The Irish standard., 1897-11-20
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
NARRATIVE CONTINUED BY THN
DOCTOR - THE JOLI.Y-BOATE LAST
TRIP.
This fifth trip was quite different from
any Of the others. In the first place, the
little gallipot of boat that we were in
was gravely overloaded. Five grown
men, and three Of them-Trclawney
Redruth and the captain-ovcr six feet
high, was already more than she was
meant to carry. Add to that the pow
der, pork and the breadIbags. The
gunwale was Tipping astern. Several
times we shipped n little water, and my
breeches and the tails Of my coat were
all soaking wet before we had gone 100
yards.
The captain made us trim the boat,
and we got her to Lie little more even
ly. AL the same, we were afraid to
breathe.
In the second place, the ebb WINS now
making-a strong ripping current rum
ming westward through the basin, and
then southland and seuwnrd down the
straits by which we had entered in the
morning. Even the ripples were dam
ger to our overloaded craft; but the
worst of it was that we were 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 come ashore beside the gigs,
where the pirates might appear ut any
moment.
II cannot keep her head for the
etockade, sir" said to the captain. I
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 swapping the boat"
said he. "You must bear up. sir, If you
pleasc-bcar up until you see you're
gaining"
tried, and found by experiment that
the tide kept sweeping us westward UNI
til had laid her head due east, or just
about right angles to the way we ought
to 20.
"We'll never get ashore Mt this rate"
said l.
"If it's the only course that we can
lie, sir, we must even lie it," returned
the captain. eve must keep upstrcam
You see, SIR" he went on, Of once We
dropped to lccward 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 slnckcn,
and then we can dodge back along the
shore"
''rhe currents less a'rcndy, sir" said
the man Gray, who was sitting in the
fore-shcets; "you can ease her off a bit"
"Thanl yon, my.man," said1, quite as
If nothing had happened; for we had
NIL quietly made up our minds to treat
him like one of ourselves.
Suddenly the captain spoke up again,
and l thought his voice was u little
changed.
"Thc gun!" said he.
II have thought of That" said I, for I
made sure lie was thinking of bonn
bardmemt OF the fort. "Thcy could
never get the gun ashore, and if they
did, they could never haul it through
the woods"
'Look astcrn. DOCTOR" replied the
captain.
We had entirely forgotten the long
nine; and there, TO our horror, were the
five rogucs busy about her, getting OFF
her jacket, as they called the stout
tarpaulin cover under which she
sailed. Not only that, but it flashed into
my mind at the same moment that tho
round shot and the powder for the gun
had been left behind, and stroke with
an AK would put it all into the possess
sion of the evil ones aboard.
Israel was Flint's gunner" said
Gray, hoarscly.
At any risk, we put the boats head
direct for the landing-placc. by this
time we had got SO far out of the run
Of the current that we kept stccragc
way even at our necessarily gentle rate
of rowing, and | could keep her steady
for the goal. But the worst of it was
that, with the course l now held, we
turned our broadsiGc instead of our
stern to the "liispaIiola," and offered
target like a barn door.
could hear, as well as see, that
brandy-faccd rascal, Israel Hands,
Pumping down round-shot on the
deck.
who's the best shot?" asked the
captain.
'Mr. Trcluwney. out and away" said
/.
mir. Trclawney, will you please pick
me off one of those men, sir? Hands,
II possible" said the captain.
Trclawncy was nn cold as steel. BE
looked to the printing Of his gun.
"NoW." crjad the caDtain. "easv with