The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-10-07
HE MINED IN BY THE SEA.
4 BOYS ADVENTURE m THE FARCE
ISLANDS.
by DAVID X ER.
Continued from last week. }

loving the fresh breeze and the
splendid view over the sea; but at
last he thought of his eggs, and
concluded that he had better take
them home to his father at once.
Eggs and pouch wer' all safe
when he got down, but as he looked
over the cliff to see after his boat, he
started as if he had been sturg.
The boat gone!
Whether the rope had got !, o5e,
or whether it had been worn through
by rubbing against the sharp lodges,
it was certain that the boat was gone
and Eric left upon the rock, without
any means of getting off.
Good swimmer as he was, he knew
he could not cover tenth part of
the distaucr; and there was lite
chance of his berg taken off by a
fisherman, for very few ever cam
here; al the fishing went on round
the other side of the island.
Altogether it was very awk ward
scrspe. He clambered to the sum-
NIT again, and looked long and
earnestly over the sea-" but neither
sail nor boat was to be seen.
eff a storm comes on, it'll blow
me bodily off nto the sea-" he
thought; but at least I've climbed
where 10 one else ev came, aud
that's always something. must
leave some mark, though, to show
that I've been here, or no one will
ever believe it,"
b lie unwound the long strip of
mo'anvas that served fora belt
On o.d Odd; knhotting It around SHARP
point, left it fluttering in the wind
like pennon, little dreaming how
important that shred of sail cloth
was soon to be to him. At thai
moment his eyes caught two white
spots in the distance, which grew
larger and larger every moment
The birds we've coming back to thei,
nest, and finding it emp y, would b
cure to attack forwith.
He barely had time to slide dowr
the ledge and grasp his boat-hook
when they came swooping down
On seeing that the eggs we're gone,
they uttered a dismal scream; and
they, if guessing that he must have
done the mischief, fell upon hin
furiously.
The boy stood his ground man
fully, and did his best to keep then
of with the boat-hook, but the odd
were sorely against him.
1t was not long before the large
bird gave him a terrible blow on tn
forehead with it's strong beak send
ing the blood pouring down his face
but he instantly repaid it with sucl
q whack Of his iron hook that sen
NJ. Bird tumbling back against thu
rock, looking as if he scarcely knew
where he was.
This, however, only made thu
other bird more furious, and poor
Eric seemed likely to have bad
time of it when his eye fell upor
the cleft where the nest was.-->
In q moment he dived into it, and
rolled big stone against the mouth
blocking out TIE enrased bird
most effectuslly.
For lohs tip,o ne could hea
their aapring wi ~ and angry erie
outside ut 6ndin;- themselves thu
shut out of thei own hous.; bu
Eric only laughed a. tnem, and tear
ing of some st-,ps Ut his shirt
bound up the w, ga. in his fore
head.
At last the bi ii. seemed to e.
tired of keeping ,uaru to no pur
pose and flew away me boy lis'ene,
till the sound Of ,arlr wings wa
los in the dista 60, and then b
cautiously ,remov' the stone an,
ventured out.
What he saw t,,n maue him e
cold all over, bra, .rOugh he Was
The sun was settil { SRI and angri'y
gray, leaden dil .l,eSs was cree pi
over the whole 81 :, and the WIND
was beginning 4, moan drear,l
while far away t. .he northeast
huge black cloud $. re sign of oom
ing storm-was rasing itself a.
over the darkenin ga.
But 'ong with IL this he saw an
ncpther sight that m sie his heart leap
md con, in the dista CO, standing GU
be mopp and clear ..gxinst the back
or tenind of inky cloud, was on
ave bpta-y w,fte pat h. Guild it be
issis !? Eric shades his eyes with hi
yaand aud looked long and earnestly