THE "DUSKY MAID."

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1572, 16 October 1912, Page 8

THE "DUSKY MAID."

THREE MARINERS. AND A BAULKY CLUTCH. (By AYi.) ' . . "They say she can do fifteen—a'll believe it when a sec it," said' Ancient Mariner with the scepticism of his kind and a long experience of blighto anticipations in tho matter of amateur trial-trips. "Ye can buy 'er for_pnc-fifty," he added, prising tho dottle' out of his pipo witli a nail. •

"Might as well make it three-fifty— there's no thin' doin'," I replied, gazing across at the slim lines of a long rakish, motor-boat, tho colour of twilight, that lay at her moorings, between two big pleasure launches tliut lowered above-tho skinny deck, and by their general air ot prosperity, invited .an apology for her intrusion in the Boat Harbour. ■1 he "Dusky Maid" was built for speed—and dungarees. The patient amateurs who had toiled and sweated during long and exasperating weeks of engineering problems, had scorned these effeminate upholsteriugs and glittering furnishings which tho etiquette of the flannelled_ and brass-buttoned gentlemen of tho craft do luxe insist upon. Her how arched up from the cut-water liko tho neck of a thoroughbred coming up tho straight, and then swept aft to a low squat, sternquarter, which hid the. tho propollor, and gave to tho hull the appearance of ' a miniature destroyer. She had no beam— , a man could have straddled her amidships—and her three cylinders were bared to the sky above. . The figure of a man bent over tho machinery, tapping here, and screwing there, with that pottering deliberation 'wnicli seems to ho inseparably connected with amateur preparations. Finally, he relinquished his hammer and spanner for a pump, and presently there emerged from iho bowels of tho "flier" a. dirty stream which streaked tho surface of the adjacent ocean with oily canals. Having [educed the bilge-water to the nearenough" level, lie discarded the pumpi whistled for his partners, and, detaching the dinghy, gavo it a kick which sent it' drifting shoreward:?. Itn "way' carried it to within tiro yards of the "hard,' and then it swung round like a boomerang, threatening to return whence it came. But- time and a flowing tide finally brought ashore, where,tho "partners cap lured it.

"Like to como?" said one of them. I looked at my watch. "How long will you be?" I asked.

'Bout half-an-hour. Just a spin out and back to warm er up a bit,' lie replied. I hesitated, and was lost. "Come on,'* he said. preparing to push off. T entered the dinghy and sat down in the stern. With a few easy strokes wo slipped across the intervening water and slid .un der tho quarter of the "Dusky Maid." A smell of petrol pervaded her vicinity, We climbed aboard. 1 sat aft, while tho crew went for'ard and pored. over the engine. After a spell of waitiri.g tho "trembler" was detached, examined critically, and'pronounced ,to be "crook.""She wants scrcwiu' up. a bit," said tho Chief' Engineer.' "Bit o' rotten platinum," said thf> Electrician, in the voice of one who had been inveigled with an expedition against liis will, and expecting nothing, had hardened his heart against hope. "Might as well push off and go home," he added. . "Try screwin' 'er up," suggested tho Skinper.

"Kight," said the Engineer. "Ton, pull ashore and git a screwdriver. . I forgot to bring one."

"Well; if you ain't the dizzy.limit." declared the Skipper as lie untied the dinghy rope and pushed off. "What else did ye forget to bring?"

There was no renly from the bowels of the ship, and tho Skipper pulled off without further ado. I felt tempted to follow him, for the half-hour had gone. Tho "hope that springs eternal," however, induced mo to seo it' out in the ■ expectation of doing a fifteen knot clip round tho man-o'-war buoy that bobbed up and down in the middle distance. . ■ ■

"This'll bo.too big, I suppose," said the skipper, as tho dinghy bumped up against the side once more. It. was. So they filed tho screw-driver, after a ruinous-ef-fort to accomplish the tightening provess with the corner of a gauge, and screwed up the trembler. "She's right," said the Electrician, as the trembler connected up, and sang its queer little note. "It mightn't last," lie added, unwilling to commit,tho venture to anything definite. "l'rimo or up," said tho Chief Engineer, fiddling encouragingly with the compression tappets. 't'lie j'jlecti'icj.'.ui, reduced to tho temporary rank of assistant-mechanic, spilt the petrol liberall). "Easy on!" protested' the Chief Engineer. "Leave us a bit for next time.

"Well, do it yourself," said tlio Assist-ant-Mechanic, setting tho beaker down on tho deck with a jerk. "Anything else:" "Yes—put sonic in the clutch whilo you're at it," said the Engineer, "and put somo more air in." Tho assistantmeclinnic obeyed with a spiritless air. "Right?" asked tlio Skipper, as ho took his seat at the wheel, and grasped tho clutch lever.

"Yes—No! Wait a bit," said tho Engineer. "You'll 'avo to tow us over the dredge-rope." Tho Skipper looked at tho Euginccr, at tho assistant-mechanic, and at mil. Ho was past spccch of the kind that' may be reported. After a brief pliillipic,' ho stepped once moro into tho dinghy,' and stretched his muscles to the task of towing the "Dusky Maid" to the entrance ol the Boat Harbour. ' The spectacle of the dredge-men enjoying, a brief "Spell-o" and snioko added to his displeasure; but his breath was for the tow. -J, ■ Another interval of waiting came at tho end of.tlio breastwork, during which it was discovered that tho eccentricities of tho'tremblor, which, explained tho Chief Engineer, had "broken out in a fresh place,", could only be regulated by the al-most-constant application of a human thumb, preferably tho Afsistant-mc-chanic's. The' latter disgustedly declined, and tho "Chief" therefore had to-di-vide his attention between the trembler and tho engine.

"Give 'er a start," suggested the Skipper, and tho "Chief," having started tho trembler off, cranked up by laboriously twisting the fly-wheel, the engine coughed violently oncq or twice,, spat petrol in all directions, and then stopped. "What's up?" inquired tho Skipper. "Wants moro priming," said the "Chiei," with a glanco at the AssistantMccbanic. The latter obliged without enthusiasm, and the "Chief" once moro operated on the trembler and tho fly-wheel, whilo tho Skipper sat at the steeringwheel, with an expectant hand. on tho clutch-lever.

"Zce-fizz-pop-gug-gug," protested tho engine. "She's off," said the "Chief." wiping his briiw. "Easy on the lever at first. The Skipper drew back tho lever slowly. "\Vhivr-gug-gug-pop-giig-bizz!" said tho engine again, and then stopped. "Clutch won't, grip," siid the Engineer, stifling his nrofanity. "Give 'er- some more petrol," said he. Tho Assistant Mechanic obeyed, and then announced that ho. had an appointment, nf five. "I'll cut. ashore in the dinghy," ho said. "No, you won't,".said tho Skipper, with decision. "You can jump iu and swim. What about us?" ."You can get back in this," said tho Assistant Mechanic, with a veiled .sneer at the Dusky Maid's predicament. However, ho decided to cancel his'' appointment. "I can't, get through the town with a faco like this," he said, wiping off the dirty spray, which had been cast up by a clutch-wheel that rovolved in some inches of bilge-water. "Quite right—you ain't lookin' your best," said the Skipper. "Now then, we're off," he added encouragingly to the Chief. _• Once again the trembler was coaxed to sing, and the fly-wheel twisted spasmodically. "Sro—ze—fizz-—giiß—pap— —wliirr^gng— pop—poir--frog—whirr." The engine spat ami coughed in its ngoiiv, and finally whizzed off in a violent hurry, "Now, then," said the; Chief, "easy on the lever—let tho dutch grip." . The Skipper drew back the lever ns if it were a loaded gun, and t.lio clutch cituglil, slipped. enm;hl again', slipped once again in its bilge-water bath, and then'caught for a few minutes, tugging the- Dusky Maid along for two or three yards before the engine stopped with a di-consolate squeak. "More air, more primiir. more petrol in the clutch, and she'll go this, lime," «9id tho Chief, a lisht in his eve. anil . triumph in .his voice, The Auistant

Mechanic once more obliged, and the engine was slarted' agalii. After a .scries of "gugs" and "wheezes," slio whirred away at t!io rate of quite a niimlwr ot ■ hundred revolutions, and (lie Skipper pulled back tlio clutch-lever hopefully. ''Feel \?r shouto<l_ the Chief ecstatically, as tlio clutch gripped, and the Dusky Maid began -to swish through the water, slowly. at first, and then, 11s the meter-luiiid\ swung round joyously, a great wave parted on either side of her cut-water, add went rolling 'across tlio glassy sea, while.the little dinghy f°am™ astern, her nose high in the air. lne high bow of the .quivering Dusky Jlaiu kept the deck clear of the white smother that tailed at lier port, but tho rushing wind told of the gathering s]K:<xl. _ _ "What price thisf' askcfl the Skipper, as he spun tho wheel and sent the "IJ-oiil round tho inan-b'-war .buoy like a flash.

"This is a—hallo!" The engine barked, coughed, and then stopped. Tho Ihisky Maid slid ahead lor about a hundred yards, and then* lolled about inertly, drifting with the lidev After baulking eeven limes, tho clutch finally refused to grip at all. An hour later a dinghy pulled oy a perspiring and exasperated Skipper crept round tlio end of the breastwork of the Boat Harbour, with the shameless "Maid' towing heavily behind, and skulked unosleututiously to their moorings..