152 ALONGSHORE m 



Henrietta was only a distant dusky spot among the 

 waves. We scarcely regretted her second going. 

 Benjie himself kept aloof with his hands in his 

 pockets. 



'Why wasn't 'ee there for to lend a hand 

 shoving the Waremen off?' asked Jim. 



'My God! What a wreck her is! Made me 

 sick to see her,' was all he replied. 



'That's it,' said Jim. "Twas a sort of a kind 

 of a wreck, I reckon. Her come'd ashore safe, 

 but her was a wreck afore ever her put to sea, the 

 old Henrietta was. An' that there's the way o'it 

 wl' boats an' men,' 



Nevertheless, if we go up to Ware twenty years 

 hence, those Waremen will welcome us on account 

 of that night, and will have our glasses filled again 

 and again till we are drunk, if we want it; and we 

 shall talk about the old Henrietta. 'Do 'ee mind 

 thic night?' they'll say, referring to her wreck. 

 'Do 'ee mind thic night?' we will answer, thinking 

 of her youth and her catches of fish. 



Not everything can be wrecked. 



