Adventure Magazine Cover — page 169: what you’re looking at

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

The Fenceless Meadows “*T’aint not natural nohow fer no per- son to want to fool away time on the water thataway. No siree. My boy’s got a heap moresense than some folks give him credit fer, 1 reckon.” “De Witt, I guess we’re not all built alike,’ said Dowser. ‘I’m glad for your sake and your wife’s that he is coming home. [ll bet you won’t know him.” When Nance, visiting Mrs. De Witt that evening, heard of the letter, she smiled. “You folks wot likes a mess 0’ salty water better nor good dry dirt ain’t not natural, nohow, Miss Nance Dowser,” said the old woman. ‘“That’s all there be to that. My, jest ter think o’ spendin’ a whole year on a ship.”’ ‘Maybe you’re right, Mrs. De Witt,” laughed Nance. “I guess I’m one of the crazy ones.” ‘Well, you kin jest stay as crazy as you’ve a mind to, miss, so long as none of us ain’t likely ter be a-catchin’ of it—that’s all I got ter say!” Vill Sq IN JULY news came from the (ea) Fancy Nan. She was loading for ~&=4 san Francisco and Tattersall was going to drive her home. Nance was de- lighted. “Pa,” she said, “‘when she goes to sea again I want to go with her. May I?” Dowser shook his head. ‘“‘Nance,” he said, “I’m too old to go to sea. Ive lost out. My days are done.” She sat on his chair, her arms about his neck and her cheek against his. ‘“‘Pa, dear, you don’t have to go on the bridge. The bark’s got plenty of cabin space, hasn’t she?”’ “Tattersall won’t go unless I’m sailing her, girl. We went to sea together, and we sailed together year after year, ever so long before you were born. He’s a bit queer about it; but he’s absolutely obstinate. If I went to sea as a passenger he’d resign and go in the foc’sle—or try to.” “Tell me all about it, pa. him that way?” “Too Jong a tale for now, dear. It would take a whole dog-watch. I'll tell you some time, maybe.” “Supposing you stayed ashore, and I went, don’t you think Mr. Tattersall can take care of me? Can’t I take care of my- 1 What made 161 self? Why, pa, I can work out a position just as well as you can.” “Shoofly hasn’t much use for a woman aboard ship, girl,” he answered. “Well, I guess Shoofly don’t own the Fancy Nan, does he? I reckon he’ll take whatever cargo you want to ship, won’t he, pa?” ‘Suppose I don’t want to ship it, Nance?” ‘‘When you were twenty, did you want to stay ashore, pa?”’ “TI was a boy—that was different.” “Then you want me to grow hayseed in my hair already?” ‘We'll see—we’ll see when the time comes. I’m glad you’re not like young De Witt, girl. I wouldn’t like that.” ‘Perhaps she'll get a charter for the islands—a nice short trip; could you stand my being away that long, do you think?” “Maybe I could get along without you that long. It would be hard though. We'll see when the ship comes in, eh?”’ “All right, pa. We’ll charter for the islands, the colonies or Valparaiso—all nice short runs and close to home. Why, you would scarcely have me out of your sight.” ‘‘We’ll see when the time comes, Nance.” For Dowser the time came all too soon. He called Moses to his room one day. ‘“Moses,”’ he said, “‘the ship’s coming in. Nance wants to go to sea with her. What’ll we do?” Moses, dreading the sea, shook his head; old, and knowing that once upon the open water the pangs of rheumatism would assail him. ‘“T can’t go, Moses. What’ll we do?” Moses frowned. He was seventy and past, and looked eighty; but his arms, lean though they were, were sinewy and strong and his eye was clear. ‘“T’m good for a few voyages yet, sir,” he said. ‘“Can’t you talk it out of her, Moses?”’ “Did you talk her mother out of it, sir? When the old Nanette left port, twenty vears ago? It’s in the blood. What’s in the blood must come out.” “TY might get a charter for the islands; or at farthest for the colonies. I couldn’t stand to send her round the Horn unless I were there too.” “That'll be all right, sir. Ill be there— Miss Nance will be taken care of.” ‘Moses, I suppose I’m an old fool. There’s no sense in being afraid of. letting Conn DOOKS (© iin