Swept Out to Sea / Or, Clint Webb Among the Whalers

n and I have a Se

breeze swooped down the sloop made a pretty little run, then she'd sulk, with the sail flapping, till another puff came. I lay in the stern with my hand on the tiller, half asleep, while Pa

sly. "What you been doing for the last hour Clint Webb?

for himself personally, he was never in the wrong! Now he felt that he must have somebody on whom to vent his vexation-and hunger; I was

tion with the Meteorological Bureau, and therefore

you smart?

we had not been at just these odds on this lovely September evening, the incidents which follow might never have occurred. Out of this foolish beginning of a quarrel

cooly; "but I can't govern the

o eat aboard,"

h you caught," s

ish of most unpleasant aspect and of absolutely no use as food. All it did when he shook it off his hook in disgust was to swell

ot have gone outside the inlet without more than just a bite of luncheon in the cuddy. But when he referred to my bonnie sloop as "an old tub" and said it wasn't rigged right and that I didn't know how to sail her, then-well, I l

interrupting him. "You know the Wavecrest is by far the

ared. "She's a measly, g

is that you're a bad

" he exclaimed,

f any consequence at all I should be angry,

row ashore," said he. "You can br

ieved of your company; but I shall want to get

" cried Paul, coming aft to w

ing. "You're not going to leave me without

e you and take you of

ill; then again,

r," he said, with a grin that I kn

ded. "You forced your company on me to

much mine as you

ou figure that out?" re

ther it was for us to use together; but

ed invitation to Paul to use my personal property. The Wavecrest was my dearest possession. As the saying is, there was more salt

-in-law and his son (Aunt Alice was dead some years then) would live with us about half the time;

ght in this boat but myself, unless I invite them; and I'll inform you righ

so?" snee

you can make

st forth. "Goodness knows, I don't. But I'm going a

painter. Somehow his per

not going to leave this sloop t

for the moment of his usual caution. Paul was a bigger and heavier, as wel

y there was so little wind that the sloop t

I am going

're

healthy for you to try

o do? I have started out to narrate the incidents which occurred and the various changes that have come into my life since this very

the worse side of my character first. Facts are stubborn things, and I ha

Paul seemed to have no intention of obeying me, I a

rope," said I, earnestl

ester Downes. I was so near Paul that I had to step back to gather force for a blow, and as I retreated he suddenly kicked me. It was a mean trick-a foul blow and worthy of Paul Downes. Had

gave me some satisfaction, even at the time, to note that Paul's howl of agony wa