Odd Numbers: Being Further Chronicles of Shorty McCabeFord, Sewell
General
Odd Numbers: Being Further Chronicles of Shorty McCabe
Ford, Sewell
Humorous stories, American; New York (N.Y.) -- Fiction
That must have been how the boss of the old sloop felt about it too; for
he don't pay any attention to the howls or threats. He just makes things
snug and then goes below and starts pokin' about in his dinky little
cabin. Judgin' by the motions, he was gettin' a late supper.
Anyway, they couldn't budge him, even though half the club was stewin'
about it. And, someway, that seemed to tickle Chunk and me a lot. We
watched him spread his grub out on the cabin table, roll up his sleeves,
and square away like he had a good appetite, just as if he'd been all by
himself, instead of right here in the midst of so many flossy yachtsmen.
He even had music to eat by; for part of the programme was the turnin'
loose of one of these high priced cabinet disk machines, that was on the
Commodore's big schooner, and feedin' it with Caruso and Melba records.
There was so much chatterin' goin' on around us on the verandas, and so
many corks poppin' and glasses clinkin', that the skipper must have got
more benefit from the concert than anyone else. At last he wipes his
mouth on his sleeve careful, fills his pipe, and crawls out on deck to
enjoy the view.
It was well worth lookin' at too; for, although there was most too many
clouds for the moon to do much execution, here was all the yachts lighted
up, and the clubhouse blazin' and gay, and the water lappin' gentle in
between. He gazes out at it placid for a minute or so, and then we see
him dive down into the cabin. He comes back with something or other that
we couldn't make out, and the next thing I knows I finds myself keepin'
time with my foot to one of them lively, swingin' old tunes which might
have been "The Campbells Are Coming" or might not; but anyway it was
enough to give you that tingly sensation in your toes. And it was
proceedin' from the after deck of that old hulk.
"Well, well!" says I. "Bagpipes!"
"Bagpipes be blowed!" says Chunk. "That's an accordion he's playing.
Listen!"
Say, I was listenin', and with both ears. Also other folks was beginnin'
to do the same. Inside of five minutes, too, all the chatter has died
down, and as I glanced around at the tables I could see that whole crowd
of fancy dressed folks noddin' and beatin' time with their fans and
cigars and fizz glasses. Even the waiters was standin' still, or tiptoin'
so's to take it in.
Ever hear one of them out-of-date music bellows handled by a natural born
artist? Say, I've always been partial to accordions myself, though I
never had the courage to own up to it in public; but this was the first
time I'd ever heard one pumped in that classy fashion.
Music! Why, as he switches off onto "The Old Folks at Home," you'd
thought there was a church organ and a full orchestra out there! Maybe
comin' across the water had something to do with it; but hanged if it
wa'n't great! And of all the fine old tunes he gave us--"Nellie Gray,"
"Comin' Through the Rye," "Annie Laurie," and half a dozen more.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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