Friday, Jan. 10, 1941
SOUTHERN OREGON MINER
Page 6
I
BtM
es • o.
Bq B en A mls W illiams
CHAPTER XI—Continued
—12 ■
That single small barrel which a
strong man could lift and carry
away was worth thousands of dol­
lars. No one could be sure exactly
how much, and every man aboard
was wondering.
After they found the ambergris.
Richard, who had till then main­
tained a careful dignity, as though
to support his new part as Captain
of the Venturer, became more ex­
pansive.
Mary thought his luck
had given him a sense of his own
powers on which now he could build.
At table he was more ready to talk
about himself, and about the things
he had seen in his ten years of sea­
faring
When he spoke of whales
and whaling, even George was in­
terested and attentive; but some­
times. chuckling at his memories.
Richard spoke of brawling days
ashore.
One day he related a rather gay
tale of wine and women that net­
tled George. Leaving Richard in the
outer cabin he stalked out, Mary
quick on his heels. George led Mary
into her own cabin and closed the
door and he said at once:
“Mary. I don't like that talk! Cap­
tain Corr ought to mind his tongue."
She hesitated, seeing how anger
shook Mm. wondering in embarrass­
ment whether Richard could hear.
Then she heard Richard go on deck.
“Don't you think you're a little un­
reasonable. George?" she pleaded.
“Of course, you're a minister, and
Richard's boat was near the dead
Whale, moving to and fro, Richard
standing high in the bow and point­
ing this way and that to guide Pip
at the stearing oar; and Mary could
see now and then a man lean over­
side and pick something up out of
the water with both hands. Mary
looked around for information. Pe­
ter was aft; but Isaiah was here
with them, his elbows on the rail,
squinting at the boats yonder. Mary
asked him what they were doing.
"K_« a cutting a hole in the small
so's he can tow her in."
"I mean, what’s Richard picking
up?”
“Oh. might be grease,” he sug­
gested.
“You see it sometimes,
where a whale's costive.”
Mary, looking down into Richard's
boat, saw that it was half full of
some strange stuff, noisome in ap­
pearance, a mass of gouts and
chunks and fragments deep gray in
color, from which an unpleasant
odor rose.
The stuff was piled
around the feet of the men. the
whole whaleboat messed with it
Peter came here beside them; and
he called down to his brother:
“What's all that gurry. Dick?"
Richard looked up at them with
calm eyes; but then his own ex­
citement made him grin like a
proud, triumphant boy. He threw
up his hand. “Greasy luck today,
Peter. It’s ambergris!" he cried.
Marv remembered vaguely hav­
ing heard someone at some time
speak of “ambergris.” She had an
obscure impression that is was valu­
able, and she decided now with an
amused grimace that it must be. or
Richard would not have brought this
boatload of ill-smelling stuff back to
the Venturer.
He leaped to the
deck beside them, dripping with -his
exertions, and drunk with the hot
taste of victory; and as the men
swung the whaleboat aboard be
spoke to Peter.
“What’s ambergris good for. Rich­
ard? It smells awful."
Richard chuckled reassuringly.
“It’ll get over that as soon as it
dries out They use it to make
perfumes!”
“Where does ambergris come
from?”
“I guess nobody knows just what
it is. A whale gets rid of it while
he's dying, just the way a trout will
clean out its stomach on the hook.
You'll see chunks of squid half as
big as a man floating around a whale
after he's fin out; and sometimes
you find ambergris the same way.”
Mary watched him, her eyes still
as woodland pools, remembering
“1 knew darned well you'd
what she had seen this tall young
be crying!”
man do a while ago. When be came
toward her again, she could not face
him, and like one waking she looked a fine one; but Richard's fine in his
around, and realized for the first way too. Don't you think there are
time that George was no longer two ways, at least, for men to
here beside her. She saw him by live?”
He said, after a moment, with that
the cabin skylight aft
Richard returned past her. "Got humility which a conscicusness of
to go get dry,” he said. She fol­ his own one-sidedness always woke
lowed him toward where George in him: "Yes, I know. Mary. But I
stood; and George stopped Richard, hate his attitude toward—well, to­
ward women. The relationship be­
said in unstinted praise:
"That’s the finest thing I ever saw tween men and women—isn't a
or beard of. Cap’n Corr.”
I i game, to be played for fuh. When a
Richard flushed with pleasure; man does things like that, and brags
and Mary linked her arm through about them ...”
"I don’t think be was bragging,"
her husband's and held tight to it
and echoed: “Did you ever see any­ she argued. “I thought he was just
telling some of the foolish things he
thing so wonderful?”
Richard grinned. “It was a pret­ used to do.”
"Mary, ^re you trying to justify
ty good fight," he admitted.
"It was great" George agreed. him?”
“I didn't take a full breath for ten
“Yes, I am,” she admitted. “I
minutes.” He smiled.
“If that’s think by his standards Richard's a
whaling, Cap’n Corr, I’ll stick to the pretty fine man. Just as you are by
ministry.”
yours. I think if you did things like
Richard chuckled in shy pleasure. that, you'd feel ashamed and de­
“Shucks, most times it's like beef­ graded; so of course you shouldn't
ing a steer. Nine whales out of ten do them. But when he did them,
just make a little run and then he didn't feel ashamed. He just
take it; and the bowheads don't thought they were fun! They were
even do that.”
foolish, perhaps; but all young men
"A bowhead killed Uncle Tom,” do foolish things, don’t they?”
Mary remembered.
"Most of them, I suppose. That
“Oh. sometimes they’ll act bad." doesn't make them any less fools!”
The business of cutting in the dead His voice was tight with rage.
whale was pushed at top speed to
She protested, herself half angry
beat the threat of weather. Mary now: “You surely don’t expect me
watched the long spades slice to be like you, stiff, and disapprov­
through blubber and flesh and gristle ing, and hardly speaking to him at
as easily as hot butter. Peter, she all.”
saw. was shrewd and skilful at this
“I don’t expect you to defend
business.
him!”
Mary watched the whole opera­
"Richard doesn’t need defend-
tion, from the first cut into the black ing!”
carcass scarred white by the sharks.
George said rigidly: “I expect you
The sharp blades the inen used fas­ to remember you’re my wife,
cinated her. Hiram was kept busy Mary.”
grinding them. Tommy turning tor
She told him wearily: “Oh I do,
him. She and George watched pro­ George. You know I do." But some­
ceedings together; and once when thing in her tone made him look at
Richard stopped near them, she her with bleak eyes; and he turned
said:
without a word and went out of the
“All these spades and harpoons cabin, closing the door harshly be­
and lances are pretty deadly, aren't hind him.
they. I should think you’d be nerv­
She dropped on her bunk, lying
ous, having them around.”
on her back, her eyes open, and it
“Well, they’re our tools,” he re­ occurred to her after a little that
minded her. “We get used to them.” she was very tired. She wondered
And he said:
why; and her eyes filled, and she
"You know, Peter’s the best I rolled -over, her head in her arms,
ever saw on the cutting stage.” She crying quietly. When the door of the
thought he wished to restore Peter’s stateroom opened and then closed,
stature in her eyes, and said agree­ she thought it was George return­
ably:
ing to make his peace with her; and
“I could see that. He knows just she lay still, waiting for him to
where to cut, doesn't he?”
speak. She felt bis weight on the
All that night the decks were a bunk as he sat down beside her,
red-lighted inferno of smoke and his hand upon her shoulder; and she
flame, and the smell of hot oil pene­ turned over to look up at him and
trated every part of the ship.
saw not George but Peter.
It would be days before the Ven­
He bent close above her so that
turer was spick and span again. she could not rise; and he whispered
The whale, beside the ambergris, hotly: “I knew darned well you'd
added sixteen barrels of spermaceti be crying! Blast himl If he were
and forty-odd of oil to their cargo; man’s size I'd take him apart!”
but the ambergris had captured the
She shook her head from side to
imagination of every man aboard. side on the pillow. “He's all right,
I k W v SEW
F arm
WILLIAMS
Service
Peter. I was just tired, that's all.
I don't know why.”
She tried to sit up, put her hand
against his chest to thrust him
aside; but he did not move. He
laughed, in a comforting fashion.
“Poor little Mary! You always were
a sweet kid. I was crazy about you,
at home.”
“You were sort of mean to me. al­
ways teasing."
“Sure. That’s the way boys dot
That's the way they show it." He
said quickly: “I'd do a lot to see
you happy.”
And he bent and kissed her.
CH A ITER XII
T opics
4^"“ Ruth Wyeth Spears
WILLOWS SAVE
STREAM BANKS
Dense Growth Protects Soil
On Curves.
An Improved labor-saving method
of protecting stream banks with a
mat of growing willow shoots has
been worked out by the soil con­
servation service. It is particularly
effective where small streams are
cutting into their banks at the out­
side of curves or where streams
that normally flow gently rise to de­
structive heights in rainy seasons.
The willows throw up a dense growth
that furnishes first-class protection.
The first step is to grade steep
banks to about a 45-degree angle.
Then cut willow poles and prune
them roughly. The poles should be
long enough to extend from below
low water in the stream to the top
of the sloped bank and should be
laid about two feet apart the day
they are cut to prevent drying. Cover
the poles with a 6 to 13-lnch layer of
brush—using the willow prunings
and other brush if needed.
Anchor the brush mat with old
woven wire laced together with
smooth wire, Set stout posts in the
bank and tie the mat down with
wires from the posts to heavy stones
sunk in the stream below the mat.
Provide occasional vertical anchors
of logs laid up and down the slope
and held by stout stakes.
Poles cut in fall and winter when
the willow are dormant will live
and in spring will root In the bank
and send up growing shoots that
form a living mat
Willows have long been popular as
bank protectors, but the new method
economizes labor, gets a dense
growth with minimum effort and
the work can be done in winter when
farm work is slack.
He said hoarsely, his lips against
her ear: “I could do anything, with
a woman like you.”
He was pressing her down. She
had to fight away, to fight to her
feet in a sort of blind panic, to
face him with blazing eyes, scrub-
bing at her lips which again now
he had kissed, crying in low tight
tones:
“Stop it. Peter! Stop it! Get out
of here!”
She flung him back,
He stood
against the door, muttering broken-
ly. “I'm sorry. I couldn't help it
You're so sweet! I lost my head!”
"Get out of here!”
He said in sudden sullen wrath:
“You're not fooling me, you knowl
You've always been crazy about
Diclt! You never would look at me!”
She took a quick step toward him.
so angry that he recoiled; and he
opened, behind him, the cabin door.
She said: “If you ever come in here
again. I'll . . .”
He exclaimed in quick alarm:
“Sh-h! Don't yell, Mary. George
will hear . . ."He turned and ran
up tlie companionway to the deck.
After that whale which Richard
killed had been tried out. and the
decks scoured clean again, there
were long lazy days when the ship
and those aboard her seemed asleep.
Sometimes Mary, looking up at the
men on watch at the crosstrees, saw
them nodding on their lofty perch.
When the Venturer was on whaling
ground, she carried at night only
enough sail to make her handy; but
In the erection of farm buildings,
now Richard was making a passage,
poor nailing of joints is often the
counting on picking up enough oil
cause of later damage to these build­
to fill their casks off the coast of
Skimping of
ings by windstorms
South America.
the number of nails often means in­
Richard for the sake of warm
creased upkeep costs
A poor job
weather did not yet turn southward
of nailing in the construction or re­
and the sun shone fair and fine, and
pair of farm buildings and the use of
the winds were favoring. The watch
too few or too small nails result In
on deck might be busy with scrim­
weaknesses at the joints. Many farm
shaw. listening perhaps to one of
buildings are blown down or sag be­
Corkran's yarns; and the squawk
cause not enough or too smaU nails
of the parrot sometimes came aft.
were used in their construction and
Richard, standing with Mary one
while small nails do not crack the
day, watching Corkran and his lis­
lumber so much as larger ones, they
teners, said:
are not so effective in holding the
“He's a good man, a good sailor;
building rigid.
and a story-teller in the fo'c's'le
Good nailing practice consists
helps keep the men contented. Some­
mainly in using the proper kind,
one to tell 'em stories keeps ’em
size, and number of nails for each
amused."
particular part of a wooden struc­
Mary reflected thoughtfully: “You
In order to get the full
know, Corkran's really fond of ture.
George. That's why he deserted the strength of the common wire nail
under a side-ways pull, it must be
Sunset at Gilead, in case George
driven
at least two-thirds of its
needed him."
length into the piece receiving the
"George is a fine fellow. Mary. I
point if light-weight wood is being
like him too.”
“The queer part is, he likes Cork— nailed. When it is not possible to
ran,” she said. “Corkran lived with get this much penetration, more
the natives on the island and George nails should be used because the
strength increases directly with the
knows it, and yet he doesn't seem
number of nails.
to blame him.”
For wall sheathing and roof boards
Richard looked at her. "You know,
you may not understand George of the ordinary kind, two eight-penny
yourself," he said. “He's about the nails at each nailing point are usu­
bravest man I ever saw. He’s pret­ ally enough. In assembling rafters
ty small, and frail; but he’s never it is well to consider that a severe
afraid." He added: "He wants to storm may lift the roof as a whole.
go in one of the boats next time we Therefore at least three or four nails
of the proper length should be used
strike whales.”
to fasten each rafter to the top of the
She was As’ inished. "Honestly?
After seeing that fight the other side walls. The proper number of
day? He said then he’d stick to being nails in such places sometimes seem
to be more than necessary but they
a preacher, don't you remember?"
He chuckled. “That was partly may mean the difference between a
to make me feel good, and partly wrecked roof or one in place after
because he saw how—impressed you a storm.
were, and he was trying to please
you by agreeing with you. George is
a grown man, Mary, small as he
is.”
“Will you let him go in a boat?”
"Maybe.”
Agriculture is prepared for na
George had long since made his
tional defense better than any
peace with Mary after that ugly
other industry, according to N E
hour in her cabin when by defend­
Dodd, western regional director
ing Richard she roused his anger.
of the AAA.
He was humble and contrite and
Farmers are better trained to
ashamed of his harsh word. Peter
produce all the nation needs with­
too came to her with apologies;
out damaging the land as was
and Mary guardedly forgave him,
done
during the World war, and
as a woman can always forgive a
there is enough food and fiber for
man for loving her; but sometimes
every use.
when she looked at him suddenly
There is enough wheat stored
she surprised a sultry hunger in his
on farms and in elevators to feed
eyes that made her wary. She tried
the people next year if no more
not to be left alone with him again.
wheat is grown. We have enough
There were other reasons too why
cotton in storage for a two-years'
her nerves drew tight and tighter.
supply if we don't raise another
She saw much low-pitched conver­
bale. And there is a half bil­
sation among the men forward.
lion bushels of corn In storage
Even Corkran was changed. Ma­
so there will be plenty of grain
ry. when he had the wheel, some­
for live-stock feed.
times talked with him, puzzled by
the difference in his bearing. She
and George discussed it too.
Mary asked Corkran straightfor­
wardly one day why he had
An acre contains 43,560 square
changed. He was, he confessed, un­
easy.
“I don’t like the looks of feet or, what is more commonly
things forward," he said, “Nor the used, 160 square rods. A square
acre measures 208 feet, 8W inches
talk I hear.”
on each side. A «trip of land '6 red
“What talk?”
"They’re saying there’s a packet wide; 1 mile in length equals an
of pearls aboard this ship that's acre. To find the number of acres
worth a fortune.” His eyes touched in a rectangular field, multiply the
hers. “You mind, pearls made trou­ length by the width in feet and di­
ble enough back there at the island, vide by 43.560 or, multiply the length
for himself and you. I don't like the and width in yards and divide by
4, M0 or, the length by the width in
pretty little things.*
rods and divide by 160.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Use Abundance of Nails
When Erecting Buildings
Farmers Prepared
For U. S. Defense
Figuring Acreage
H5
INSIDE
A-STITCH FACING-B-CUT
OPENING AND TURN
INSIDE
FACING-CSTITCHDFOLD-
r
E-MARK CURVE-F STITCH”
18-
___ G-TRIM-H”OYERCAST”
A^YARD CHINTZ*! TURN RIGHT SIDE
FACING 5"XI5"
OUT AND ADD HANGER
/
I
«,
I,
I
I.
A HE you planning ti . ,gs that
will sell well at a Fair or
Bazaar? Or is this the season that
you catch up on odds and ends of
sewing for the house? In either
case you will like to stitch up a
bag like this one. Everyone seems
to have a special use for one of
these bags on a hanger. I have
one that I use for laundry when
I go traveling. Men and boys like
them for closet laundry bags too,
as they are plenty big enough
for shirts. A lit'.ie girl 1 know has
a small version of one of these in
which she keeps doll clothes
scraps. 1 have also seen them
used for everything from dress
patterns to dust rags.
This green and white ivy pat­
terned chintz with green facing
makes a good looking bag. Pic­
torial chintz will amuse a young­
ster-something with animals or
toys or a landscape in the design.
I saw a material the other day
with a pattern showing all kinds
HOUSEHOLD
QUESTIONS
Save the peels of oranges and
tangerines, dry them in the oven
and store in glass jars. They give
puddings and custards a delicious
flavor.
• • •
When making peppermints drop
them onto a piece of waxed paper
instead of onto a pan. They are
more easily removed from waxed
paper.
of rope knots. A boy would like
that. Each step in making Die
bag is shown in the sketch.
• • •
In SEWING Book 3 thers arc <llrr<llons
for (HU another type of bag on a hangar;
also a pocket tor the pantry door. Thia
book contains directions tor the spool
shelves; stocking cat; "The rug that grew
up with the family.’* and rnauy >thrr at
your favorites among arUcles that have
appeared in the paper. Send ardor to:
MKS ai’TH WVKTH Bl’KAMS
Drawer IS
Bedford Mills
New Verk
Enclose 10 cents for Book No 3.
Name ....................... . ............................ ..
Address ............................................ •
Miss Hutl Another Chance
After the Final Good-By
The fellow threatened to commit
suicide every time a certain girt
turned him down.
Slie refused
him again the otht night, anti the
next morning a messenger lx>y
called with this note:
"Darling—By the time you read
this, my body will be floating down
the river. Life without you is not
worth while. Shed no tears over
me, but just remember that I have
always loved you.
Good by for
ever.”
The girl went white and neurly
fainted. Then she noticed that the ’
messenger boy was still there.
“What are you waiting for?” she
asked.
"The man who gave me that
note said I was to wait tor an an­
swer,” said tlie boy.
• • •
fiard sauce, highly flavored with
cinnamon, grated orange and lem­
on peels and a little fruit juice,
gives just the proper finish to hot
fruit puddings.
• • •
Plant bulbs close to the window
panes and away from the heat of
the room instead of starting them
in a dark room. You will get
better results.
• • •
When a splinter has gone very
deep into the flesh, try extraction
by steam. Heat a wide-mouthed
bottle and fill it two-thirds full of
very hot water and place under
the injured spot. The suction in a
few minutes removes both splinter
and inflammation. This method is
particularly good when the splin­
ter has been in for some time.
• • •
Brass knockers and doorknobs
that are exposed to the weather
will stay clean and bright longer
if rubbed with paraffin after they
are cleaned and polished with a
soft, dry cloth.
THE CHEERFUL CHERUB
The. people uko tiJk
of their worries
Mt-ke everyone s
• troubles increase.
A policeman should
simply trrestjzhem
Because they’re
\
disturbing
xJL.v*'
the pe-Kce.
A
u
WNU Service.
1
QUINTUPLETS
CHEST COLDS
use MUSTEROLE for
Mother—Give YOUR OMId
This S« bm Expert Care I
At the first sign of a chest cold the
Quintuplets’ throats and ehesta are
rubbed with Children’s MM Musterole
—a product made to promptly relieve
the DISTRESS of children’s colds aad
resulting bronchial and croapy rough«
Relief usaallr comes quickly because
Musterole la MORE than an ordinary
“salve.** It helps break up local con­
gestion. As Musterole is used on Hu-
Quinta you may be sure you are using
just about the BEST product mode.
Also in Regularand ExtraStrongth for
those preferring a stronger product.
Place for Money
A wise man should have money
in his head, but not in his heart.
-Swift.
“I’M NOT AFRAID NOW
Sometimes after eating too much I
had gaa pains. ADLERIKA quickly
relieved me and my doctor aaye k*i
all right to uee.” (8. R.-MinnJ Get
ADLERIKA today.
AT YOUR DRUG STORK
C lassified A dvertising
AVE YOU anything around the house you
would like to trade or sell? Try a clari­
fied ad. The coat la only a few cent« and there
are probably a lot of folks looking for just what»
ever it ia you no longer have use for « « «
H
Classified Ads Get Results