The Forrest City times., 1888-02-11
s>sne~ a sAs east from shs spsu ssA aua

1 was certain l should not be allowed to leave the inclosure. my only plan was te take French leave, and slip out when nos body was watching; and that was SO bad way of doing it as made the thing itself wrong. But l was only a boy, and l had made my mind up.
 We'll, as things at last fell out I found an admirable opportunity. The squire and Gray were busy helping the captain with his bandaxes, the Coast was clear; made bolt for it over the stocksdc spd into the thipkest of the trees, and before my abssrce ~aS eb- served was out of cry of companions.
 This was my second folly, far worse than the first, as 1 left bat two sound men to guard the house; but like the first 1t vas help toward saving all of us.
 took my way straight for the cast cosst of the island. for 1 was determined to go down the seaside of the spit to avoid all chance of obs, rvst,oi from the anchorage. If was alread late in the afterroop, al- though still rm and sunny. As con tiaued to tread the tall woods 1 could hear from far before me not only the continuous thunder of the surf, but certain tossing of foliage and grinding of boughs which showed me the sea breeze had set in higher
 
 gan 10 reach me; and few steps further came forth into the open borders of ths grove, and saw the sea lying blue and sunny to the horizon. and the surf tumbling and tossing Its fozm along the beach.
 1 have never seen the sea quiet round treasure Island. The sun might blaze over head, the air be without breath, the sufface smooth and blue. but still these great rollers ..ff coast. laundering and laundering by day and night; and scarce believe there Is one spot in the island where man would be out of earshot of their nose.
 Ivalked along beside the surf with great enjoyment till, thinking was nov got far enough to the south, took the cover of some thick bushes, and crept warily up to the ridge of the spit.
 Behind rie wss the sea, in front the au- chorage. The sea breeze, ss though il had the sooner blown itself out by it's uniisusi violence, was already at an end; 1t had been succeeded by light, variable airs from the south and southeast carrying great banks of fog; and the anchorage, uneer Ice of Skcle- ton Island lay still and leaden as when first we entered it. The Ilispaniola, in that un- broken mirror, was exactly portrayed from the truck t, z water-line, the Jolly Roger hanging from her peak.
 Alongside lay one of the gigs, Silver In the stern-sheets-him could always recog niZe-while couple of men were leaning over the stern bulwar;s, one of them with . red cap-the very roEue that l had seen some hours before stride-legs upon the pail sade. Apparently they were talking and laughing, though at that distance-upward Of mile--I could, of course, hear no word of what was said. All at once, there began the most horrid, unearthly screaming, which at first startled me badly though had soon remembered the voice of Captain Flint and even though 1 could make out the bird Dy her bright plumage as she sat perched upon her masters wrist.
 Soon after the joly-boat showed of and pulled for shore, and the man with the req cap and his comrade went below by the cabin companion.
 Just about the same time the sun had gone down behind the Spyglass, and as the log was collecting rapidly, it began to grow dars in earnest. w must lose no time II were to find tho coat that evening. The white rock, visible enough above the brush was still some eighth of a mile further down the spit and 1t took me goodisi' while to get up with it crawling, often on all-fours, among the scrub. Night had al' most come when 1 laid my hand on its rough sides. Right below 1t there was an exceedingly small hallow of green turf, hid den by banks and a thick underwood about knee-deep, that grew there very plentifully and in the center of the dell, sure enough. a little tent of goat-sklns. like what the gyp- aipQ cartv abauf fhan, In Envlnnd
 dropped into the hollow, lifted the side of the tent. and there was Ben Gunn's boat homemade if ever anything was home made: a rude, lop-sided framework oi tough wood, and stretched uL6p that GOV ering of goat skin, with the lhr inside. The thing was extremely small, even for me, and can hardly imagine that it could have foated with a full-sized man. There was one thwart set as low as possible, kind of stretcher in the bows, and double paddle for propulsion.
 had not seen coracle such as the an cient Brltons made, but l have seen one since, and can give you no falrer idea ol Ben Gunn's boat than by saying 1t was like the first and the worst ceracle ever made by man. But the great advantage of the cor acle It certainly possessed, for 1t was ex' ceedingly light and portable.
 We'll, now that had found the boat VOL would have thought had had enough of truantry for once; but in the meantime had taken another notlon and become so ob- stinately fond of it that 1 would have car ried it out, believe in the teeth of Captain Smollett himself Tn was to slip out un der cover of night cut the Hispanola adrift, and lel fer go ashore where she fan cied. had quite made up my mind that thu mutineers, after their repulse of the morn ing, had nothing nearer their hearts than tt 1 up anchor and away to sea; this, l thought it would be fine thing to prevent, and now that had seen how they left their watch men unprovided with a boat l thought I might be done with little risk.
 Down 1 sat to wait for darkness, and made hearty meal of biscuit. It was Q night outof ten thousand for my purpose The fog had now buried all heaven. As tht last rays of daylight dwindied and disap peared, absolute blackness settled down or l Treasure Island. And when, at last. shouldered the coracle, and groped my way stumblingly out of the hollow where l had supped, there were but two points visible or the whole anchorage.
 One was the great fire on shore, by whicf the defeated pirates lay carousing in tht swamp. The other, mere blur of light up on the darkness, indicated the position O the anchorage ship. She had swung rount to the ebb-her bow was now toward me the only lights on board were in the cabin and what saw was merely a reflection or the fog of the strong rays that flowed iron the stern window.
 The ebb had already run some time. and had to wade through long belt of swamp, sand, where 1 sank several times above thu ankle, before l came to the edge of the TO treating water, and wading little way in with some strength and dexterity, set m. coracle, keel downwards on the surface. IT'D RE cnNTINuEDI