Show x The Cabin Boys Night Before Christmas Outside the tiny of the fishing schooner the winter weather was having its way with the Annie Bell Now and again a big sea would come aboard sluice around the dory nests and wash off The lantern lantern lan Ian tern hung over the table bobbed and swung in crazy circles casting a weird light on the fac faces s of the Banks fishermen fishermen fisher fisher- men busy at various tasks Some were laboriously writing home dating their letters December 24 Certainly a boy fourteen years old used to many of the hardships of a fishermens fishermen's life must not breakdown and cry on Christmas Eve Certainly not TilE THE OTHER men paid no attention to him The pens drove on The knife delicately pared off a splinter from the mast of the boat model Willie clamped his jaws together and tried to say over and over the multiplication table of nine It was the hard hardest t and took up the most attention He was frowning with concentration when the cook burst in his leathery face all a wide grin bearing a a large round tin It was covered with a piece of red paper This he set down in the middle of the table Belay there I I he roared good Get clear of all your goin goiri to have havea a bit of Christmas around here I The men growled a little but gathered up their traps Willie gave one great gulp and nearly let a tear f fall ll He had reached nine times eleven in the tables and could hardly believe there was to be a real celebration right there in the The red reed paper over the tin had slits In these themen themen the themen men were to poke and draw forth a gift The tiny place began to take on an air of 01 holiday cheer not to say noise SKIPPER GAVE most of em grinned the cook as each man smiled over a tie a pocketknife a belt or large gaudy handkerchief The last to poke a finger in was Willie Cole All the time he was feeling around inside there he had to remember he was fourteen years old and was expected to act like a man At last he found something It was quite small Unwrapping the paper he saw it was a brassbound brassbound brassbound brass- brass bound compass To a brave braveboy braveboy braveboy boy from Captain Angus was scratched on the back Before he got over the wonder of this a fisherman pushed the boat model into his hand Meant it for yo you you all the time boy mumbled the man Any kid that grabs the skipper and saves him from over over- a grand Christmas I This was more than Willie could stand He cried right there before them all and didn't mind a bit you Thank you thank-you and Merry Christmas he gulped And Captain Angus standing in the doorway said Same to ye all boys Many of em I |