The Forrest City times., 1888-01-28

CHAPTER XVII.
 NARRATIVE CONTINUED BY THE DOCTOR:
 THE JOLLY BOATS LAST TRIR
 This fifth trip was quite different from any of the others In tho frst place, the little gallipot of boat we were in was eravely overloaded. Five grown men, and three of them-Trelawney Redruth and the captaln-over six feet high, was already more than she meant to carry. Add to that powder, pork. and the bresd-bags. The gun vale was Tipping astern. Several times we shipped little water, and my brooches and the tails of my coat were all soaking wet before we had gone hundred yards.
 The captain made us trim the boat, and we got her to lie ll.tle more evenly. All the same we were afraid to breathe.
 In the second place. the ebb was now making-a strong rippling current running westward tn. ugh the basin, and then south- lard and sesward down the straits by which we had entered in the morning. Even the nipples were danger to eur overloaded eraft; but the worst of it was that we wers swept out of our true course and away from our proper landing place behind the point If we let the current have its way we should como ashore beside the gigs. where tho pirates might appear at any moment
 "l cannot keep her head for the stockade, sir," said to the captain. 1 was steering, while he and Redruth, two fresh men. were at the oars. "The tide keeps washing her down. Could you pull little stronger?'
 Not without swamping the boat" said ke You must bear up, sir, if you please bear up until you see you're gaining"
 | tried. and found by experiment that the Mde kept sweeping us westward until 1 had lsid her head due east, or just about right angles to the way we ought to go.
 "Well never get ashore at this rate," said l.
 "If it's the only course we can lie, sir, we must even lie 1t" returned the captain. We must keep upstream. You see, sir" he vent cn, If once we dropDed to .eeward of the landing-place, it's hard to say where we should get ashore, besides the chance of be- ing boarded by the gigs; whereas. the way we go the current must slacken. and then we can dodge back along the shore"
 ''The currents less already, sir" said the man Gray, who was sitting in the fore sheets; you can see her of bit"
 ''fhank you, my man." sad l, quite as if nothing had happened; for we had all quiet ly made up our minds to treat him like one of ourselves.
 Suddenly the captain spoke up again, and thought his voice was little changed.
 ''The gunT said he.
 ''I have thought of that" said l, for made sure he WAS thinking of lombard ment of the fert They could never get the gun ashore, and if they did, they could never haul it through the woods"
 Look astern, doctor" replied the captain.
 We had entirely forgotten the long nine; md there, 10 our horror, were the five rogues busy about her, getting of her jacket s they called the stout tarpaulin cover un- der which sEe sailed. Not only that, but it dashed into my mind at the same moment .hat the found shot and the powder for the gun had been left behind and a stroke with m ax would put 1t all into the possession of she evil ones aboard.
 Tsrsel was Flint's gunner," said Gray, hesnely
 At any risk, we put the boats head direct for the landing-place By this time we had got SO far out of the run of the current, that we kept steerage way even at our necessari ly gentle rate of rowing, and l could keep Der steady for the goal But the worst of It was, that with the course l now held, we turned our broadside instead of our stern to the Hispaniola, and offered a target like barn door.
 could hear as well as see, that brandy faced rascal Israel Hands, pumping down round- shot on the deck.
 Who's the best shoty' asked the captain.
 'Mr. Trelawney, out and away" said l.
 'Mr. Trelawney, will you please pick me sf one Of these men, sir! Hands, if possi- ble," said the captain.
 Trelawney was as cool as steel. He looked b the prlming of his gun.
 s9sow." cried the captain, easy with that S6a, cir, or you'll swamp the boat All hands stand by to trim her when he aims"
 The squire raised his gun, the rowing 0D1sd, and we leaned oy r to the other side h keep the balance. and all was so nicely bsntrlved that he did not ship a drop.