Evening Star Newspaper, February 21, 1926, Page 72

BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE OMEWHERE along the British Columbia coast a schooner vacht moved in a thick, laz mist. Glenn Walker, the ownel thereof; Aline, his comparative- 1y recent wire, and Jimmy Forbes, to- gether with the mate, were all gather- ed about the wheel, combining their skill and knowledge. The crow’s-nest aloft was occupled by a lookout man. A saflor near the after hatch at in- tervals worked a crank that actuated a bellows that, In turn, emitted a long, hollow groz In addition, Walker from time time pulled the air- whistle cord. Then the entire yacht fell silent, and everybody listened in- tently for an echo that should indicate the proximity of islands' and rocks. Throughout ull the ship’s compan was that nervous, intent, uneas; alertness that is aroused only by fog in uncertain, broken, or unknown waters. “The worst of it is these currents,” observed Walker. “You can figure out where vou ought to be all right, V't tell where the currents have set you! We ought to be hearing from Disaster Point about He pulled the whistle cord. All listened. Nothing! “Nice, cheer- ful optimist named this country!” he grumbled. “Disaster Point; Desola- tion Sound: Wreck Reef, Beware Passage; Destruction Point; Grief Polnt—" The sailor to mechanically cranked his machine. In answer to its hoarse shout & booming bellow blared through the mist dead ahead. Walk- er's hand jerked to the engine-room bell. The yacht came to a standstill. All lstened. Nothing. Walker waved his hand toward the saflor operating the fog- horn. Tt ‘squawked; and almost immedi- ntely was answered from out the miste. “No lighthouses up here, as I re- member {t,” stated Walker. “No, sir; none,” rejoined the mate positively. “Doesn’t sound like any ship's fog- horn I ever heard, though.” “No, sir; more Ifke a fixed signal.” The mate took two steps to their own foghorn, thrust the saflor aside, and manipulated the crank, one long blast, followed by three short ones. After a short interval he was answer- ed; but, as before, only by the single Tong-drawn-out note. ‘Walker rang again, and the yacht's auxiliary engines fell silent. “I don’t hear any engine,” he voiced the result of a short Interval of lis- tening. “I'd better start up again and keep under control.” He signaled the engineer, and the yacht began to creep forward at a snail's pace. Jimmy Forbes and Aline sauntered forward to the bitts. She glanced up at him. “What is 1t?"" she asked, struck by is expression. psychic antennae are vibrat- said he. “I smell adventure.” Fog thinning aloft, sir,” came the sailor’s voice from the crow’s-nest. The invisible horn continued to i.lare at intervals, but the exact direc- tion or distance of its source was ren- «ered uncertain by the pecullar and baffling acoustic properties of the fog. R ok ITH the shattering effect of an explosion the lookout man’s volce ame again from aloft. The effect was of the release from a sfell, a pearl-gray clogging muffled spell cast | on sight and sound by the spirit of | the fog. “Cow ho!" cried he. A moment’s Incredulous gilence was broken by an exasperated bellow of in- quiry from both Walker and his mate. THE LOOKOUT MAN WENT OVERSIDE AS THOUGH HE HAD BEEN PROJECTED FROM A CATAPULT. | of the East is aware of the fact, and | may ‘even identify the nature of that |aura. It's very stmple.” " He caught | her accusing eyve. “And then, too,” he continued, “it sounded like a cow.” The fog continued to thin overhead, while still remaining opaque below, as |is often the hablt of fogs. Dazzling bits of sky became visible, like blue Jewels set in cotton wool. Those on deck shortly became possessed of the vision that had earlier been vouch- safed the lookout man, nearer heaven. On a flat-topped spire of rock stood a veritable spotty cow, with a smaller {but gangle-legged repiica of herself snuggled alongside. The spire lifted from the rolling fog clouds Its top was perhaps 10 feet its side apparently almost tous Appropriate leisure for the admira tion of the spectacle was, however, denied them. The spell was broken by the appearance alongside of an itated man in a small boat. He a stockily built person, with a | round red face, a shock of brown hatr, | and an anxious and serious eye. Say,” he called without preliml- nary, “can some of you fellows help me Wwith my cow Vhat's the matter cow ked Walker. “I can't get her down. She's clumb an't get down. 1 W e gentle cow, but I can't do nothing with her. She never acted this way before. Some- thing must have scared her; and then she had her calf, and now she's gone crazy. If my pistonrod bearing badn't give out, me and my partner’d have done something, but as it 15 she ain’t had a drop or a bite for two days except what I've got up to her, and what with a new calf—by golly, you fellers come along just right!” “With the permission of the owner, here,” struck in Jimmy, “I would pro- pose that you come on deck and em- broider with the glittering high lights of lucidity your suggestive but some- what obscure narrative. “Huh?" The man stared at he ejaculated. “Come aboard and tell us about 1t.” The owner of the cow, painter in hand, swarmed over the side. “Better drop your hook,” suggested the stranger. “Is there good bottom queried Walker doubtfully. “Sure. And good shelter, in Graveyard Cove. “By the mark seven!” sang out the leadsman hastily. “Let go the anchor!” Walker sharply. * * 'HE stranger lived, it seems, with his partner on another small island a few miles distant. They ran a cattle ranch. Jimmy pricked up sheer Wwith vour him. here?” You're commanded his ears at this statement. il ] THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, THE MILKY WAY The Cow Enlivened an Otherwise Tranquil Yachting Party. T F¥ " make it! Once she got up there she quieted down, but there she was! She can't get down nohow, and I can't figger no way to get her down. She's had her calf up there, and thers ain’t no food or water, so 1 had to carry up what I could, and she just stands there and bellers. And then when I started to go get my partner to flgger something out, my engine breaks down; and I ain’t got no small boat with me, and there I am.” . The fog was now returning into the invisible. There was no motion, just a withdrawal as though into a fourth dimension without disturbance of the three in which we live. The surround- were becoming distinguishable. The yacht was shortly seen to be at dnchor in a cresent-shaped bight with long rocky arms on elther side. A sparsely wooded shore rose in a series of low rocky terraces to the central spire on the top of which stood the spotty cow and her The spire was perh: the last terrace, various small hand or foot holds in the shape of minfature ledges and crevices, but would appear to be, as the cow's owner had said, problematic- ally scalable to even the skiptious Jo you mean to say_that cow ac: tually ‘climed up there?” demanded Walker, after surveying the situation. “I don't think she flew,” said the man, and he sald it serfously, which pleased Aline. “Well, let's go things over,” ashore and look suggested Walker. “I chance to stretch thelr legs.” None. But leave one aboad.” The small boats were put overside, and shortly the ship's crew stood on the island.” They ascended by a serles of broad shallow terraces, where they grouped themselves at the foot of the spire and looked up. The cow looked down. “It's plain enough where she got up,” observed Walker after a pause— “she could do it if she scrambled hard and kept scrambling. And it's equally plain why she doesn't get down. But 1 believe she might be led if it were done carefully.” “I figured that,” agreed the cow's owner, “if she’d come down gentle; but she’s all het up and excited. And she's the gentlest critter I ever see. You can do anything with her. But now I can't even get a rope on her.” * x % * DEPRECATING cough called at- tention to the steward. “Beg pardon, sir, but, if T might y? You see, sir, I was cow hand for two years in the Argentine pam- pas, and I learned method: “A hundred and sixty-seven,” mur- mured Aline. P — *“Cow ho!” the sallor obligingly re- od. “You triple idiot,” shouted Walker, *what are you talking about?”’ “It's a cow, sir,” explained the look- out man, “I can ses her above the fog. She’s standing on a sort of high peak of rock that sticks up. Five yoints to sta’board, sir. She's a spot- ted cow,” he added after a moment, “and she’s got a calf with her.” “What in the name of Peter the ¥lermit do you suppose I care for her color or her calf?” roared Walker, exasperated. ‘The mate was already searching the chart. “It must be this little group here, &ir.”” he indicated. ‘‘We've been set west'ard by the tides.” “No bottom at 10,” sang out the Jeadsman, who had cast his lead. Aline was looking at her brother. “You knew it was a cow!” she accu: him, “I told you my psychic antennae were quivering. You see, each and every living thing has its own special ra which it emanates, or in the \idst of which it lives, so to speak. When two living things come near enough to one another the auras con- tact oF perhaps slightly intermingle. One who—ltke me—is sensitive or especially trained in the eccult lore eagerly you?” he asked. “Eleven,” sald the man. “We had 12 last year, but we killed one for beef.” The spotted cow, being about to calve, and the grass becoming scant on the “ranch,” the idea had occurred to him to transfer her to this island for better forage, and he did so. “How?” asked Aline. “In my gas boat, ma’am.” “But how?” “It was easy enough, ma’am. I never knew a more gentle cow. Only trouble was, it was choppy and she got seasick some.” ‘The crossing and the landing had been successfully accomplished. All seemed to be going well. Then trouble began. 2 “I can’t think what afled her,” com- plained the man. “There wa'n't nothing I could see to scare her. But she begun to run around and bellow and curl her tafl, and I couldn’t do nothing with her nohow. And she’s tho gentlest critter I ever see. I quit trving to get nigh her, because I didn't want her to run around and get het up. But that didn’t do no good. And how she done it I don’t|aff know, but somehow she managed to scramble right up to the top of the rlam!‘ Why, a goat couldn’t hardly - “How many head of stock hzve' Jimmy raised an inquiring eyebrow her direction. “It's Johnston’s age,” she explained to him aside, “according to the num- ber of years he says he has done dif- ferent things. He was a hundred and sixty-five yesterday.” Recelving permission, the steward procured a rope and rapidly climed to the miniature plateau. The cow uttered a bellow and dashed at the steward. The Ilatter, caught unawares by this unsportsman- Hke conduct, recovered his wits only in time to dodge sidewise and escape impalement by the skin of his teeth, Now ensued a brief but lively game of tag within most inadequate bound- aries. The cow was It, but seemed likely not long to remain so. Before the spectators could either formulate an idea for rescue or even make a move toward it, Johnston, escaping death thrice by a hand breadth, was seen to topple for a moment on the far adge, throw up his hands, and dis- appear. Above the confusion rose the roar- ing voice of the cow’s owner: “Can he swim?"” Several voices answered him in the rmative. “Then he's all right. The cliff is straight up on that side into deep water, They's no rocks there,” A Two men tumbled into the dinghy and rowed madly around the near of the two points. Suspended action for a short interval. Shortly it reap- peared, and all could see that John- ston sat now in the stern sheets, streaming sea water. His remarks could not be distinguished at the dis- tance, but from his posture, gestures, and the sound of his voice it was evi- dent that he was addressing the spotty o “I never sep her act up so before,"” sald the cow’s owner. “ She's the gentlest critter——"" “Well,” urged Walker genially, “any more volunteers? Any more bucka- roos in this outfit?" He ran his eye over the crew, grin- ning_cheerfully at them. “No? Well, come on. boys, let's see what we can do.” He was warming up to the situation. He had been sitting onsa rock, like Aline and his brotherinlaw, as a spectator. Now he arose and became the central figure—with due deference to the cow. “Johnston has the right idea—in & way,” sald he. “The first thing is to get a rope on her. Got to get hold of her. I don't khow much about cows, but T do know that with a rope around the base of the horns you can do most anything with them, and around the neck s good. That right?” he asked the cow’s owner. “By the way, what's your name? “My name's Teller. Yes, that's right.” “Any of you men throw a lariat? No? How about you? You're a ranch- man.” “I aln't never triedr” “Well, I can't either—to amount to much. But I've had to catch my horse a few times down in the cow country. Get me a stout line. I think I can make a running noose.” |8 Armed with this Impromptu lasso, he started toward the rock. e HE made his way to a point just below the little plateau, assured himself of a good foothold, whirled the loop around his head, cowboy fashion, and began to cast. The cow backed away to the far edge, planted her feet and snorted. The position was awkward, Walker's skill negli- gible and the cow proved to be unex- pectedly clever in ducking. Agalin and again he hurled the rope, dragged it back empty, and reformed the loop. After the hundredth cast or so, he paused for a rest. “I'm afrald I'm no Buffalo BilL"” he confessed after another series of fail- ures. “One of you row off and tell Johnston to come back—to come ashore and have a try at this. He ought to know how to throw a lasso if he was with the Argentine Gauchos for two years.” ‘While one of the men was gone In the dingy Walker leaned against the rock resting. Presently the emissary returned. “Johnston says they didn't lasso them down where he was,” reported the man, grinning. *“He says they used bolo “Humph!” grunted Walker. *“He's better read than I imagined.” He took up the rope again and hurled the loop carelessly and dis- gustedly in the general direction of cow. It settled about the ani- “Take ‘broke out a chorus of yells. The loop tightened. Walker de- scended from his perch, bringing with bim the end of the long lne. “‘Now you've got her, what are you going to dq with her?’ murmured Forbes. But Walker, now wholly in the spirit of solving a diffcult problem, had his ideas. “Get the calf down, and she'll fol- low of her own accord,” he replied. “Here, some of you fellows take the end of the rope and keep her from charging at me, and I'l see what can be done.” The cow tethered to one end of the plateau, Walker ventured to mount to the other. Then ensued a game first of blandishment—futile—then of dodge. The calf had been Instructed by Mother to view all proceedings with suspicion; on no account to.do anything he was e: to do; and to distrust all creatures that did not progress on four legs. “That won't work,"” confessed Walk- er at length, descending the clff. The two groups had gradually drawn together until now master and crew were gathered close. Nobody said anything for & moment. “‘How about shoving her off the side ‘where Johnston took the high dive?” at length ventured one of the men. “She'd bust herself wide open fall- ing from that high up!” hastily inter- posed Teller in alarm. “How about shoving her off and then lowering her down with the rope around her horns, then?” amended the author of the suggestion. *“We could all tail onto the rope on this side, run it over the top and then slack away,” interposed another, * K % X TTHEY gathered’in a close group and discussed ways and means. It was agreed that a roller of some kind ‘would be needed to pass the rope over 80 it would not chafe through. ‘Also some sort of padded poles for the shoving. Nobody seemed to fancy doing any shoving with the naked hands. Also a selected squad to shove and another to pull. The plan gath- ered complications—fantastic nautical complications of men accustomed to the sea but not to cows. Teller, who had been listening with more and more bewilderment, finally. dashed the whole scheme. “With her scraping and bumping he, “she’d break down that clift,” said a leg sure.” ‘“We'll have to rig some sort of crane to slip her from,” put in the mate, who had heretofore remained silent. “Then we can run her over and let her down easy.” “That’s the idea!” cried Walker. A new committee of the whole was formed. Three men held the cow back by the rope while all the rest swarmed up the cliff to examine the engineer- ing possibilities. Cranes were more in line with a saflorman’s experience, The matter of a suitable foundation and pivot was soon determined. There would need to be two stout timbers— one upright and firmly guyed, the other attached loosely to its foot, like a boom. A block on the end of each, through which ropes could be rove, would permit manipulation either up or down or sidewise. Then reeve the cow’s rope through the end of the boom, hoist her off her feet, sling her sldewise into space, and lower away. This masterplece of planning by a dozen eagerly Interested small boys— for“this is what they had all become— was no sooner rounded out in all de- talls than an obvious fact ruined it. On the little island there grew no trees big enough to furnish materfals! There were no trees big enough, so Teller admitted, on any of the islands nearby. At this realization a consternation blank of everything but baffled irrita- :10: fell upon the spirits of the multi- ude. % shoot the fool and use her up for beef and be done with {t!” sighed Walker wearily, "Tell. me, 0., FEBRUARY 21, 1926—PART B. L= e T P WITHOUT ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE HER MUZZLE FROM THE BOWL. how deep 1s the water on the other side of the island just under the clf?” “It's about eight or ten fathoms,” sald Teller. “Sure?” “Yes; I've caught cod there.” “Any rock or shoals?” “No. She runs off sheer and clean.” “How close in could a craft like this “You could tie up to the clift if you wanted to.” Walker exclaimed with satisfaction. “All right,” he cried. “I've got it. It's as simple as falling off a log. We'll take the yacht around there right under the confounded cow. ‘We'll use our mainmast as our up- right and our main boom as the spar.” He was as eager as a boy. “I've got it worked out,” he said, and detalled his scheme after the party returned to the yacht. Walker underestimated the activity of sallormen at work on a job they really understand and In a cause that has “enlisted their fervent interest. The boom was raised a little higher up the mast, the gaff was unshipped and lashed to the boom where it would lend most support, the neces- sary blocks and running gear were installed, the contraption was swung and tested, and pronounced satisfac- tory. * x x % 'HE yacht was run around to the other side of the island, moored fore and aft, and properly fended from the perpendicular cliffs. It was found that the end of the boom was just enough above the tiny plateau on which stood the marooned cow that with the six-foot rise that re ined of the tide a sufficlent hoist uld be afforded. But now a new complication was introduced by Teller. Where were they going to deposit the cow once she was swung clear? Walker sald he had thought they would dump her Into the sea and let her swim. Teller had no faith that the cow in her pres- ent condition could swim that far and in such cold water and with so many currents. The alternative seemed to be to lower her to the deck. Walker looked a little dashed. The yacht's spick-and-span, ultra-holystoned deck! He took the hurdle nobly, however, and the men set to work to arrange a suitable place on which to deposit her. At last the great moment was at band. Dispositions were carefully made. Each was assigned his job and minutely Instructed as to just what he was to do. The men on the guy ropes braced themselves; those on the falls began slowly and cautiously to haul. A lookout at the foretop re. ported progre: “‘She’s afloaf he shouted as the cow, hanging back and snorting, be- gan to be forced, in spite of braced feet, inexorably toward the edge of the cliff. ‘“Her bow's off bottom!* he yelled as the upward pull lifted her from her forefeet. Over the edge of the cliff in a cloud of loose earth the beast came into view. “Holst away! Smartly, men!” cried Walker. She rose into the air—dangled. The yacht careened slightly as she took the weight so far offside and so high up. “Hold the falls! shouted Walker. The men on the guy ropes swung the boom. High {n the afr, kicking like a fish and uttering cries either of bovine profanity or of terror, the cow dangled. ‘Oh, the poor thing! exclaimed Aline. “Lower away!” cried Walker. ik ox % THE cow descended, swinging to and fro, rocking the yacht from slde to side. The men at the falls watched their chance to catch her at center, lowering rapidly a few feet, then checking the descent.. A dozen pairs of hands were outstfetched to Swing her!” FROM A FOUNTAIN. receive #nd gulde the descending pendulum. For a moment or so there was imminent danger that the animal would either be dashed against the rocky wall or carry away some of the yacht’'s standing rigging. The lookout man, ing up, managed to get hold of a hind leg. This was a mistake. He went overside and splashed into the sea as though he had been projected from a catapult. Somebody threw him a rope and he scrambled aboard dripping, against a volley of facetious remarks from those wi were not too busy. Hurt?" snapped Walker. “No, sir,” replied the man, but he stood apart rubbing his shoulder, having had enough of cows for the moment. Some Ingenious and more cautious spirit threw the loop of a small line over the beast. By means of it she was gulded safely to the deck, where she stood, feet apart, blowing and rolling her eves. The men cheered. But the jubilation was cut short by a cry of warning from aloft. The calf was seen to be wabbling back and forth along the edge of the cliff, ap- parently getting ready to jump down after his parent. The lookout man waved his cap, those on deck shouted and threw up their arms and tossed up rope ends and cut antics in an effort to convince the child that in spite of appearances to the contrary cows cannot fly. Teller fell into the dinghy and began frantically to splash tosvard a point from which he could scale the cliff. All these maneuvers seemed doomed to fallure; the calf had apparently every inten- tion of casting itself into space. Sud- denly Nt froze to immobility, staring fixedly straight out in front. All looked in the direction of that gaze. At the foretop crouched Johnson, humped up and gazing directly into the calf's bulging eyes. Calmly he held that calf with his glittering eve. The calf stared. Johnson had made good! Breathless silence fell. If Teller could scale the cliff befors the un- precedented spell broke! He did! Breathing heavily and perspiring freely, he was seen to creep upon the hypnotized calf, to grasp him firmly. Everybody cheered. Two of the sallors clasped each other and pulled off an impromptu dance. But the celebration nearly proved fatal. In the excitement the two men at the falls ‘dropped their rope in order to do a little caper of triumph. This released the pressure on the cow. Whether her flner feelings had been outraged to the point of retaliation, or whether she was merely looking for her progeny, is obscure. At any rate, she uttered another bellow and took charge of the deck. There was no opposition. Men swarmed up the rigging. Aline and her brother dived down the hatch. The lookout man, gaught unawares between wind and water, and with no other place to go, again went overside. But, then, he was already wet. Walker swung him- self up on the boom, from which point he gave his view of the situation in no uncertain terms. ‘The |'_}‘\;lrryt waam, of course, momen- B e trailing rope was soon seized and the beast made fast. And at that moment the gentle and plain- ;i;e :l’;lcz‘of Teller was heard along- e, \begging for assistan the calf aboard. SoHguing *x %% [EXCITEMENT drained away as the sea. drains from rocks, leaving the vacht and her people once more a part of the surroundings instead of a self-contained center of an unholy row. Walker looked about him. The deck was strewn with ropes and chairs and things. Rigging flapped idly at loose ends. The varnish on the masts and ralls was scraped and marred. Also the trip down and the excitement had made the cow seasick. “Some job!” cried Walker, wiping his forehead. “I never expected to be skipper of a cattle ship, but I guess I am.” He began to laugh. *“I haven't had so much fun in 4. coon's E BLEW VIOLENTLY. CANNED PEAS SPRAYED UPWARD AS age,” he chuckled to Allne and her brother. ow what?"” Teller, in his deprecating way, proffered a suggestion, or rather & request. “You see,” sald he, “my gas boat is out of order and I've got to run in & new bearing; and I wouldn't dast to put the cow back on this island again, nohow; she might do the same thing again; and I thought as how it ‘wouldn’t be no more trouble for you now if you was to take her over back home again.” ‘Walker stared at him a moment in- credulously; then chuckled. “All right, old-timer,” he agreed; “where 18 1t?" Teller pointed. The other island was now in plain sight and about four miles distant. ““They’s a’bight with five fathom on the south side. You can’t miss fit. They’s a good beach, and the water’s still, so all you have to do is to drop her overside and let her swim. It's only about a hundred feet and she can make that. You'll find my partner across the neck. Just tell him I will be along as seon as I get my gas boat fixed up.” “All right,” agreed Walker. “Here, Parks, you row him around to his boat in the dinghy and then come back. We'll wait here.” The dinghy departed. “I'll be glad to be rid of her!” cried Walker, with a despalring glance to. ward the cow, which was now bellow ing continuously and with more vigor.” “It's €0 romantic!” pointed out Aline. “The rescue of a matron in distress! She's hungry, poor thing. ! What have we aboard that is fit for | cow Johnston appeared bearing a large | bowl. “What have you Walker. “It's canned green peas, sir,” answered Johnston. “It's all we've ot in the stores that we ever used to feed cows when I was in the dalry business.” “How long were you in the dairy business, Johnston?" inquired interestedly. Yot long, madam, about a year.” hundred and sixty-eight,” tallied Aline. Johnston approached the rescued matron. The cow ceased her racket and sniffed. Then she inserted her nose in the bowl. Johnston looked around in pardonable triumph. The cow apparently tasted and disap- proved. "Without troubling to remove her muzzle from the bowl she blew violently. Canned peas sprayed up- ward as from a fountaln. Around both Johnston and the cow was a nimbus of green peas. They scat- tered over the already disgraceful deck. The howls of joy from all in sight were drowned by the renewed ululations of the cow. Johnston had leaned too heavily on his luck. Parks and the dinghy returned. Preparations were made for getting under way. “Two of the men will have to stand by while we're under way,” Walker instructed his mate, “In case there's a swell outside or the confounded beast gets excited. = “The cow watch!” cried Aline de- lighted, “and it comes right before the dog watch; and it's miles ahead of the dog watch, because the dog watch hasn't any dog to watch, but the cow watch has a real cow to watch!” there?” asked * % ok % 'HE engine took up its rhythm; the moorings were loosed; the yacht swung slowly to the open. All was well. The cow was dreamily chewing a placid cud. The calf was in search of refreshments. “Sweet rural scene!” Aline. But beyond the point the vacht en- countered a dead swell which cradled her in long slow swoops from trough to crest. Thanks to the pen impro- vised for her by spare spars and murmured Aline | s | the chewing her cud and into her ayes came & haunted, querying uneasiness “I've seen that expression before And she's stopped chewing her cud cried Aline, “T belleve she's going to regurgitate.” “The demoralization is complste, groaned Jimmy, “and I do not rete: to the cow.” “Tell Johnston to bring s basin,” suggested one of the crew. The spirit, however, was ons of hflarity. Every one had his little joke. Aline alone was silent, lost in a brown study. Walker noticed this and in quired about it. “I'm compostng a poem,” she vouchsafed. “I haven't got very far with it. + Only the first two lines.” “Let's have them,” urged Walker Aline struck an attitude; her voice became deep and solemn “When canned goods take the place of grass and hay, The lowing herd winds slowly e'e: the sea,” —she declaimed ir volce. a stage-elocution TTHE cove on the other fsland was found without difficulty, and after an interval of sounding the yacht came to anchor within a few hundred feet of a shelving bheach. Prepara | tions were made for the landing. The cow presented no difficulties: simply sling her overside, cast off the lines and let her swim ashore. Teller hac informed them that the cow couls bout the calf? No It Do such r do the b ve to be flving is their natural mode gression. Swimming is uar natural mode of prog brought up these point. them twith great abilit much scofling. Finall gusted vielding to feminine imbecilit than from any conviction, Walker ordered life preservers to he hooked about the hody of the little beast The calf did not object. He had but idea and that was concerned will sang be served during landing out ome of the men. It was finally to lead the be: Walker, Jimmy and three m dinghy ~ undertook this other member lined the rail. The men beached the boat and disappeared in the small tim ber in search of Teller's partner. Afte: & half hour they returned and rowed over. Jimmy was laughing. “Did you find him?" asked Aline as soon as they had stepped on deck. “Yes, we found him; across a little narrow peninsula. He was working in a garden. He was a long, lank solemn individual, and he didn’t even look up at us as we approached. Just grunted in answer to our greeting and went right on working. He was planting potatoes, and he had a basket of seed potatoes and a sack of starfish. He'd lay a starfish in the hole and put a potato on top of that and then another starfish, and cover them up with earth.” “Probably planting a milky way for the cow,” murmured Aline. “Go on “Finally Glenn told him his part ner’s boat was out of commission, so we'd brought back the cow for him as the cow didn't like the othe: island. Didn’t go into details, and the partner didn't ask ** “That so?" sa boat vou got?" “‘Pretty good Glenn. “‘Well now,” says the old boy ‘that’s a plece of luck that don’t often happen to me, because I was figuring on how we're going to get the old bull back there—he's getting mighty poor here. and our gas boat 18 too small Could you take him back with you?" " Jimmy chuckled. “What did you ine asked Walter. exploded the voung man, “1 more forcefully than I ever onsidered advisat sts while in the wate: sized boat, says said o’ canvas, the cow had no difficulty in holding her feet, but she stopped said it in Washington’s Great Skill in Farming Was Based on Use of Scientific Methods BY DELLA BELLE BROWN, EORGE W ASHINGTON, known to the world as a sol- dier and statesman, cherish- ed in his own mind an am- bition to be a great farmer. History shows us that the great leader more than once expressed the desire to be America’s leading agri- culturalist and that he worked con- sistently toward this aim except when called away from home by public service. He realized his ambition in a splendid way by making Mount Vernon one of the finest farm estates in ‘America. Again and again in Washington's letters are found references to his interest in agriculture, and many of the books in his library dealt with agricultural subjects. Little Nellle Custis, granddaughter of Mrs. Wash- ington, wrote of her “grandpapa,” as she called him, saying how pl he was “with being once more Farmer Washington” when he returned tb Mount Vernon after serving his two terms as the distinguished first Presi- dent of the United States. Few farmers today have such im- mense interests and responsibilities as did Washington, and it was only through the most skiliful management that he was able to keep up the huge establishment at Mount Vernon, with his family and his several hundred slaves and white servants all depend- rashing- ton acquired during his lifetime, Mount Vernon included 8,000 acres of land. Historians are liberal in their praise of Washington's management of this estate. One of them says: ‘“Washing- ton was from the first a scientific farmer. * * ¢ He organized and prosecuted the work with that mas- terly executive faculty which he dis- played later in mastering and manip- ulating the raw coldnial troops.” In order to keep every detail of the farming under his direction, Wash- ington - divided Mount Vernon into five farms, each under gn overseer. ‘These men reported weekly to the general plantation manager, who worked directly with Washington and who was responsible to no one but him. The final reports were all pass- ed on to Washington, who kept an accurate account of every farm ac- tivity In his account books and diaries, many of which survive today. ‘Washington realized the value of crop rotation to preserve the soil, and he worked out a rotation plan, on a six-year basis, to be followed on is farms. This rotation plan called for “Indian corn, with inter- mediate rows of potatoes,” for the first year; “wheat, rye, or Winter barley at the option of the tenant,” for the second year; “buckwheat, | peas or pulse, or vegetables of any i sort,” for the third year; and “oats |or Summer barley—with clover, if and when the ground is in conditon For the fifth season he directed that the ground should “remain in clover for cutting, for feeding or for both; or, if clover should not be sown, then in t case fleld may be filled with any kind of vetoh, pulse or to bear it,” for the fourth season.!|side” and ! garden.” vegetables.” During the sixth year he directed that the land be left “to lie uncultivated,in pasture, and for the purpose of manuring, for the same round of crops again.” Tobacco was widely raised in Vir- ginia in Washington’s time, but he gradually cut down his acreage of this crop, turning to corn, wheat, oats, flaX, hay, buckwheat, clover, hemp, barley and potatoes. He con- tinually carried on experiments with sofls and fertilizers and various kinds of seed, and kept up a steady cor- respondence with English farm ex- perts with regard to farm problems. Many sample grains and seeds were sent to Mount Vernon from England to be tried out under American soil and climatic conditions. Once Washington tried out varfous fertilizers in a 10-compartment box, in each compartment of which he placed earth mixed with one of the fertilizers he wished to' try out. One compartment contained earth with- out any fertilizer. In one of the others he reports having placed earth mixed with mud taken out of the creek; in the others earth mixed with horse dung, cow dung, sheep dung, “marle from the gulleys on the hillside which seemed to be purer than the other,” “black mold taken out of the Pocoson on the creek “clay_got just below the He raised oxen which were for farm work until their year, and then fattened for the mar | ket. He kept beef cattle, all brand- ed on the right shoulder with the inftials “G. W Flocks of sheep grazed in the meadows at Mount Vernon, and selected breeds of horses supplied draft animals as well as the handsome horses which pulled Wash- ington’s coach. Realizing the need of utilizing every source of income, Washington de. veloped many other activities on nrs estate. An old mill at Mount Vernon -was so improved under his direction that it turned out flour of an ex- ceptionally high quality. The Mount Vernon label on the barrel is said to have been accepted without question by the English officers, so they did not ¢xamine the flour as to grade when' it ‘was received in England. ‘When the price of flour was low ‘Washington installed an oven at one of his mills to turn the wheat into biscuit to be shipped to England. One of the old contracts concerning these still survives today and tells ashington's agreement to deliver a certain number of barrels of *“good. well baked biscuit for a long voyage.” t figure showing the number s illegible. Like all lJand owners of that time, used eighth In each of the sections he planted three grains of wheat, three of oats and three of barley, “all at equal distance in rows and of equal depth.” 1 Stock ralsing \lptemw ‘Washipgton, ‘Washington furnished liquor for his workers at harvest time, so a dis- tillery was built at Mount Vernon to meet this requirement and also to (Continued on Beventh Page.)