North Quincy High School - Manet Yearbook (North Quincy, MA)

Page 19 text:

MANET 17 simply roared and spray battered at the glass. Hut I liked it, for all 1ny fright, and was just beginning to enjoy myself hugely. Then I looked up and discovered the Redhead standing in the doorway witl1 a look of cold white rage on his otherwise rather nice face. When I looked at l1i1n in all innocence he made a flying leap at me and knocked me clear across the chart house. IYhat in blank do you think you're doing? he yelled, and slowed her down. I QIIGSS I had her a little off her course, too, because he cursed under his breath when he looked at the com- pass and charts. I could feel myself getting hot. I never did stand for being treated like a common deckhand. You don't have to be so profane, I said caustically, though I didn't feel caustic. After all, a girl gets kind of tired of being cursed all tl1e time, and I have feelings that can be hurt, just like any other person. So I said as steadily as I could: If I got off the course, I'm sorry, but Charley didn 't tell me anything about what I should do. And you don 't have to swear at me so much. I didn't. ask to go with you. Lord knows, I don it want to get tied up with a bunch of rum-runners. I was as dignified as anyone can be who 's just ready to burst into tears. Then I stalked out, and the Redhead yelled after me, Hey, wait a minute! But I kept right on going. I went for'ard and flattened out on 1ny stomach, watching the combers that we went into. That's my favorite sport. Everytime we hit one I slid a little towards the edge. It was very exciting. Wlieii Charley came up to take the wheel he yelled at me to hang on, but I didn 't see any more of the Redhead till later. Later was when the squall blew up. I could see that it was getting darker, but I did not think anything of it. The breeze turned cold all of a sudden, and the water changed from blue to gray, and we rolled some. Wlieti I began to slide too much I thought. I'd go aft to the cockpit, but just as I started the cruiser pitched suddenly to starboard and for a minute I had a feeling that Charley and the Redhead were going to be minus their passenger. I wondered if the Redhead would regret his un- pleasantness towards me, in the event that I found a watery grave. Then I iiattened down again and hoped it wouldn't be long now. It wasn't. The rains descended and I was rapidly soaked to the skin. It was an awfully long squall. The rain pounded dow11 on me, and the wind tore at me. I was cold, scared, and utterly miserable. I shut my eyes and cringed, until somebody grabbed my ankle and I let out a howl. The next thing I knew the Redhead was beside me, shouting through the wind. I caught some- thing he said, and it wasn't complimentary, but I gathered that Ile wanted me to go aft, and why didn't I, silly little fool, so I said just as violently, did he think I was out there because I enjoyed it and stop calling me names you big bully. So there we were side by side in the bow, be- ing pelted by rain and half-drowned by every comber we smashed into-and everytime I looked away from the Redhead I saw the roll- Illg' deep rolling nearer. Finally the Redhead shouted: Come on, come on! VVe got into the cockpit safely. I don't know how. VVe hung on to each other and crawled along those beautifully slippery decks, and slid half-off a dozen times. After we had caught our breath the Redhead pushed me towards the hatch. Down you go, he said, but I balked. I didn't want to go below. The Redhead, be- hind me, gave me a gentle shove so I had to go down a couple of steps, and when I looked around he was right behind me. UGO on, he snarled- snarled', is the only word to des- cribe it. No, I said, and at precisely that moment the cruiser gave a sort of leap and so did I- only mine wasn't voluntary. I lost my balance and took a nosedive into the middle of the cabin. The floor rose up and hit me in the face, and that's the last thing I remembered. The next thing I knew, someone was prying 1ny mouth open and pouring in, something that tasted like liquid fire. I guess it was brandy, but at that minute I didn 't care what it was. I just wanted to get rid of it. So I clamped my mouth shut and pushed the glass away. Tl1e11 I realized that someone was holding my head up. and that my cheek was rubbing against his jacket, so I opened my eyes to in- vestigate. It was the arch-enemy, of all people. He was looking very worried, and was actually pale. I grinned at l1i1n and he looked relieved. How do you feel? he asked anxiously. Such solicitude surpassed my wildest hopes. To have HIM concerned over me. I don 't know, I said, wondering myself. Well, sit up and see. he suggested. I did so, though I didn 't like to move. II was slightly dizzy, and had a faint headache, but beyond that I felt fine. I assured him that the 11l.lU1'5' WHS Hot serious and he drew a long breath. - Thank Godff he said pionsly. '4You were out almost ten minutes, and I was afraid we were going to have a fractured skull on our hands. You've been enough trouble already. kid. He got up from his knees and gave me a hand up. You'd better lie down on a bunk, he added. Youll find some dry clothes in one

Page 18 text:

16 MAN ET Iii-igport. IVe must have passed it about ten minutes ago. I tore frantically into the chart house. Charley, pipe in mouth, was at the wheel. He stared at me with his eyes and mouth like O's. Then he smiled radiantly. XVell now, he roared, it must have been you that Larry forgot li' I was so furious that if anyone had dropped any water on me it would have sizzled. All I could manage was a vapid Huh? Charley elucidated. t'Larry got into his double-ender to go back. and he says to me, he savsg 'Charley, I got a feeling I forgot some- thingf And I says to him. 'Larry. to my knowledge you ain't forgot nothin'.' So he went ashore. So it must'a been you. I It must. have been. l agreed weakly. Charley returned to his eoinpass. and left me standing there. The cruiser continued in a nor- easterly direction. IYell. I said after some tiine, 4'aren't you going to take me back? Charley looked surprised. Gosh no, he said. XYe got a schedule to keep to. We'll drop you off some place where we stop, but we can't turn around now. He didn 't seem to want to talk any more, so I left the chart house and leaned on the rail to think. Drop me oif some place! The islands in that part of the Atlantic are so few and far between that I would be totally lost. on any of them except Brigport and its twin Raeketash. And we were far beyond either of them now. Or maybe Charley intended to drop me overboard so I eould swim home. Mingled with these inco- herent thoughts were epithets applicable to one Larry Hazen, ex-rum-runner. Another idea struck me-ideas were coming in full force. A schedule, Charley said. That meant a consignment of smuggled goods or liquor to deliver. How delightful! For the iirst time in my young life I was a party to a crime. and I didn 't. know whether the prospect appealed to me or not.. VVell. I thought philo- sophically, it. will be something to tell about when I get home-IF I get home. I went aft again, and saw once more the open hatch. So I went down it. I had to amuse my- self somehow. Maybe I could find out where they kept the liquor, or whatever it was they smuggled. The hatch led to a cabin with nar- row bunks along the sides and a folding table. There were lockers under the bunks, but noth- ing else. There was also a small door beyond and I tried it, but it was locked. I sat down on a bunk and considered my plight, as they say in books. The cabin was lighted by portholes, so I stood on the bunk and looked out. There was not a speck of land in sight, only open sea. What an adventure! I sat down again. The Redhead bounced down thc hatch, and I prepared myself for the fray. He pushed back his yachting cap and scowled at me. A stowaway, huh?,' he said wiltingly, Stowaway my eye. I replied rudely. I was shanghaied, that's what. That's YOUR story, he said. He went in the galley and began to rattle things around. lVe eat in shifts when we 're in a hurry, hc said over his shoulder. You and I, then I take the wheel and Charley eats. I couldn't think of a come-back, so I said: Then poor Charley has to eat alonef' Well, you can eat with him, if you want, said the Redhead. l'll stay with you. I told him. HI.1ll not particular. He was coming out to put some things on the folding table and when l said that, he half- grinned. Then he said, You know all the answers, don 't you ? I' I said, I ought to, I wrote the book.'7 NVe had hamburger a11d fried potatoes and canned corn for dinner. finishing off with can- ned peaches and some really good coffee. I forgot. my predicament long enough to eat a good part of what the Redhead put on the table. You eat like a. blank blank gannetf' he re- marked once in a disinterested voice. Only he didn 't say Hblankf' I thought it best to ignore that, so I said, IYhere are we going? He didn't look up and that gave me a chance to notice that his hair was wavy. We're going up the coast a bit. he said vaguely. The fewer questions you ask the better it 'll be for you. Oh, I said, feeling squelched. There was something squelching about him. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he told me, very coldly, to go up and tell Charley to come down. and to hold the wheel until he came up. So I did. and when I told Charley, he said, rather anxiously I thought: How are you and Red getting along? '4Oh, swell, I told him. Just a couple of lovebirds. He twinkled at me like a pleased child and went out of the chart house. I rather enjoyed having the wheel to myself. The cruiser was tearing along at a good rate, the water piling back from the bow, even though it was sunny and warm it was rather choppy, especially as far out as we were. Cabin cruisers were new to me, I was used to open fishing boats, and this cruiser had more gadgets than you could count and was absolutely fascinating. I went exploring-still hanging onto the wheel-and found the accelerator, or whatever you call it on a boat. In about a second I had us going at a devilish speed, that scared me. The engines

Page 20 text:

18 MAN ET of the lockers. And don 't let me see you on deck again. That was one time when I didn 't have any answer. It was somewhat of a shock to dis- cover he hadn't been worried over me but over how much trouble I'd been. I sat down on a bunk and watched him go up on deck. Then he battened down the hatch and I was all alone, far from home, drenched to the skin, with a wobbly feeling in the legs and a headache. while a tempest raged outside. Moreover I was at the doubtful mercy of rum-runners. and Heaven only knew how I would ever get home again. I didn't change my clothes. I wept bitterly into a pillow. In the middle of my own little private storm, someone came down the hatch. It was Charley. He patted my shoulder and said: Are you seasick. kid? No, I said indignantly. I have never been sea-sick in my life. That Redhead pushed me down the hatch. I gulped over uttering such a lie, but I was so darned mad that I had to say something to blow off steam. Charley made a clueking sound with his tongue. and said soothingly: That wasn't at all nice of him, was it? XYell, suppose you change your clothes and take a little nap. You'll feel better then. He went out and I wearily opened some lockers. looking for the one with the clothes in. I found it at last. Clean dungarees and blue workshirts. as well as white shirts and white flannels. I would have explored some more but I was too woozy. I put on a pair of dungarees and a blue shirt and went to sleep. I was rudely awakened by someone shaking my shoulder and a voice shattered my dreams. YVhat in blank do you mean by telling Charley I pushed you down the blank blank hatch? I glared at the Redhead dopily but sincerely. '4IVell. you did. didn't you? I asked with a yawn. You know blank well I didn't! Take my clothes and then tell a yarn like that about. me! He IVAS mad. I was so tired that it was like lifting a heavy burden to answer. I didn't feel like being funny 01- fresh, I yawned again. and then said: I don 't. know why I said it. I'm sorry. He looked at me for about a minute. It was the longest minute I ever knew. Then he said abruptly: How old are you? Fourteen? Seventeen going on eigliteenfl I told him. I suppose I did look younger than that. sitting there with my legs under me and wearing the clothes that were too big for me. As old as that. he said as if he were talk- ing to himself. Then he straightened up and started for the hatch. XYe'll put in at East- port. in about an hour. Know anyone there? He was very brisk and impersonal. I thought hard, yawning all the time. Gradually the cob- webs in my brain were pushed aside by the memory that Raoul Trudeau's married sister lived in Eastport, so I said Yes, and went back to sleep. I dreamed some more after that. It was a sort of sequel to the other dream, if dreams have sequels. In the first one I was having a fight with the Redheadg in the second one I was about to go to a watery grave Cand was I scaredfi. Someone was holding me by the wrists and that was all that was keeping me from the briny deep. It was a terrific moment. I looked up and discovered that my rescuer had red hair! Imagine my embarrassment. to dis- cover that after we had thrown figurative brickbats at each other during the longest day I ever lived through, we had become suddenly the best friends in the world. VVhen at last he hauled me to the deck I thought it was time to wake up, so I did. lVe were in still waters when I awoke. I lay still for a while, wondering if we were al- ready at Eastport. Then I decided, with my usual perspicacity. that the only way to find out was to go on deck. I staggered to the hatch and climbed up. It was dark, and overhead there were stars. I stood there for a minute. looking around. Land loomed to port and lights twinkled all along the shore. So we were there at last. anchored in the harbor. Suddenly I felt like a sawdust doll that has been dropped in a pail of water. How in the name of all things good and holy was I to get to Brigport from East- port? A six hours' trip in a cruiser built for speed-I was furious. I went. into the chart house with murder in my heart. The Redhead was there reading a book and smoking. The book. I noticed. was The I'nforgotten Prisoner. and it struck me as symbolic. Hy. Jack Dalton, I said as nastily as I could. He looked up at me with elaborate surprise. Oh, hello. he said. Hungry? Noi I snapped. UI want to know how I'm supposed to get home from heref' He stood up and stretched. '4IVell, now, he began. Then he smiled. One corner of his mouth went up. and his eyes crinkled. If I hadn't been so mad I would have smiled back -it was that kind of smile. IVhy, you poor little waiff' he said in a sort of sympathetic way that made me feel like bursting into tears. 'tYou poor little waif, you've been taking everything to heart., haven 't you? HXVhat are you talking about? I demanded glaringly. icW9i1'6 going back to Brigport tonight. he said in a pitying voice. So rest assured, little coughdrop, all will be well.