Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-06-22
SHE::
A History Of Adventure.
by H. RIDER HACCARD. |
Nv CONTINUED }

perilous coast, and | saw him grip the
tiller and bend his heavy frame forward,
and stare at the foaming terror till his big
round eyes looked as though they would
start out Of his head The send of the sea
was driving the boats head around TO star.
board. II we strike the line of
breakers fifty yards to starbard
of the gap we must sink. 1t was a
great field of twisting, spouting waves.
Mahomed planted his foot against the seat
before him, and glancing at him, l saw
his brown toes spread out like hand with
the weight he put upon them as he took
the strain Of the tiller She came around
a bit, but not enough. roared to Job 10
at my oar. She answered now, and none
too soon. Heavens! we were in them.
And then followed a couple of minutes of
heart.breaking excitement such as | can
not hope to describe All remember is a
shrieking sea of foam. out of which the
pillows rose here, there, and everywhere,
like avenging ghosts from their ocean
grave. Once we turned right round, but
either by chance, or through Mahomed's
skillful steering, the boats head came
straight again before a breaker filled us.
One more-a monster. We were through
1t or oyer it more through than over
and then, with wild yell of eXultation
from the Arab, we shot out into the com
parative smooth water of the mouth of sea
between the teeth-like lines of crashing
waves
But we vera half full of water again,
and not more than half a mile ahead was
the second line of breakers. Again we
set to and bailed furiously. Fortunately
the storm had now quite gone by, and the
moon shone brightly, revealing a rocky
headland running half mile or more out
into the sea, of which the second line OF
breakers appeared to be continuation.
At any rate, they boiled around its foot.
Probably the ridge that made it ran out
into the ocean, only at a low level, and
formed the reef This headland was
terminated by curious peak that seemed
not to be more than a mile away from US
Just we got the boat pretty clear, for the
second time Leo, to my immense relief,
opened his eyes, and remarked that the
clothes had tumbled off his bed, and that he
supposed 1t was time to get up for chapel.
l told him to shut his eyes and keep quiet,
oh, ha nit -, ifrht
gree realizing the position. AS for myself,
his reference to chapel made Inc reflect,
with a sort of sick longing, on my COM
Portable rooms at Cambridge. Why had
been such fool as to leave themf This
is reflection that has several times recur-
red to me since with ever-increasing force.
But now again we are drifting down on
the breakers, tn ough with lessened speed,
for the wind had fallen, and only the cur
fent or the tide Gt afterward turned out to
be the tide was driving US.
Another minute, and with sort of
howl to Allah from the Arab, a pious
ejaculation from myself, and something
that was not pious from Job, we were in
them And then the whole scene, down
TO our final escapes, repeated ITSELF only
not quite so violently Mahomeds skill
full steering and the alright compartments
saved our lives. In FIVE minutes we were
through, and drifting-for we were too
exhausted to do anything TO help our
selves except keep her head straight
with the most startling rapidity round the
headland which have described.
Round we went with the tide, until we
got we'll under the lee of the point, and
then suddenly the speed slackened
we ceased to make way, and finally
appeared TO be in dead water. The storm
had entirely passed, leaving a clear washed
sky behind it; the headland intercepted
the heavy sea that had been occasioned
by the squall, and the tide, which had
been running o fiercely up the river (for
we were in the mouth Of small river
was sluggish before it turned, so we float
ed quietly, and before the moon went
down managed TO bail out the boat
thoroughly and get her little ship-shape
Leo was sleeping profoundly, and, on the
whole, I thought is wise not to wake him.
1t is true he was in his wet clothes, but
the night was now so warm that thought
land so did john that they were not likely
to injure man Of his unusually vigorous
constitution. Besides, we had no dry ones
at hand.
Presently the moon went down, and
left us floating on the water, now only
heaving like some troubled woman's
breast, which gave us leisure to reflect
upon all that we had gone through and all
that we had escaped. Job stationed him
self at the bow. Mahomed kept his post
at the tiller, and sat on seat in the
middle Of the boat close to where Leo was
lying.
The moon went slowly down in chast-
ened loneliness; she departed like some
sweet bride into her chamber, and long.
vell.like shadows crept up the sky,
.k.o,ob rvb;ch tho otara ,oaapad ehvIu M,