McBEE'S INCUBATOR.

King Country Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 48, 20 September 1907, Page 3

McBEE'S INCUBATOR.

[By " Kahikatea."]

A few years ago, when coming down the East Coast aboard one of \the U.S.S. Co's. boats, I met an old chum and schoolmate, Jack T.-^—; . He was travelling to spend what I was searching for.—Money. We had not seen each other since we were youths. He heard someone mention my name, which made him inquire if I had ever been in South Australia? I said " Yes." "At so and so ? " he inquired. " Yes," I replied. "Went to school at old K 's ? " " Yes, I had." " Then shake," he said, for you must be ." As I happened to be the one, we shook hands, and when he told mc who he was, we had a great meeting. The steward was called into request, and then our tongues began to wag, and we talked of the old, old days, when we were inseparable chums. Jack's hair was showing signs of the flour bag; and mine, well, you all know how that looks. We talked away for hours, and next day he introduced me to Mrs T , who was aboard to look after his health, and I thought she filled her mission to the letter. Whenever we could get her absent we called the steward, and from him were obtained " aids to conversation." We were nearly pumped out about the episodes of our boyhood, when Jack referred to the time he fell into the out-going tide in Port Adelaide. I always consider I should have the Victoria Cross or, at least, the Royal Humane Society's medal bestowed on me for what I did on that occasion. I did certainly receive more than one " Cross," but they were not too pleasant to show to my chums, or even to wear, as I found out when I went to sit down. They were bestowed on me for what I had done, and were fastened on by the aid of a strong rod or cane. I really couldn't say which, I hadn't time to inquire. Jack and I used to play ;the wag a lot from school; that accounts in a large measure for our neglected education. We had onlyione object in playing the wag, and that was to go fishing, and, boy-like, we knew all the best spots. On the occasion in question, Jack thought, as the tide was running out, we were not in a good position to entrap the fish, so he ventured out on a cross-beam, that had just been uncovered by the receding tide. The beam was slippery, and Jack hooked a fish which threatened to do something .with his line, and he turned round, not thinking where he was, and lo ! over he went and floated down the river. i hat day I was luckily fishing with a rod, and I cast my line out for Jack to catch hold of, but he missed the end with his hand, and the hook struck the collar of his jacket, and held on. By good luck a boat was being rowed by, at some distance off, to which I called. They came up and took Jack out of the water, and then the fat was in the fire. Our sins had found us out. However, we made the best of it; we cleared off to the sand hills, where we dried his clothes fairly well in the sunshine, and when time came on to return home we were delighted to think how well we escaped. But, alas ! we had forgotten. When Jack was landed from the boat, a small weazenedfaced little fellow, wearing glasses, had, amongst others, rushed up and inquired our names, and, I feeling we were heroes, said, " Oh, that's Jack T ," and Jack, not to be best done, said, " That's ." So afterwards when we indulged in mutual recriminations, we found the balance struck even. .Anyway, the morning the papers 'had a full account of it, and described it as a' lucky rescue. When we went to school we saw, by the way Old K looked at us, that there was something to be expected. We were called •up and had to confess. We made a clean breast of the matter, and our absent days were all hunted up and trotted out against us. Then the real play began. Jack was admonished in words, because, as Old K said, he had suffered by his immersion in the water, and would suffer possibly more when he returned home, therefore, he would leave him to his guilty conscience. Addressing me, he said: " I look upon you, as the principal in this affair," which was not right. Jack was the principal. He fell into "the water, and but for my hook he'd have been an angel by then. Sometimes' I have thought Old K considered I had made a serious mistake in saving Jack, and inflicted rather more than a fair amount of punishment on me for it. Anyway, I felt the form wanted a cushion on for some time afterwards. Schoolmasters have a curious method of reasoning at times. And so we chatted on. During our conversation I inquired, " What has become of Willie Mcßee ? " Jack laughed and said, " How many yaars have you been away ? " " Since 1870," I replied. " That accounts for it," he said. "Oh ! Mcßee never shifted much ; he is quite well to do ; his father, if you will remember, was in the soft goods line in the good old times, when 300 per cent, was thought to be only a moderate profit, died and left him a good snug income, which he uses mainly in working out fads." " What, still at that game ! " I asked. " I remember he used to hold forth and tell us he saw no reason why a top should not spin two ways at once. I forget his arguments, but they were always convincing to him. His last fad that I remember, was to build a model of a paddle boat which he said would propel itself up-stream by the current striking the floats and working a multiplicity of cogwheels inside the boat's stomach." " I forgot about that," said Jack, " but his last fad has been to raise poultry, and with that end in view, he bought out an old incubator." Mcßee was never known to buy anything new; he bought this old machine for, as he said, ' a song. "You remember, no doubt," said Jack, " how he used to argue about anything, and with anyone. Well, he is just the same, only worse." (To be continued.)