Harper's Round Table, August 13, 1895 Part 7

The ex-Pirate took the piece of paper and looked at it. It was an advertis.e.m.e.nt:

DELUGE LINE: ......................

THE ARK

(_Captain Noah_)

Will sail at NOON precisely.

"I am sure we shall miss the boat," continued the Turtle, nervously.

"What time is it, please?"

Tommy and the ex-Pirate looked at each other. Neither one had a watch.

"I can't tell you what time it is," answered the little boy. "I'm not big enough to have a watch; and the last time I saw the clock it was going so fast, I could not tell what time it was."

"Well," said the Turtle, "you are more polite than the Cuckoos, anyway.

But I am sure we shall be late."

"I guess not," said the ex-Pirate, rea.s.suringly. "Don't get nervous about it. There is always a delay. The Ark won't sail on time. And besides, they will have to wait for the mails."

"Oh no," persisted the Turtle. "They won't have to wait for the males, because we are going aboard in pairs."

"Can't we carry the poor things?" suggested Tommy. "It would be too bad if they got left."

The Turtle looked up at the little boy with an expression of overwhelming grat.i.tude. This was all that was needed to persuade the ex-Pirate, and so he and Tommy leaned over and each picked up a Turtle and tucked it under his arm.

"This reminds me of a conversation I overheard once," said the ex-Pirate, as they started off again. "I made a cla.s.sic out of it; and as the Sheep is not here to object now, I will recite it to you:

"'It is much to be regretted,'

Said the Turtle to the Snail, 'That as rapid-transit creatures We so signally must fail.

"'But yet we should be thankful That Nature still allows us To carry on our weary backs The wherewithal to house us.'"

"Correct!" blurted out the Turtle from under the ex-Pirate's arm. "Is there any danger of these pistols going off?"

"No," replied the ex-Pirate; "they are loaded."

"That's all right, then," he said, with a sigh of relief; "I was afraid they were not loaded."

Tommy and the ex-Pirate, with the Turtles under their arms, picked their way through the trees toward the Ark. As they advanced they could hear sounds as of a vast congregation of creatures, and at last, when they came to the edge of the woods, they looked out upon a broad plain, in the centre of which rested the huge house-boat that Noah had constructed. Around it were gathered hundreds and hundreds of animals, and in the air above were flying countless birds.

[Ill.u.s.tration: "WHY, THAT ARK IS JUST LIKE MINE!" EXCLAIMED TOMMY.]

"Why, that Ark is just like mine!" exclaimed Tommy, "only a million times larger." The ex-Pirate looked at him in a half-surprised way, but made no reply.

"I guess you can drop us here," then said Tommy's Turtle; "and we are ever so much obliged." As soon as the two creatures had been put down upon the ground again they scampered off in the direction of the Ark as fast as their legs would carry them.

"Now what shall _we_ do?" said Tommy.

"I guess we had better hold a council of war. When you don't know what to do, always hold a council of war," answered the ex-Pirate, and the two sat down in the shade of a big oak to consult.

[TO BE CONTINUED.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORT]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LEONARD E. WARE.]

Ware has turned the tables on Whitman. They met in the finals at Newcastle, but it was 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, and 5-7 before the interscholastic champion could make it 8-6 in the fifth set, and call the tournament his. There was good playing that day, and the schools can take pride in the fact that they are sending new material, and better, into the tennis ranks this season than has entered for many a year. These new-comers are putting up a careful, steady game too. The princ.i.p.al failing of young and promising players in former years has been their inclination to play more for the benefit of the spectators than for the points of the game.

But to sacrifice points for applause is a very evident absurdity, and so I was glad to see at the Wentworth that most of the men aimed to put up a steady game.

Ware and Whitman are so nearly even in their play that it is difficult to determine which is the better man. Ware no doubt has the greater powers of endurance, and I should count on him to win more tournaments in the long-run, but Whitman is certainly strong in emergencies and steady at critical moments. Ware's best strokes are his cross-court plays, which I have no doubt he will eventually develop to a standard of proficiency superior to that of any player in the country. He volleys well, too, and when in back court often puts in some good smashes.

Whitman is clever at a drive, and puts speed into his strokes, but he has not the physical development to stand a long match. His game would no doubt be greatly improved if he should devote himself during the winter to general athletic exercise. He smashes well, and is excellent on volleying. The performance of Beals Wright at the Wentworth tournament was a surprise to many. For a fifteen-year-old lad he certainly can play tennis. Scudder was also on hand, and repeated some of his clever work at Longwood. He put up even a better game at Newcastle, defeating Budlong in the second round, but he succ.u.mbed to Ware in the semi-finals.

Whitman was apparently not in the best of condition when he stepped into court for the final match, but he warmed up to his work as the games piled up, and showed good form in the last three sets. The first offered no exhibition of particularly fine play. The score seesawed, until Whitman took the fifth and sixth games, and then Ware got the next four and the set. But in the second set there was pretty tennis. Whitman did some clever placing, and Ware's drives called forth considerable applause. In the eighth game there was an amusing lobbing contest, which finally turned to Ware's favor, and he followed up the advantage with some clean pa.s.ses across that added the ninth to his score.

Poor play characterized the opening of the third set, not a point being earned in the first game. Whitman took it, and Ware got the second on his opponent's successive outs. Then Ware came up to the net and put in some good strokes; but Whitman was steadying down by this time, and with some clever pa.s.ses and good volleying he got his first set. He took the next one, too, made lively by sharp work on both sides with many deuce games and plenty of fierce volleying. Then came the rubber. Ware was warmed up, and kept driving the ball at his opponent. Whitman set his hopes on placing, and played a careful steady game. Ware took the first two games, and Whitman got the following three, and then it was a seesaw until the twelfth. Deuce was called five times in the eleventh game before Whitman could win it. He was leading, then, 6-5. But Ware quickly brought the score to games all, and by beautiful placing earned the two following, the set and the match.

It is to be regretted that all the interscholastic cracks will not meet at Newport. Sheldon of Hotchkiss Academy, winner of the Yale interscholastic tourney, cannot be present because he is out West, where he must stand again to defend the championship of Ohio, which he won last year. For a similar reason McMahon, the Brooklyn interscholastic champion, will be absent. He has won the Leland House tournament at Schroon Lake for the past two years, and if he wins again this summer the Leland House cup is his. That tournament occurs about the same period as the Newport Interscholastic. But the schools will be well represented, nevertheless, and we may look forward to seeing even better tennis this year than at any previous interscholastic tournament.

Although it is now somewhat late in the season to recur to the spring championship series of baseball, it seems advisable to insert the result of the New England Interscholastic League contest, if only for the sake of the record which it will serve. The outcome of the series was not wholly satisfactory, because the Cambridge High and Latin School nine tied Hopkinson's for first place, and no deciding game was arranged. Had it been, the Cambridge men would doubtless have won. They were heavy hitters, and in the field gave excellent support to Stearns, who was one of the best pitchers in the a.s.sociation. The Hopkinson players were likewise strong at the bat, but p.r.o.ne to get rattled. The surprise of the season was English High's defeat of the Cambridge team--in a most exciting contest--after having lost to almost every other nine in the league. The scores follow:

_April_ 26.--Hop., 13; Som. H., 11.

_May_ 1.--Hop., 6; B.L.S., 5 (12 innings).

" 9.--B.L.S., 5; Som. H., 4.

" 10.--Hop., 15; E.H.-S., 14.

" 11.--C.H. and L., 24; R.L.S., 12.

" 16.--E.H.-S., 14; Som. H., 1.

" 17.--C.H. and L., 8; Hop., 5.

" 21.--B.L.S., 8; R.L.S., 6.

" 22.--C.H. and L., 7; Som. H., 0.

" 24.--Hop., 19; R.L.S., 13.

" 25.--C.H. and L., 17; B.L.S., 0.

" 28.--R.L.S., 5; Som. H., 4.

" 31.--B.L.S., 10; E.H.-S., 5.

_June_ 4.--R.L.S., 15; E.H.-S., 10.

" 7.--E.H.-S., 4; C.H. and L., 3.

Canoeing is about as good an out-door sport as any for the month of August, but it is a pastime largely restricted to inland waters. You can paddle and sail a canoe along the sea-sh.o.r.e, of course; but this is dangerous business for any but the most experienced canoeist, and thoroughly unadvisable. Canoes were not intended for rough water. But there is nothing more delightful than to paddle yourself along a winding stream through the quiet woods, or sail in your light craft across some beautiful lake in the mountains. To those who have never tasted this pleasure it can truly be recommended. One of the objections to indulging in it, many will say, is the expense involved in the purchase of a canoe. But this may be very easily overcome by any one gifted with even the slightest constructive ingenuity. If you can saw to a line and plane an edge, and drive a nail, you can build a canoe for yourself at very small cost.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. A.]

The simplest kind of canoe is made of canvas, and for the purpose of a novice in the graceful art of paddling it is just as serviceable as a more expensive boat. Very little material is required to construct one, and the cost, including everything, will not exceed $12. First procure two strips of pine board 12-3/4 feet by 2 inches by 3/4 of an inch; a bunch of oak strips 1-1/4 by 1/2 inch, and about 4 feet long; a bunch of pine strips 12 feet long by 1-1/4 by 1/2 inch; and a piece of spruce 12 feet long by 2 inches by 1-1/8 inch. This last piece is to be used for the keel, to the ends of which are fastened the stem and stern posts. These are both alike, and should be sawed out of a pine plank in the curved shape displayed in Fig. A. Lay out your curve on the plank in pencil first, then saw to the line, and level the edge, so that the prow will slip through the water easily. Next, saw into both ends of your keel piece, insert the stem and stem pieces; then plane the keel piece so that it will come to a point both forward and aft. Fasten these uprights to the keel with copper nails or rivets. They are better than any other kind because they do not rust.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. B.]