New-York tribune. [volume], July 10, 1904, Page 4, Image 31

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4
"Clever |acky!" he screamed, wildly excited. "Clever
lad' My partner, my little partner!"
Hut the wind earned the cry away. Jacky 'lid no!
hear — did not know, even, that hi- partner had been a
spectator of his brave faithfulness. He was beating
out, to make sea-room for the run with the wind to
harbor; and the boat was dipping her gunwale in a
way that kept every faculty alert to keep her afloat.
EG watched him until he rounded and stood m for
the tickle. Then the man sighed happily and went
home.
"L's'll grapple for that net the morrow," he said,
when |ai ky came in,
larky opened his eves. "Aye"-" he said.. " 'Tis
safe on tile bottom, I thought I'd besi CUt it adrift
t' save it."
"I seed you." said Xli, "from the Kttob Twas
Well dour, lad! You're a true partner."
"Tin- knife come in handy," said Jacky, smiling.
'"Tis a g io,l knife."
"Aye," said Kli. with a shake of the head. "I
bought mi' for a good one."
And that was all.
Eli set about rearing young Jacky in a fashion as
wise as he knew. He exposed the lad to wet and
weather, as judii i' tusly
as in 1 could, to make
him hardy. In- took him
to sea in high winds, to
fix his courage and teach
him to sail; In- taught
him thr weather signs,
tin- :. li lore of tin- coast,
thi 1 "marks" for the
fishing grounds, the
whereabouts of shallows
and reefs and currents;
In- took turn to church
and lent him ti > Sunday
school. Anil he taught
him to swim.
( >:i the tine days of
that summer, when there
were no fish to be caught,
the man and the lad
went together to the
Wash-tub— a deep, little
c. • ■•■ i >f th>- sea. clear,
quiet, hot tome .1 with
suv >■ >th n » k and shel
tered from the wind by
high cliffs; but cold—
almost as told as i,e
water Here Ja- ky de
: 1 to w.t', h Eli
t\].<-. leap from the cliff,
float on his back,
far out to sea; here he
gazed wit h "ad niratti >n
not unmixed with a >ye "
on the man's i* !.'.■• • I
body broad shoulders,
bulging muscles, great
arms and legs. And
here, too, he learned to
swim.
When the warme sts t
sun. 1:;'1 :;' r day were g< me,
Jacky could paddle about
the Wash-tub in promis
ing fashion. He was con
fident when Eli was at
hand —sure, then, that he
could keep afloat. But
he was not yet sure
enough of his power
when Xli had gone on
the long swim to sea.
II 1 1 said that he had
done well; and Jacky,
himself, often said that
lie i • tuld swim a deal
1«t •■ r than a stone. In
an emerge nc y , both
agreed, Jacky s new accomplishment would be sure
to serve him will.
"Sure, if the punt tamed over,* 1 Jack; innocently
boasted, "I'd be able f swim 'til you righted her."
That was to be proved.
"EX, l-'y." said old James Blunt, one day in the
fall <.t the year, "<l<> you tak<- my new dory t' the
grounds t'-day. Sure. IM lik.- t'know how you iikes it."
old James had built his boat aft i >uth-coast
modeL She was a dory, a ll.it ■]>■ <■;■. d craft, as
distinguished from a punt, which has a round bottom
and keel. He was proud "I her; but somewhat timid;
and he wanted EX's opinion <■! her quality.
"Ti- a queer looldn' thing!" said EH. "Bui me
an' my partner**] try she, James, just for luck."
That afternoon a tall gale caught the dory on the
Farthest Grounds— far out beyond the Wolf's Teeth
Reef. It came from the shore so suddenly thai Eli
could not escape it. S<> it was a beat to harbor, w ii li
tlu- wind and sea rising fast. < >!t the Valley, which is
SUNDAY MAGAZINE for JULY 10, 1904
half a mile from the narrows, a gust cam ■ out between
the hills — came strong and switt. It heeled the d-rv
over — still over — down - down until the watei potwed
iii over the gunwale. Kh let go the main-sheet,
expecting the sail to fall away from the wind, and thus
ease the 1 mat. Hut tin line caught in the Mock. I•■
went the dory — still down. And of a sudden it capsized.
When |acky came to the surface, he began frantic
ally to splash the water, momentarily losing Strei -:' : i.
breath and self-possession. Kh was waiting for him.
with head and shoulders out of the water, like an
eager dog as he waits for tin -tick his master is about
to throw. He swam close, hut bung ofl for a moment
— until, indeed, he perceived that Jacky would never
of himself regain his self-possessioa -for he did not
want the boy to he too soon beholden to ban foj aid.
Then he slipped his hand under Ja. ky- hflMl and
bta tyed him up.
"Partner!" he said, quietly. "Partner!"
l.uky'. panic-Stricken struggles at once ceased;
for he had been u>ed to giving instant oliedience to
Eli's commands. He looked in KIT- dripping face.
"Easy, partner." said Kh, still quietly. "Strike
out. now."
l.uky smiled, and struck out. as directed. In a
For tH»- Third Turn- th«- Little
P.irtntr W..> Hrlpcd Aboard
"Take it easy, lad." Kh continued. "Just take it
easy while I rights the boat. It's all right. I'll have you
aboard m a jiffy. Is you — is you — all right. |ack\
"Aye," Jacky gasped.
Eli waited tor a moment longer. He was loath
to leave the boy to take .are of himself. Until then
he had not known how large a place mi hi-- heart his
little partner tilled, how mn h he had come to depend
upon him for all those things which make bfc worth
while. He h.ul not known, indeed, how far away
from the old. lonely life the lad had led him So he
waited tor a moment longer, watching Jacky. Then
he swam to the overturned dory, when?, alter an
anxious glance toward the lad. he «hvcd t.> cut away
th.- -ear and dived again, and yet again; watching
Jacky all the time he w a- at the stirtace foi breath.
Tin- •.■ear nil away, the mast pulled from its socket,
Kh righted the boat. It take- a strong man and
clever swimmer to do that, but Eli was clever in the
water, and strong anywhere. Moreover, ii was a
trick he had learn.-.!.
Come, Jacky, by! " he called.
Jacky swan toward the boat. Eli swam to meet '
him. and helped him ■•■:■•'.• last few yards oi chop] v
sea. tor the lad was almost exhausted. Jacky laid
a hand on the bow of the dory. The* Xii palled o-f;
one of his long hoots, and swam to the stern, whcx
he began cautiously to bail the boat. When she v ;<..-,
light enough in the water, he helped Jacky aboard
and larky bailed her dry.
" Ha. lad!" Eli ejaculated, with a grin that made h:.~"
face shine. " You is safe aboard. How is you, by?"
"Tire.l. Kli." Jacky answered.
"You bide quiet where you is," said Eli. "I
find the paddles; an' I'll soon have you home."
Eli's great concern had been to gel the hoy out of
the water. He had cared for little else than that — •
to get him out of the reach of the sea. And now he
was confronted by the problem of making harbor.
The boat was slowly drifting out with the wind; the
dusk was approaching: and every moment it ..is
growing more difficult to swim in the choppy sea. It
took him a long time to rind the paddles.
"Steady the boat. Jacky." he -aid. when the boy had
taken the paddles into the dory. "I'm com:!:' aboar !."
Eli attempted to board the dory over the b v.
She was tossing about in a choppy sea; and he was $
not used to her ways. Had -lie Uen a punt — h:.s
punt — he would have been aboard in a trice. Bat
-he was not his punt — not a punt, at all; she was a
new boat, a dory, a flat-bottomed craft; he was not
used to her ways. Jacky tried desperately to steadj
her while Eli lifted him elf out of the water.
"Take care. Eli!" he reamed. "She'll be ov-r!"
Eli got his knee on the gunwale— :io more • .::
that. A wave tipped the boat; she lurched: she
capsized. And again Eli waited for (a kv to . .me
to the surface of the water; again buoyed hitr. ::p;
again gave him courage; again helped him to the -
boat; again bailed the boat — this — with one of
Jacky 's boots — and again helped I ; kv aboard.
"I'm wonderful tired, EH." said Jacky. when tht} 1
paddles were handed over the side for the sec
"l BO 'air' done i :
" 'T' •"'•■•■ soon, lad. I'll have you h ">• ! y
the kitchen tire ml . ■ an hour. Come, now, ; . ■ r.'
Steady the bo..- I'll try again."
Even more cautiously El attempted to cl bet
aboard. Inch by inch he raised himself or.: he
water. When the greater waves ran under the
he paused; when she rode on an even keel, he c:ina»
faster. Inch by inch, hum:- the cranky !■ • all
the time, he lifted his right leg. But he coi:'. : not a
get aboard. Again, when his knee was on the gunv. ale,
the .lory capsized.
For the third time the little partner was h. led';
aboard and given a boot with which to bail. His
strength was then near gone. He threw water over
the side until he could no longer lift his arms.
"Eli." he gasped. " I can do no more!" «
Eli put his hand on the bow. as though al>out :o
attempt to clamber aboard again. But he withdrew ir.
"Jacky, by." he said, "could you not manage t'
pull a bit with the paddles. I'll swim alongside."
Jacky stared stupidly at him.
Again Eli put h:s hand on the bow. He wa in
terror if losing Jacky's life. Never before had he
known such dread and fear. 11 did not dare ri.sk
overturning the boa- again; for he knew that Pack]
would not survive for the fourth time. What could he
do? He could not get aboard, and Jackv could not
row. How was he to get the boy ashore; His hand
touched the painter — the long rope by which the
boat was moored to the stage. That gave him an
idea: he would tow the boat ashore!
S. > be took the rope in his teeth. and struck out for
the tickle to the harbor.
"Twas a close call, by." said Eli, when he and
Jack} sat by the kitchen tire.
"An' 'twas too bad. " said i ... ky, ":' lose the gear."
1 ■ laughed
" Wh.i: you laughin' at?" Jacky asked
"1 brought ashore something better than the ear '
"The dorr?"
"No. by!* 1 *- 1 1 roared. "M\ '■•■■. i>artner'**
Bands' SeliF-IPyoftecfcaoia
THE ingenuity of many birds in building nests iti
such a way as to protect them from the attacks
ol rivals and enemies is wonderful. The long, hanging
nest of the oriole and the dome-shaped nest of the
wren are remarkable for their place and manner of
construction, perhaps the oriole of Central America
is not surpassed in this respect by any other bird
It builds its nest in the banana "tree." Selecting a
large banana leaf, and with its bill for a needle and
some strong grass for thread, it sews the two edges
together, following the grain oi the leaf dose by one ■
of the veins. it does its work so deftly and neatly
thai it takes a close examination to detect the stitches.
In this cunningly devised pocket the itttl- bird mak ;
a nest of soft grass or of hair. and there lavs her eggs
and raises her little family without fear ot inscoverr.
moment he was
swimming a t
Elis si. l.-.