Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-04-08

Aer Heau again, ana leu me softly as be-
fore among the pillows. 1t was plain she
was not to be interfered with, and at
that rate, since could in no way in
fluence her course, what hope had I left
of reaching land?
began to be horribly frightened,
but kept my head, for all that. First,
moving with all care, l gradually baiied
out the coracle with my sea-cap; then
getting my eye once more above the
gunwale, set myself to study how it
was she managed to slip so quietly
through the rollers.
found each wave, instead of the big.
smooth, glossy mountain it looks from
shore, or from a vessels deck, was for
all the world like any range of hills on
the dry land, full of peaks and smooth
places and valleys. The coracle, left to
herself, turning from side to side,
threaded. so to speak, her way through
these lower parts, and avoided the
steep slopes and higher, topping sum-
mits of the wave.
We'll, now" thought to myself, at
is plain I must lie where I am, and not
disturb the balance; but it is plain, also,
that can put the paddle over the side,
and from time to time, in smooth places,
give her shove or two toward land"
No sooner thought upon than done.
There I lay on my elbows, in the most
trying attitude, and every now and
again gave weak stroke or two to turn
her head to shore.
1t was very firing and slow work, vet
did visibly gain ground, and as we
drew near the Cape of the Woods,
though I saw I must infallibly miss
that point, I had still made some hun
lred yards of casting. I was, indeed,
close in. l could see the cool, green
tree-tops swaying together in the
breeze, and l felt sure should make
the next promonotory without fall.
1t was high time, for 1 now began
to be tortured with thirst. The glow
of the sun from above, its thousand
fold reflection from the waves, the sea-
water that fell and dried upon me, cak.
ing my very lips with sait, colnu.u.u
to make my throat burn and my brain
ache. The sight of the trees so near
at hand had almost made me sick with
longing; but the current had soon car
ried me past the point, and as the next
reach of the sea opened out I beheld
sight that changed the nature of my
| thoughts.
Right in front of me, not half mile
away, beheld the "Hispaniola," under
| sail. made sure, of course, that i
| should be taken; but l was so dis
! tressed for want of water that scarce
| knew whether to be glad or sorry at the
thought, and long before l had come
! to conclusion surprise had taken en-
tire possession of my mind and could
do nothing but stare and wonder.
The ''Hispaniola" was under her
mainsail and two jibs, and the beautiful
white canvas shone in the sun like
snow or silver. When l first sighted
her all her sails were drawing; she was
lying course about northwest, and /
| presumed the men on board were GO
| ing round the island on their way back
to the anchorage. Presently she began
to fetch more and more to the west
ward, SO that thought they had sight
ed me and were going about in chase.
At last, however, she fell right into the
| winds eye, was taken dead aback, and
| stood there awhile helpless, with her
sails shivering.
Clumsy fellows" said I, "they must
, still be drunk as owls" And | thought
| how Capt. Smollett would have set them
skipping.
Meanwhile the schooner gradually
fell off, and filed again upon another
tack, sailed swiftly for minute or
SO, and brought up once more dead
in the winds eye. Again and again
was this repeated. To and fro, up and
| down, north, south, east and west the
| 'Hispaniola" sailed by swoops and
dashes, and at each repetition ended
as she had begun, with idly Tapping
| canvas. 1t became plain to me that
nobody was steering. And, if so, where
were the men? Either they were dead
| drunk or had deserted her, thought.
| and perhaps if could get on board
| I might return the vessel to her cap
| tain.
The current was bearing coracle and
schooner southwark at an equal rate.
| AS for the later's sailing, it was so wild
and intermittent, and she hung each
time SO long in irons, that she certain
| ~ gained nothing, if she did not even
| lose. If only dared to sit up and pad
! die I made sure that / could overhaul
her. The scheme had an air of adven-
ture that inspired me, and the thought
| of the water breaker beside the fore
companion doubled my growing cour-
age.
Up I got, was welcomed almost in
stantly by another cloud of spray, but
| this time stuck to my purpose, and set
myself with all my strength and eau
ton to paddle after the mustered Ellis
PAMELA" Once shipped sea SO heavy
that l had to stop and bail, with my
heart fluttering like bird; butgradual-
| ly got into the way of the thing, and
guided my coracle among the waves,
with only now and then blow upon
/ her bows and dash of foam in my face.
| I was now rapidly gaining on the
! schooner; l could see the brass glisten
on the tiller as it banged about, and
still no soul appeared upon her decks.
I could not choose but suppose she
was deserted. If not, the men We're
lying drunk below, where might bat
ten them down, perhaps, and do what l
chose with the ship.
For some time she had been doing the
/ worst thing possible for me-standins
still. She headed nearly due south,
| yawing, of course, all the time. Each