ■ une to pass, as the Cove surmised; but
:r.ueh sooner than the Cove expected. Josiah Bun
pr'f wid died when I : Icy was eleven years old
aTaea tl ' ttle gathering; at the graveyard in the
felter of A Hill dispersed, Eh took the lad out
:ri ••,• pui far oat to the quiet lishin^ grounds,
. wht-a- they -.:d be alone. It was a glowing evening
— r>d and . ': in the western sky — the sea was
heaving ?• ■:.' • . and the face of the waters was
cmrnffled.
tspered- "Jacky, lad! J I •
y m '.-■ .-. ■ i cry w i moie! "
Ay., i. (,iky "I'll cry no lr.orc"
: • • '. urn ; f<<r be < i luld
• ■ ■ • y quit kly to the gl
■ ■ |
h • ■ the lad, '
■
' ky" boulder. 1
and looked up
• - EH," he said
■
• d [a Icy Bui .- r
■ : Eli /■••■
■
the
Id in co ■
■ ' : .•:.•:• they
friend ;• I
partners. The Cove said thai they were happy;
and, as always, tin- Cove was •
<):;<■ night Eli came ashore from a trading schooner
that had put in in the morning, smiling broadly a he
entered the kitchen. H<- laid his band on the table,
palm down.
"Thi y s a gift for you under that paw, lad," he said.
"For m< . Eli?" cried Jacky.
"Aye, lad — for my partner."
Jacky stared curiously at the l>i^ hand. He won
dered what it covered. "What is it. Eli?" 1)'- asked
i me, show m>' "
Eh" lifted the hand, and gased ;it Jacky, grinning
the while, with delight. It was a jack-knife a stout
knife, three-bladed, horn-handled, big, serviceable;
iu-t tin knife for a fisher-lad. Jacky pi. k'-.l it up;
but -aid never a word: for his delight overcame him.
"You're wonderful t' me, Eli," he 1 at
last, looking up with glistening eyes. "You're won
derful i' me!"
Eli put hi- arm around th<- l»>y. "You're a k<m»\
partner, lad." be -aid. "You're a wonderful k1""'k 1 ""'
partner! "
|acky was proud of that.
They put the salmon net out in the spring. The ice
„..;, till lingering ofl hoie. The west wind earned it
out; the ea I wind swept it in; variable winds kept
| In .;. drifting hither and thither, and no
rould tell •• k\ '1..- i. c would go Now
,1, from 1 boa- t., the jagged, glis
•. line ofl the near horizon-.' next day,
md the pat k wa grindii ' the
: M, a | Ld to keep watch to .■■ ■ the r* I -
•
-j ■),.. partner ' net ia mm n-1 ofl Break heart
Point. H ' ■ rough one vhen the
■
choppy ■■■ ■ : ■ ■ ' ■ ■ '•..mi t1 "" 1
■ -„. . Imon nei aid bh.
... „ .; .. ; ■ r the hills l' Sou'we; I
Harbor for a An' you'll be a good by
ti! 1 ■• ■
•0.. a yt ii ■ " : I [a< l.v H
It v.a .. : blowing from tin;
north .i ::• hening •.•■ • \ ■ ■ ■■ , ■'. l and misty;
i the sky was leaden, threatening, and over
head dark ih ing low and vifi ■■ ith
the wind; the u.itrr v rippling black
The ice was drif tii
hore, well < I I I ere a berg
ainl the wick < ■', ,t berg ■ • A: I \
a pan from 1 f 1 it
With 1
would .ii il I harmk' ly past Bui • ■ I
I. In the afternoon it • i »nd
•■'•.. east A Ifi ur <■'. Urn k il
gale, i ' hore.
•■ J... I\> ." 11. s.,i,i.
"I'll just b ' ■ tickle t' have a 1 I
that ice," thought |acky. "Tis like it'll come
ashon
He looked i >ver the punt carefully \*r\ •• ft ting out.
I' .■..! wise, li.- thought, to prepan to t.ik«- her <>ut
into the whether or not ht i:i". •go He i ■'. ■<>
it that the thole pins were tight mil ti mg, thai tli«>
bail-bucket was in its place, that th>- running war
was tit for heavy strain. The- wind was then fluttering
the harbor water and screaming >'ii the hilltop and
in- could hear the s<-a breaking on the ti. kl<- rocks.
He rowed down the harbor to the mouth <•! the tickle,
whence he commanded a view <>i the coast, north and
south.
The ice was drifting toward Break heart Point. It
would destroy the salmon net within the hour, ht?
perceived sweep over it. tear it from its moorings,
bruise it against the rocks. |a> kv knew, in a moment,
thai hi> duty was t<» put out from the sheltered harbor
to the wind-swept, breaking open, where the spume
wa flying and the heave and frei of the sea threatened
destruction \<< the little punt. It he was a true man
and k<m»l partner he would save the net.
"He've been g 1t" me." be thought. "Aye. Xli
Ye been wonderful ;.;0,,d t" me. I'll be true partner
t ' him! "
So when Eli, returning over the hills from Sou'west
Harbor, came to the Knob o1o 1 Heart break, he saw
his own punt staggering through the gray waves
toward the net ofl the point - tossing with the sr;i
and reeling under the gusty wind with his little
partner in the stern. The boat was between the irt?
and the breakers. The spare of open water was fast
narrowing; but a few minute more and the ice would
-inke the rocks. Xli dropped on his knees, then and
there, ami prayed God to save the lad.
■•<). Lard, iave my lad!" he cried. "O, Lard, save
IHV wee lad ' "
il. „, the punl draw near the firsi moonng; saw
|„, l.v ! ■ the sheel and lei the brown sail llutter
l,k« .. ii >:: in the wind; saw him leap to the bow, and
!. an „., r, with a knife in his hand, while the boal tossed
in tl M . lop, hipping water every moment; saw him
tagger amid hips, bail like mad. snatch up the oars,
pull to the icconil mooring and cul the last net-rope;
„;. ... „,,.,, „,,, „, at to the ;tern, grasp the
till r, haul laul thu sheet, and stand off to the ooen sea.