Adventure, July 1, 1928 — page 121: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

SAILMAKER By Bill Adams LD man Stitch-away, old man Sails, With his long gray beard, he’s as hard as nails. His teeth are yellow and his eyes are gray, And he’s seaming and he’s roping all the livelong day. Stitch away, stitch away, sew them strong For the lofty spars where they belong. Rope them tight and seam them true So never a capful of wind blows through; A big ship’s topsails, a big ship’s courses, Royals and skysails, a big ship’s wings To race her along through the wild white horses, To lift her high where the comber swings. Stitch them, Sails; aye, sew them tight For the mad squall blowing in the maniac night; Sew them to stand the beat of hail, The lash of rain and the hurricane’s flail; Sew them strong so they’ll never rip When we’re bow to bow with a rival ship; Bolt on bolt of canvas high to tower in a pyramid to the sky; Bolt on bolt of canvas wide to cast swift shadows on the blue sea’s tide; Bolt on bolt of canvas white to gleam in the glory of the tropic night. And if there’s a little bit of sail left over, Save it, Sails, for a fellew rover! Old man Sails with his gray head bowed, He’s sitting and he’s stitching at a dead man’s shroud. comicloooks.com