April 13, 1893.1 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



S29 



A Vacation Voyage.— IV. 



[Concluded from Page S85.] 



The wind had blown strong froia the west all daj', but at sunset it 

 was veering: to northwest. This enaliled us to stand out of tlip hay 

 close-hauled, sku-tinj? the southern shore, but it made a rough sea to 

 encounter. TJie sky was dark and threatening and soon the danger- 

 ous shore to leeward disappeared in the gloom. The Flora was heeling 

 well down to the breeze and threiv the spra}^ half wav to the fore 



windlass. Whatever order might be given, Jim would seize the 

 nearest line and cast loose or belay as the case might be. Finally he 

 let go the topsail halliard to help her in stays and was banished in 

 disgrace to the galley. But a moment later we caught a glimpse of 

 him through the skylight going over the brass work for the twentieth 

 time 



The ilargaret was a large, handsome cruiser of the most approved 

 deep water model. It seemed very strange t.o us, who were used to 

 taking soundings with our centerbo'ard, that such a yacht might take 

 the ground where the eye found not the suspicion of a slioal. The 



throat when she met the steep seas. Having lashed the sweep to the flush deck, the swing table and the short spars were a revelation to 



TTJLE BELLE. "PODGEES'S" HOUSE-BOAT. 

 B.— Berths. K.— Kitchen. H. H.— Hatches. L.— Hold. 



coaming and coiled sheets and halliards fore and aft, the "crew" and 

 the skipper joined Vag in the cuddy. It seemed snug indeed below on 

 such a night, though one would roll out of the weather berth. The 

 rush of the wm4 under the sails and the hammering of the seas against 

 the bends made a pleasant music. "VNTiat trust our little plunging 

 craft deserved in us and how often had she proven her staunch, 

 weatherly, qualities. "We had leai-ned to love her dearly for the per- 

 sonality she liad acquired in our eves. 



And nothing more delighted the^mate than to hold the tiller at such 

 a time. Covered from head to foot in dripping oilskins he sat perched 

 high on the weather coaming and listened for the sm-f to leeward. He 

 deemed it risky to follow the treacherous shore where it begins to turn 

 to the southward, so kept her full and bj' until at last the faint red 

 beacon on the Charlevoix pier head came in view. Then, knowing that 

 the last point had been passed, he raised the fin and put her dead before 

 the wind. 



Next morning when the bridge opened to let us pass into the upper 

 harbor, we knew by the way the group of loungers pointed at us that 

 Caldwell's version of the regatta was generally accepted. It was Sun- 

 day, so after drifting lazily over to our anchorage, we lowered sail and 

 made all "shipshape and Bristol fashion. " 



"Skip, come out of the cuddy, they've lowered a boat from that big 

 cruising yawl over there, and a fellow is pulling right toward us." 



Then the skipper heard voices through the open hatch. "Howdy, 

 boys, been North, have you? Fine morning. I'm master of the Mar- 

 garet yonder. Yes, I guess there'll be wind from the southwest be- 

 fore long. That boat of yours looks like one of the kmd that stays 

 with you, eh? My name is Dan Moloy; I came up here from Chicago 

 to take the yacht for the season and it's awful dull here now. Won't 

 you fellows come aboard and have dinner with me? We'll take a Uttle 

 run in Pine Lake this afternoon. My owner will get here in a few days, 

 I expect." 



Dan had begun with, "Well I should how—," when the mate's broad 

 palm was placed where it intercepted. the rest of the sentence. 



"Very glad to know you, Mr. Moloy. I think we have no pressing 

 engagements to-day and will be pleased to take vou up on that offer. 

 About noon? Ah right, tliere are tlu'ee of us."" And then when the 

 dip of the oars sounded faint in the distance. Bert released his hold 

 on the irrepressible crew with an admonition- to be more careful if he 

 expected to keep our secret. 



At the appointed hour we clambered noisily over the Margaret's 

 rail, togged out in our very best, and were greeted by her master at 

 the companionway. "Glad you came, boys, shake; step right below 

 There's no one but me and Jim aboard. I shipped him for steward the 

 other day and now I'm looking for a couple of foi-emast hands." 



We felt confident that Mr. Moloy's politeness would protect us from 

 any embarrassing questions about the race he supposed us to have 

 won, but at first it was hard for us to appear at ease. The glittering 



TO ERR IS HUMAN. 



us, and, as I remember, produced a very favorable impression. 



If any doubt lingered in our minds as to the Flora's standing as a 

 tiyer it quite disappeared the next, morning, when two gentlemen 

 from the Belvidere came down with a tape line and craved the priv- 

 lege of taking her dimensions. "This sailing under false colors is 

 more fun than a shipwreck," the delighted crew asserted, and he only 

 expressed our unanimous opinion. Several times we met Caldwell, 



And this was but one day of the six that we spent in these congenial 

 waters. 



The next day was plea,sant enough until noon, but then it began to 

 rain and continued to do so until night. After lunch Bert and Dan 

 went ashore to get some provisions and to call at the post-olifice. The 

 slripper waited for them until he had finished his novel and then 

 turned in with the faithful Vag at his feet. Wlieu he awoke it was 

 broad daylight and the startling conviction seized liis mind that he 

 was alone in the cabin. He indulged in some deep thinking that 

 morning, as he afterward admitted, while preparing his lonely break- 

 fast. Single-hand sailing was all very well, but it seemed rather an 

 abrupt change and then too he felt that he was not without some 

 responsibiUty for the others. Having waited an hour or more and no 

 news had of the missing crew it became too lonesome to longer 

 remain idle. So the skipper made sail and boxed around the harbor 

 a little just to see how it would be if he must end the cruise by sailing 

 the yacht home alone. But this, too, became oppressive in time, so 

 he landed, locked the hatch and went to a boathouse to visit. 



It was about 12:30 when he returned to the yacht and found his 

 troublesome crew seated in the cockpit trying to open a can of meat 

 which they had found in a locker. 



"Well, who went your bail?" he managed to gasp out, "and why 

 don't you wait until dinner is formally announced?" 



The'crew doubled his exertions with a fair prospect of breaking his 

 jack-knife while the mate seemed lost in abstraction. But at last he 

 did return to a sense of temporal affairs. 



"Well, I s'pose we've got to corifess some time, but if you love me 

 don't let it get out at home. You see, me and the deck hand went to 

 the post-offlce and there I came across a fellow named Robinson. He 

 lives here, but I didn't know it and hadn't 'seen him since I lived at 

 Traverse City. And Robbie said we'd go up to the horise, it was so 

 wet and nasty. Well, " and here his interest in the faraway something 

 acro&s the harbor nearly made him forget the other's presence, 

 "Well, his sisters made the time go rather quick, you know. But 

 Dan said he guessed it was time to pull out. Then Robbie told us no 

 use to go back in the rain, tliat we must stay all night and he would 

 wake us at sLx because he was going to Norwood" early. And that's 

 aU th»re is of it." 



"That's all there is of it?" 



"Yes, that's all, except that we woke up about half an hour ago and 

 slipped out of the house and came down here. We thought we ought 

 to account for our absence." 



"Why, how nice: but I hope .you didn't deprive yourself of sleep just 

 to come down and report!" 



"It was first-rate bunking, ljut I rather think Robbie played it on us 

 that time," said Dan sorrowfully. 



But this idyllic existence was not forever we knew. There still re- 

 mained ports marked with an X on the chart, and we were beginning 

 to long for blue water. And yet we were loath to leave. We had ex- . 

 cused ourselves whenever a race was proposed, so our reputation as 

 cup winners was not in the least tarnished. On the contrary, our 

 presence seemed even to give it new impetus, if such were possible, 

 while our silence on the subject won us the highest esteem for 

 modesty. Then, too, we felt that leaving Charlevoix would but mark 

 the beginning of an end. 



Thence before us lay the south, with its interminable shores of sand 

 bars, and astern was all we loved so well, the spice of adventure and 

 the romance of foreign shores. 



It was with a light west wind and an ugly lump of a sea that we 

 finally quit Charlevoix. This time we passed inside of Fisherman's 

 Island, a low, barren, wind-swept roclc, and then the wind freshened 

 and we began the long run up Grand Traverse Bay. At midnight 

 we anchored near the head of West Bay, at Traverse City, But this 

 place, with its general air of business, its railroad and the blithe 

 music of ^the saws in the mUls along the water, was little in accord 



AUXILIARY HOUSE-BOAT PINSON. From "Le Yacht," 



AA.— Beds, B.— Servant's room. C— Kitchen. D.— Engine. K.— Bunkers. F.— Boiler. G.— Guest's room. H.— Toilet. I.— Owner's room 



J.— Toilet. K.— Closet. L.— Saloon. M.— Fore deck. 



{To Forgive Divine). 



THB POETRY OF HOUSE- DO ATDs'G. 



brass on deck and the elegance of the fui-nishings Ijelow ahnost took 

 our breath away. But once more the mate's in.siiperable nerve car- 

 ried us over the shoals. Yi:iu would have thoaglit. to see him examine 

 the barometer and scowl at the inotfensive steu-ard, that he had lived 

 all his life on a 300-ton ocean rover. 



This "doctor" Jim we found a very amusing character. "I came in 

 on an ore vessel last week,' he said, "and we .stuck on the bar outside 

 and the water came through the roof all night. So I struck. This 

 here 's the sweetest hooker I ever laid ej es on.'' and then he rushed 

 off to polish some of his galloj' utensiks. When we had made sail Jim 

 •was going to lift the stream anelior handover hand, but was sur- 

 prised to find that he could not even haul the cable t-aut without the 



the unwilling author of our popularity. The corners of his mouth 

 were turned down, hut there was an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes. 



The only drawback that attended this pecuhar condition of affairs 

 was the perpetual show that we felt we were making of ourselves; it 

 was a trifle embarrassing at times for the skipper to find himself the 

 envied object of admiration, to be pointed out as the hero of an event 

 which he had never entered; but the mate carried out his part in a way 

 that made lavish amends for any deficiency exhibited by the others. 

 We were especially careful when boxing about the harbor to show 

 foresail only, if any other craft was near with which Our speed might 

 be compared. We knew that Caldwell could be depended on to sup- 

 port the storjf which his own ingenious brain had evolved, but it would 

 have been exceedingly embarrassing for us if some little upstart of a 

 catboat should overhaul us in the harboi'. Perhaps the very insecurity 

 of our tenure to a reputation, the knowledge that our pleasant dream 

 might be abruptly concluded by a letter, just as a letter had originated 

 it, made the fun more vivid while it lasted. 



One morning, with a fresh breeze fi'om the northwest, we hoisted 

 sail, slipped moorings, headed for the narrow channel to Pine Lake, 

 and passed Breezy Point with swelling canvas and a long straight wake 

 astern. It was a beautiful cloudless day and we were bound up the 

 lake in exploration. As the Flora glided over the foam-flecked sur- 

 face, with light hearts we lounged in the cockpit and enjoyed our 

 glorious freedom. Soon we reached the smelting furnaces of fronton, 

 where South Arm, as this portion of the lake is called, branches off to 

 the right. We were scudding past the pleasant shores that rise hke 

 river banks, green from the water's edge. 



"Matey, I'll tell 5'ou what, it you'll wash a .shirt for me I'll covenant 

 and agree to wash dishes twice for you," It was Dau who broke in 

 upon our lazy daydream with his ru'de reminder of one of tlie most 

 abhorrent of the limitations upon our freedom. 



"Take it oft' and I'll make the attempt," was the answer. 



"No, I mean the one in my 'valoose.' but I'll foi'give thein.sinuation.'?' 

 So the grave Bert poured a bucket of water on deck and was soon en- 

 gaged in his serious labor, 



"Ho! Soap overboard, down helm!" We were going a clean eight 

 miles an hour when the mate sung out. Without trying to keep his 

 ey;e on the lost treasure, he hastily dropped the centerboard and 

 seized foi'esheet in one hand and staysail slieet in the other. 



"That's well, ready about, lighten lieadsheets," and she was soon 

 heading so as to intersect her former course. 



"Keep her off, helm up, steady," shouted Dan from his position at 

 bowsprit heel. "Now watch for it to leeward." As we swept past, 

 the mate made a successful dip with the bucket and landed the prize. 

 In a moment the jracht swung off before the breeze and was on her 

 coui-se to the shore. 



i >"Ha, precious treasure, and the only link that connects us with 

 civilization; it floats, it floats, forty -four and ninety -nine one 

 hundredths pure," and the White Elephant resumed his labor. 



We proceeded up the winding lake until about fifteen mUes from 

 Charlevoix, then moored the yacht under the lee of a sandy point and 

 spent the rest of the day gypsy-like on the beach. There was a plenti- 

 ful supply of ■wild berries in the wood, and we found that Ijy diUgent 

 application "we coidd pick them fast enough to pi-event our hunger 

 from increasing and stfll have time for an occasional dip in the lake. 



When evening came the breeze had died out and we were ready to 

 return. Bert said he would take the first watch, so the other two 

 turned in. Soon the night wind came up fair astern and the occu- 

 pants of the cuddy were entertained hy the efforts of the m.ate in 

 keeping her wing and wing. This he was determined to do, but when 

 he left the helm to wing out the foresail the mainsafl would jibe. Then 

 the foresail would jibe, or perhaps on the contrary the foresail jibed 

 first and was follow ed by the mainsail, or, as occasionaUy happened, 

 both went over together. The crew fell asleep with a bfoad grin on 

 his face, and knew no more vmtil a lantern was thrust into his face 



I with our free and easy dilettanteism. We wandered about for a few 

 hours, and left to retrace our course down the bay. Northport, where 

 we arrived at daybreak, the sleepy, forgotten village detained us part 

 of a day. The wind was fresh from northwest, so in the afternoon we 

 held northward toward the open lake, but anchored under the lee of 

 Lighthouse Point, well out toward the end, to wait until night should 

 come. Ourwait was not tedious; we took advantage of the occasion 

 to visit the hghthouse and were shown into the lantern by the proud 

 keeper. 



This trick of lying by during the day if you have a head wind, and 

 edging along at night with the land breeze, was bne by which we had 



A SHANGHAI HOUSE-BOAT. 



profited more than once. The sun was just showing over the hills to 

 port and the wind was beginning to swing back to the southwest, 

 when the Flora slipped into the harbor at South Manitou Island next' 

 morning. This peculiar, crescent shaped haven, situated on the east 

 side of the island, which lies about twelve miles from the mainland, 

 is famfliar to every one who has seen rough weather on Lake Michigan. 

 The course of the lower lake commerce lies inside the island, from 

 whose empty harbor may be seen all day long and by their lights at 

 night, all that passes through the straits, following each other as in 

 some grand pageant. But when the tempestuous months of early 

 autumn arrive, the island awakes to full activity : from the north and 

 the south the over-laden steamers and the weather-beaten schooners 

 will congregate in the little basin until their masts are numbered by 

 the score. 



When we arrived there was nothhig in port but a steam barge and 

 her consort loading gravel for Chicago. We beat to the sandy point 

 that projects from the south, and anchored almost under the shadow 

 of the tall whit'j lighthouse. There is excellent holding ground ; the 

 bottom slopes down from the beach as steep as sand will lie I0 a depth 

 of twenty fathoms. The hghthouse keeper told us he had kuown a 

 schooner coming in for the first time that let go an anchor wnth too 

 short a scope of chain. Dov. n to the bottom it shot and surprised all 

 hands by taking both ends of the cable with it. 



Later m the day the wind became stronger. Just a half mile to the 

 east we could see the heaving whitecaps roll. Soon a little steamer, 



- - — fauiy covered with lumber, sought shelter at the island, and was fol- 



and the deck beams hit him a vicious rap on the head. The yacht had I lowed close by a great white-winged schooner from the north We 

 arrived at her familiar anchorage, tlie hook was down and sails furled, supposed she was Ifiden -with coal, for her deck wag low and she w ati 



