Page:Bedford-Jones--Boy Scouts of the Air at Cape Peril.djvu/67

 it, but a fool is goin ' to sea.' And I went, boys; I went. The sea had drawed me, same as the magnet does the needle, ever sence I fust seen it, and, when you fall in love with the sea, she's the goldarnest drawin'est sweetheart a felluh can have. She don't let go fer nuthin', and sometimes she takes such a almighty likin' to you she opens up them foamy jaws o' hers and swallows you whole, and keeps you tight till kingdom come in her Davy Jones's locker."

"Where's that?" inquired Legs wonderingly.

"That's a name for the bottom of the sea," explained Cap'n Buffum, with a laugh, and added with a solemn face, "where many a good sailor lies a-moulderin' and many a good ship, too. In the old days, that was the place where I wanted to go when my time came, though I warn't in no blasted hurry, just like you lads ain't. But I thought the wust thing that could happen to a sailorman was to flicker out on dry land, and though I had to use my fists in more'n one skirmish on shore, lads, I kept my weather eye open for to keep a whole skin for Davy Jones's locker when that thar sea-witch took a notion to