The Forrest City times., 1888-02-18
CHAPTER xxrv.
rHr cRI1sE OF THE CoRAC1.E.

Hsubowllne Head and Mizzen-mast Hill were at my elbow; the hill bare and dark. the head oenat with cliffs fcrty ar fifty feet high. and fringed with great masses of fali- en rock. 1 was scarce quarter of mlis seawgrd. and it wes my first thought to pad de ii and land.
 That notion was soon given over Among the fallen rocks the breakers spouted and be flowed; loud reyerberations, heavy sprays hYing and falling. succeeded one another from second 10 second: and saw myself. If ven;ured nearer, dashed to death upon the rough shores, or spending my strength In vain to scale the beetling crags.
 Nor was that all; for crawling together on fiat tables of rock, or le.ting themselves drop into the sea with loud reports, beheld huge slimy monsters--Soft snals, as it were, of incredible bigness-two or three score of them toget CT, making the rocks to echo with their bafkings
 have understood since that they were sea lions and entirely harmless. But the look of them. added 10 the difficulty of the shore and the high running of the surf. was more than enough to disgust me Of that landing place. felt willing Father to starVe at sea than to confront such peris.
 In the meantime 1 had better chance, as supposed, before me. North Of Haulbow- line Head the land runs In long way, leaving at low tide, q long stretch of yellow sand. To the north of that again, there comes another cape-Cipe of the Woods, as Il was marked upon the chart-buried in tall green pines, winch descended to the margin of the sea-
 remembered what Silver had said about The current that sets northward along the whole west coast Of Treasure Island; and seeing from my position that 1 was already under its infl l preferred to leave Haulbowline Head behind me, and reserve my strength for an stterrt to land upon the kindlier-looking Cape of the Woods
 There was great, smooth swell upon the sea. The wind blowing steadily and gently from the south. there WIS no contrhrlety be- tween that and the current, and the pillows rose and fell uhbroken.
 Had 1t been otherwise, I must long ago have perished; but as 1t was it is surprising how easily and securely my little and light boat cou.d ride. Often. as lay still at the bottom, and kept no more than an eye above the gunwale, l would see big blue summit heaving close above me; yet he coracle would bounce little, dance as if on springs, and subside on the other side into the trough IS lightly as bird.
 l began after little to grow very bold, and sat up to try my skill at patdling. But even small change fin the disposition of the weight will produce violent changes in the behavior of the coracle, And lad hardly moved before the boat giving up at once her gentle, dancing movement ran straight down slope of water so steep that it made me giddy, and struck her nose, with spout of spray, deep into the side of the next wave.
 was drenched and terrified, and fell in- stantly back into my old position, whereup- on the coracle seemed to find her head again, and led me softly as before among the bil- 'ows IL was plain she was not to be inter tered with and at that rate, since l could in DO way influence her course, what hope had left of reaching land?
 l began to be horribly frightened, but l kept my head, for all that Fiist moving with all care, gradually baled out the cor acle with my sea-cap; then getting my eye once more above the gunwsle, 1 set my self to study how it was sine managed to slip 50 quietly through the rollers.
 found each wave, instead of the big, smooth, glossy mountain it looks from shore. ;. from a vessels deck. was for all the world ike any range of hills on the dry land, full Of peaks and smooth places and valleys The coracle, left to herself. turning from side to side, threaded, so to speak, her way through these lower parts. and avo ded the steep slopes and higher, topping summits of the wave.
 Well, now" thought to myself, 'it is plain must lie where am, and not disturb the balance; but 1t is plain. also, that l can put the paddle over the side, and from time to time, in smooth places. give her a shove or two toward land"
 No sooner thought upon than done. There lay on my elbows, in the most trying atti- tude. and every now and again gave weak stroke or two to turn her head to shore.
 It was very tiring, and slow work, yet did yisibly gain ground; and, as we drew near the Cape of the Woods, though saw must infallibly miss that point had stil made some hundred yards of casting. was indeed, close in. l could sec the cool, greer tree-tops swayns together in the breeze anC 1 felt sure shoald make the next pronionto " without fail
 was bi-h ttISs iOl uoW kO " tortured with thirst. The glow of the SUI
 rom above, its thousandfOld reflection from 6 waves, the sea awater that feil and drie. upon me. cakng my very lips with salt combined to make my throat burn and In! brain ache. The sight of the trees so nea al hand had almost made me sick with long ng; but the current had soon carried m, past the p, nt; and. as the next reach Of SCI opened out beheld sight that change, the nature of my thoughts
 Right in front of me, not half mile away beheld the Hispanola under sail. mad sure, of course. that l should be taken: bu l was so distressed for want Of water that scarce knew whether tO be glad or sorry a Ine thought; and long before had come tl :, conc Il. ion surprise had taken entire DOS session Of my mind, and could 10 nothinj but stare and wonder.
 The Hispaniola was under her main-sai , and two jiOs and the beautiful white eau vas shone in the sun Ike snow or silver When first sighted her, all her saIs wer drawing; she was lying a course sbou northwest; and 1 presumed the men o board were going round the island on thel
 .fay back to the anchorage. Presently sh
 Jegan to fetch more and more to the west
 ward, so that thought they had sighted m and were going about in chase. At last however. she fell right into the winds cyt
 was taken dead ahack. and stood there .
 while helpless. with her sails shiyering.
 ''Clumsy fellows" said |; they must stll
 ..e drunk as owls" And 1 thought hoy
 Captain SnolIett would have set them skin ping
 Meanwhile the schooner gradually fell o1
 and filled again upon another tack, saile, swiftly for a minute or 50, and brought u once more dead in the winds eye. Agaii sn6 agzia was tals repeated To and fro. u