276 DAYS STOLEN FOR SPORT 



of carrying great loads, and his legs, parts of which 

 showed through rents, looked little likely to give 

 way, be the burden what it might. His face fitted 

 him. The steel-blue eyes that shone at times from 

 out their heavy covering showed the man had grit 

 to tackle what many would decline. His nose came 

 a long way down and flattened as it came to meet a 

 determined chin that had hanging from it a bristly 

 wisp trimmed one would guess by himself and yet 

 in such a fashion as suited him. He was clad in 

 grey homespun, much worn where most put upon 

 by use, and his boots, to be in keeping with the rest 

 of his outfit, gave freedom to his toes. He wore a 

 hat the brim of which had a slit across it, one edge 

 of which curled up and the other down over his left 

 ear, and there presumably caused such tickling that 

 the battered headgear was gradually pushed to the 

 other side until it almost covered the right eye. 

 This gave a finishing touch to the man's rollicking 

 appearance as he looked and listened to me from 

 his boat. 



Had I been called upon to search the harbour and 

 say which of the many boats belonged to Jennings 

 I think I should have hit upon his four and a half 

 tonner that wanted arms and legs like his to use 

 her oars. She needed a stiffish breeze when under 

 sail and half-a-gale to give her a pleasant list. Pat 

 looked quite at home in her, and I thought no man 

 and boat could possibly be more in harmony as 

 each and every detail of both lent themselves to 

 make a rough and ready picture that suggested 

 "Work, and never mind the weather." Individual 

 articles, some for domestic use, vied with one 

 another to bring this about while, collectively, they 



