United States or Bulgaria ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Good-afternoon," she said cheerfully. Mrs. Gething showed him to the door. "Any time you are at Gravesend, captain, we shall be pleased to see you and hear how you get on," she said as she let him out. The captain thanked her, pausing at the gate to glance covertly at the window; but the girl was bending over her work again, and he walked away rapidly.
The horse saw it and began jerking at his bit and dancing, for ever since colt-hood walls had had but one meaning for him. "Well, at it old man," laughed Gething. At a signal Cuddy flew at it, rose into the air with magnificent strength and landed like thistle-down. "Cuddy," cried the man, "there never was a jumper like you. Break-Neck will keep, we'll find some more walls first."
"You've done it?" he said with relief. "How does this strike you?" asked the skipper reading. "Your father sends love to you both." "Beautiful," murmured Captain Gething. "Not too sudden," said the skipper; "it doesn't say I've found you, or anything of that sort; only hints at it. I'm proud of it." "You ought to be," said Captain Gething, who was in the mood to be pleased with anything.
The tremendous buck-jump he had so unexpectedly taken, combined with his frantic descent, gave Gething no chance to get control until the level was reached. Then, with the first pull on the bridle, he realized it was too late. For a while at least Cuddy was in command.
A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite. The most sanguine of them hardly expected to find him the first time; but, as Sam said, the sooner they started the better.
"I don't," said Annis, holding out her hand. "I'll say good-bye," she said steadily. "I won't see you again until my father is found. If Mr. Glover finds him I won't see you at all. Good-bye." The skipper took her hand, and marvelling at his pluck, drew her, resisting slightly, towards him again. Then he bent his head, and, with the assistance of Miss Gething, kissed the brim of her hat.
"This is the man," said the skipper, putting his hand on the cook's shoulder, "this is the man that found you, cap'n. Smartest and best chap I ever had sail with me!" Flushed with these praises, but feeling that he fully deserved them, the cook took the hand which Captain Gething, after a short struggle with the traditions of ship masters, extended, and shook it vigorously.
He read it somewhat jerkily, omitting sentences and halves of sentences which he thought might not interest the old man, or perhaps, what was more likely, would interest him a great deal. After that they were all busy taking in the cargo, Captain Gething, in shirt and trousers, insisting upon lending a hand. The cargo was all in by five o'clock and the hatches down.
Excited by the part he was playing, he bent forward and clutched at the old man's arm. Captain Gething, obedient to the touch, rose, and taking his battered cap from a nail, followed him in silence above. "We're going for a drink," said Tillotson to the boy. "We'll be back in ten minutes." "All right," said Henry cheerfully; "wish I was going with you."
"I don't understand," said Captain Gething wearily. "You can understand that I wouldn't take you into danger," said Annis tenderly. "Put your coat on and come with me." Without another word Captain Gething did as he was bid. He stopped, as though to speak to Tillotson, and then thinking better of it, followed his daughter on deck.
Word Of The Day