Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1898-07-21
PART ".
CHAPTER XVII.

CHAPTER XVII.
NARRATIVE CONTINUED BY THE
DOCTOR - THE JOLLY-BOATS LAST
TRIP.
This fifth tri p was quite different from
any of the others. In the first pace, the
. little gallipot of boat that we were in
was gravely overloaded. Five grown
men, and three of them-Trelawney
Redruth and the captain-over six feet
high, was already more than she was
meant to carry. Add to that the pow
der, pork and the breadLbags. The
gunwale was Tipping astern. Several
times we shipped 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 a little more even
1y. All the same, we were afraid to
breathe.
In the second place, the ebb was now
making-a strong ripping current run
ming westward through the basin, and
then southland and seaward down the
straits by which we had entered in the
morning. Even the ripples were dan
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-piace behind the point.
If we let the current have its way we
should come ashore beside the gigs,
where the pirates might appear at any
moment.
'I cannot keep her head for the
stockade, SIR" said I 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, IL you
please-bear up until you see you're
gaining"
tried, and found by experiment that
the tide kept sweeping US westward I'D
til I had laid her head due east. or just
about right angles to the way we ought
TO go.
! wen never get ashore at this rate"
said I.
eff it's the only course that we can
lie, sir, we must even lie IT," returned
the captain. 1--WE must keep upstream.
You see, sir" he went on, eff once we
dropped to leeward 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 slacken,
and then we can dodge back along the
shore"
1.-The currents less already. sir,' said
the man Gray. who was sitting in the
fore-sheets; "you can ease her off bit"
Thank you, my man." said I, quite as
if nothing had happened; for we had
all quietly made up our minds to treat
him like one of ourselves.
Suddenly the captain spoke up again,
and l thought his voice was a little
changed.
'The gun!" said he.
81 have thought of tnat," said 1. for I
made sure he was thinking OF bonn
bardment of the fort. They could
never get the gun ashore, and if they
did, they could never haul it through
the woods"
"Look astern. DOCTOR" replied the
captain.
We had entirely forgotten the long
nine; and there, to our horror, We're the
five rogues busy about her, getting of
her jacket, as they called the stout
tarpa ulin cover under which she
sailed. Not only that, but it flashed intt
my mind at the same moment that the
round shot and the powder Tor the SOI
had been left behind, and a stroke witt
an ak would put it all into the posses
sion of the evil ones aboard
Israel was FGnt's gunner" sait
Gray, hoarsely.
At any risk. we put the boats heat
direct for the landing-place. BY thi
time we had got So far out of the rul
of the current that we kept steerag
way even at our necessarily gentle rat
of rowing. and could keep her stead.
for the goal. But the worst of il wa
that, with the course now held, "
turned our broadside instead of GU
stern to the "Hispaniola." and offered
target like barn door.
1 could hear. as well as see. tina
brandy-faced rascal. Israel Hands
pumping down round-shot on In
deck.
who's the best shot?' asked tn
captain.
aMr. Trelawney. out and away" sal