When
the Arkansas River was low, too low for travel, the Emma Belle would put in to dock and wait for deeper water. The
passengers stayed on board for a time but the crew had been off dry land long
enough so they quickly found the local tavern to wet their whistle. There were
more than a few eruptions during these times for the town folk to get
thoroughly disgruntled. They reported the crew would suck on the bottle ‘til
they swelled up like toads. Hence the name Toad Suck.
Now Capt. Jolley joined right along
with the crew but not before he made sure the passengers were settled in for
the night. And of course, he didn’t frequent the same pub. He had to maintain authority
to keep discipline intact so he went a little farther uptown to a more genteel
establishment . . . The Red Hot Garter.
Capt. J. was more polished than the
usual riverboat captain. He’d gone all the way to sixth grade due to his Aunt
Polly’s pesterings. And it had paid off ’cause now he had his own boat and
could navigate the river with the best of them. It was totally dark when the
lights from inside the Garter
beckoned him.
“Hey, Cap’n,” yelled Dixie from the bar
when he walked inside. “The usual?”
He nodded and sat down in a secluded corner to wait for the
show. Dixie had as much of a turnover with her ladies as he did with his crew.
It was not a stable environment in either profession. But he was just here for
the entertainment and nothing more.
Then she appeared on stage. Beautiful, stately, majestic. Dixie
delivered his drink and he gave her a questioning look. She shrugged and smiled
with a twinkle in her eye and went back to her duties at the bar.
Who was this lovely lady who sang like
a nightingale? He looked at the marquee. It read:
Sweet Lily Delaney
Appearing Nightly ~ Limited Engagement
Capt. J. was awestruck. He sat
blurry-eyed, almost in a trance, mesmerized by this angelic creature. He had
never once before thought of leaving the river but now the thoughts of settling
down and standing on solid ground whirled around his head. He could do it. Yes,
he would do it for this Sweet Lily.
She finished her song and he motioned her to his table. She
floated toward him, barely touching the wooden planks of the floor. Wait! Did
he see a halo surrounding her beautiful golden locks? Boy, the mind can play tricks
on a person.
She seated herself across from him and
he gave Dixie the high sign to bring two more drinks. They arrived and Lily
swigged down the whole thing at once and slammed the empty mug on the table with
a crude thud. Then she wiped the foam from her mouth with the back of her hand
and smiled at him through crooked, rotten teeth. He grimaced and turned his
head away. Yes, the mind can play terrible tricks, indeed.
That’s when Capt. J. began sucking on
the bottle ‘til he swelled up like a toad. His crew found him the next morning
and carried him back to his beloved Emma
Belle.
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