Darry the Life Saver | Page 8

that had appeared in the east.
"He taught me," replied the boy, and, perhaps unconsciously, his voice
quavered as he spoke, for he could not even think of the captain
without emotion.
"All the better. A feller ain't no use 'round this section less he kin row a
boat with the best. And if so be yuh 'spect to jine with us some day, the
more yuh larn about this same thing the better for yuh. Joe, he was a
reg'lar water duck--but he was too darin' and he tried the game onct too
often. Beware o' that inlet, lad. The tide sweeps outen it like a mill race
sometimes, an' the best man couldn't hold his own agin it. It's ben a
mystery to me always how it happened. Nobody ever knowed, only that
we found the boat two days arter on the beach, three miles up. When
yuh git tired say so, an' I'll spell yuh."
After a long time they drew near the other shore. Here lights had been
seen, and Darry discovered quite a collection of houses, for the most
part cabins such as are so common in the south, especially along the
coast of North Carolina.
Abner insisted upon taking the oars now; and as he knew just where it
was most desirable to land the boy no longer objected.
Sitting there in the stern he watched the scene unfold as they
approached the mainland, though the new moon gave very little light.
Sounds as of boys at play, together with the barking of dogs, and even
the gabble of a goose, awoke in his breast new emotions such as he had
never experienced before; for he was about to be introduced to a home,
no matter of what character, where he would after that belong.
The boat was brought up against a landing, and both went ashore.
"In the mornin' I'll get yuh to help carry the groceries to the boat, so I
kin ferry 'em acrost. Jest now I'm pinin' to get to the shack, 'cause I ain't

ben home these two weeks, yuh see. This way, Darry, lad. My cabin
ain't jest in the village; but when I come home I ginerally stop in at the
butcher's an' take some meat along. Git out, yuh yaller critter!" this to a
dog that had come barking toward them as though recognizing the fact
that a stranger had come to town.
"Hyar, Peake, don't yer hit my dorg!" shouted a half-grown boy,
slouching around a corner as though he had just come out of a drinking
resort there.
"Keep him home, then, Jim Dilks, er else teach the critter to behave. He
tackled me onct and I had to kick him over a fence to save my shins
from his teeth. Some day that hound'll get a call all right, yuh hear me,
Jim?" declared Abner.
Jim leered at him, and then looked at the boy.
"Reckon it'll be a bad day for the feller that hurts me dorg, see? Who
yer got trailin' 'long with yer, Peake? Say, be he the critter as kim
ashore? Sooner he skips outen this the better. We ain't got jobs enough
now fur them as growed up round hyar."
"No danger of you worrin' 'bout jobs, Jim Dilks. Work an' you never
got on well. Mind your own business, now. This lad can look out for
hisself. He's goin' to live with me. Come on, Darry, don't notice the
loafer," concluded the life saver; and he and the boy passed on. Darry
was destined to see a great deal more of Jim Dilks, as we shall
presently learn.
CHAPTER IV
THE CABIN BY THE MARSH
As is customary in many of these little villages along the coast, the
butcher shop was also the country store where groceries, dry goods,
notions, and possibly boots and hats in addition, were sold.
Mr. Keeler eyed the boy in Abner's company, while he was cutting off

the meat.
"Likely lad, that, Mr. Peake," he said. "I reckon he must be the one that
come ashore from the wreck t'other night. I heard all about it, 'cause
some of our men were over to help out," he added, in a low tone, taking
advantage of Darry straying off a bit to examine a colored print that
hung on the wall, and offered all manner of inducements to young
fellows wishing to enlist in the navy.
"The boy's all right. He's gwine to live with my missus--if they kin git
on together. But about them as were over, Gus, I've got a notion some
on 'em thought it might be a good chanct to wreck a craft. I seen Dilks
there, with his crowd, an' yuh know he's under suspicion o' havin' lured
that schooner