Outing . ank. He was sogaunt that his clothes fairly flopped abouthis withered frame. His weather-brownedface resembled a shrivelled pippin and hishawk-like nose swooped down to meet hisconcave chin. All taut, my boy, he piped in a voicelike the wind singing through a ships rig-ging. If I hadnt been along, that lubberon the poop ud have smashed us intosmithereens, hey, boy. Mr. Wilkins grasped his fellow-voyagerby the arm and led him indoors. I metthem in the hall and Wilkins explainedwith some embarrassment: This is my aged parent, sir. I ranafoul of him by accident, unfortunate orotherwise.
Outing . ank. He was sogaunt that his clothes fairly flopped abouthis withered frame. His weather-brownedface resembled a shrivelled pippin and hishawk-like nose swooped down to meet hisconcave chin. All taut, my boy, he piped in a voicelike the wind singing through a ships rig-ging. If I hadnt been along, that lubberon the poop ud have smashed us intosmithereens, hey, boy. Mr. Wilkins grasped his fellow-voyagerby the arm and led him indoors. I metthem in the hall and Wilkins explainedwith some embarrassment: This is my aged parent, sir. I ranafoul of him by accident, unfortunate orotherwise. The only way I could fetchhim up from the docks was to let him playhe was cruisin ashore. I hadnt seen theold codger for twenty-odd years, andthought he was lost in the wreck of theAustralia clipper Hyder Ally. I knew himthe second I clapped eyes on him, but I wasa bit puzzled because he used to wear abeard, and now his face is as shy of hairas a china nest egg. I coaxed the pair into my sitting room, 162. •Alls made fast, ship-shape, and proper. Come ashore, if you please. and placed the briny parent behind ascotch-and-soda. He dipped his beak inthe glass, threw back his head and slidthe drink down his wizened throat with-out blinking. His offspring commented: He steams by fits and starts, sir. Hissafety valve is pretty near due to blowoff again and then youll hear him wastelanguage at an awful rate. Where haveyou been, dear father? You haventsquandered any postage stamps on youronly child. The parent slapped the table with hisskinny hand, smacked his lips and beganto drone as if the lever of a phonographhad been released: The Hyder Ally was foundered in theInjun Ocean and I was the only man ofher crew that drifted ashore. And me andthe bit of plank I was clinging to like abarnacle was tossed on the beach of anisland that wasnt down on any charts atall. I discovered it, and named it LemuelWilkins, his island, by gurm And therewas people on this Lemuel Wilkins Island,big brow
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade, booksubjectsports, booksubjecttravel
