"
In the course of half an hour an empty oil-keg was moored over the spot
where our boat lay upon the sandy bar, and we were sailing as fast as
such an unwieldy vessel, with her mainsail permanently reefed above the
roof of her grocery store, could be expected to sail. Our tacks were
long and numerous, and although Walkirk and I lent a hand whenever there
was occasion for it, and although there was a fair wind, the distant
point rose but slowly upon our horizon.
"I hope," I remarked to Captain Jabe, "that the Widow Kinley will buy a
good bill of you, after you have taken all this trouble to get to her."
"Dunno," said he; "she don't generally take more than she has ordered
the week before, and all she has ordered this time is two yeast cakes."
"Do you mean," exclaimed Walkirk, "that you are taking all this time and
trouble to deliver two yeast cakes, worth, I suppose, four cents?"
"That's the price on 'em," said the captain; "but if the Widder Kinley
didn't git 'em she wouldn't do no bakin' this week, and that would upset
her housekeepin' keel up."
Late in the afternoon we delivered the yeast cakes to the Widow Kinley,
whom we found in a state of nervous agitation, having begun to fear that
another night would pass without her bread being "sot.
Pages:
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195