Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-04-08
CHAPTER NNIy.
THE CRUISE OF THE coRAcr

THE CRUISE OF TIE CORACLE.
1T was broad day when awoke, and
found myself tossing at the southwest
end of Treasure island. The sun was
up, but was still hid from me behind
the great bulk of the spy-glass, which
on this side descended almost to the
sea in formidable cliffs.
Haulbowline Head and Nizzenmast
Hill were at my elbow; the hill bare and
dark, the head bound with cliffs 40 or
so feet high and fringed with great
masses of fallen rock. was scarce a
quarter of mile to seward, and it
was my first thought to paddle in and
land.
That notion was soon given over.
Among the fallen rocks the breakers
spouted and bellowed; loud reverbera.
tions, heavy sprays flying and falling,
succeeded one another from second to
second, and saw myself, if ventured
nearer, dashed to death upon the rough
shore or spending my strength in vain
to scale the beetling crags.
Nor was that all; for, crawling to-
gether on fiat tables of rock or letting
themselves drop into the sea with loud
reports, 1 beheld huge Shiny monsters
soft snails, as it were, of incredible
bigness-two or three score of them to-
gether, making the rocks echo with
their barkings.
l have understood since that they
were sea lions and entirely harmless
But the look of them, added to the
difficulty of the shore and the high
running of the surf, was more than
enough to disgust me of that landing
place. I felt willing rather to starve
at sea than to confront such perils.
In the meantime I had better
chance, as I supposed. North of Haul
bovine Head the land runs in long
way, leaving at low tide long stretch
of yellow sand. To the north of that,
again, there comes another cape-Cape
of the Woods, as it was marked upon the
chart-buried in tall green pines, which
descended to the margin of the sea.
I remembered what Silver had said
about the current that sets northward
along the whole west coast of Treasure
island; and seeing from my position
that I was already under its influence, I
preferred to leave Haulbowline Head
behind me, and reserve my strength for
an attempt to land upon the kindner-
looking Cape of the Woods.
There was great, smooth swell upon
the sea. The wind blowing steady and
gentle from the south, there was no
contrariety between that and the cur
rent, and the pillows rose and fell UNI
broken.
Had 1t been otherwise, must long
ago have persisted; but as it was, it is
surprising how easily and securely my
little and light boat could ride. Often,
as still lay at the bottom, and kept no
more than an eye above the gunwale,
I would see big blue summit heav-
ing close above me; yet the coracle
would but bounce little, dance as if on
springs, and subside on the other side
into the trough as lightly as bird.
I began after little to grow very
bold, and sat up to try my skill at pad
ding. But even a small change in the
disposition of the weight will produce
violent changes in the behavior of q cor
acle. And l had hardly moved before
the boat, giving up at once her gentle,
dancing movement, ran straight down
a slope of water so steep that II made
me giddy, and struck her nose, with q
spout OF spray, deep into the aide Of tie