第244页 / 共416页

"June 30: This day clear with strong E. S.-E. wind. This day Nat,

in the M. C. Burns, raced Code Schofield in the May Schofield

from Quoddy Head to moorings in Freekirk Head harbor. My boy had

the worst of it all the way. I never saw such luck as that young

Schofield devil has. He won by half an hour. Poor Nat is

heartbroken and swore something awful. He says he'll win next

time or know why!"

"Just like old man Burns!" thought Code. "Pities and spoils his

rascal of a son. But the boy loved him."

Code had not thought of that race in years. How well he

remembered it now! There had been money up on both sides, and the

rules were that no one in either schooner should be over twenty

except the skippers.

What satisfaction it had been to give Nat a good trimming in the

fifty-year-old May. He could still feel an echo of the old proud

thrill. He turned back to the log.