Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-02-17

was going to do fCoISh, CFCroH.d
act; but l was determined TO DO II with
all the precautions in my power. These
biscuits. should anything hefau me.
would keep me. at least from starving.
till far on in the next day.
The next thing | laid hold of was
brace of pistols. and, as | already had
powder-horn and bullets. felt my
self wei! supplied with arms.
/ As for the scheme l had in my head il
was not a bad one initsclf. Il was TO
Z go down the sandy spit that divides the
anchorag ge on the east from the open sea.
find the white rock l had observed last
! evening, and ascertain whether il was
, there or not that Ben Gum had hidden
! his boat; a thing quite worth doing. as
] I still believe. But as | was certain |
! should not be allowed 10 leave the in
closure. my only plan was to take
! French leave, and slip out when no
/ body was watching; and that was SO
! bad way of doing it as made the thing
4 itself wrong. But was only boy, and
! I had made my mind up.
! Well. as things at last fell out. ! found
AN admirable opportunity. The squire
. and Gray were busy helping the captain
with his bandages; the coast was clear;
| made a bolt for it over the stockade
and into the thickest of the trees, and
| before my absence was observed | was
| out of cry of companions.
This was my second folly. far worse
than the first, as I left but two sound
men to guard the house; but. like the
first, it was help toward saving all of
us.
' I took my way straight for the east
! coast of the island. for was determined
/ to go down the sea side of the spit TO
| avoid all chance of observation from
| the anchorage 1t was already z; q IN
| the afternoon, although still warm a"G
| sunny AS I continued to thread the
tall woods could hear from far before
me not only the continuous thunder
| of the surf. but a certain tossing OF
foliage and grinding of boughs which
| showed me the sea breeze had set in
higher than usual. Soon cool draughts
of air began to reach me; and few
| steps further | came forth into the open
borders of the grove and saw the sea
lying blue and sunny to the horizon
and the surf tumbling and tossing its
foam along the beach.
l have never seen the sea quiet round
| Treasure island. The sun might blaze
overhead, the air be without n breath,
the surface smooth and blue, but still
these great rollers would be running
along all the external coast. thunder
ing and laundering by day and night;
and scarce believe there is one spotin
the island where man would be out of
earshot OF their noise.
| walked along beside the surf with
great enjoyment, till, thinking / was
now got far enough to the south,
took the cover of some thick bushes
and crept warily up to the ridge of the
spit.
Behind me was the sea, in front the
anchorage. The sea breeze, as though
it had the sooner blown itself out by
it's unusual violence, was already at an
end; it had been succeeded by light.
variable airs from the south and south
east, carrying great banks of fog; and
the anchorage, under lee of Skeleton
island, lay still and leaden as when
first we entered it. The ''Hispaniola'
in that unbroken mirror was exactly
portrayed from the truck to the water
line, the Jolly Roger hanging from her
peak.
Alongside lay one of the gigs, Silver
in the stern sheets-him L could always
recognize-while a couple of men were
leaning over the stern bulwarks, one OF
them with a red cap-the very rogue
I had seen some hours before stride
legs upon the palisade. Apparently
they were talking and laughing, though
at that distance-upward of mile
could, of course, hear no word OF what
was said All at once there began the
most horrid, unearthly screaming,
which al first startled me badly, though
I had soon remembered the voice of
Capt. Flint, and even thought / could
make out the bird by her bright plum
age as she sat perched upon her mas
ter's wrist.
Soon after the jolly-boat showed off
and pulled for shore, and the man with
the red cap and his comrade went below
by the cabin companion.
Just about the same time the sun
had gone down behind the Spy-glass,
and as the fog was collecting rapidly
it began to grow dark in earnest. ]
saw / must lose no time if I were to find
the boat that evening.
The white rock, visible enough above
the brush, was still some eighth of a
mile further down the spit, and it took
me goodlsh while to get up with it,
crawling often on all fours among the
scrub. Night had almost come when
1 laid my hand on its rough sides.
Right below it there was an exceeding
ly small hollow OF green turf, hidden
by banks and a thick underwood about
knee-deep, that grew there very plen-
tifully; and in the center OF the dell,
sure enough, little tent Of goatsl<ins
like what the gypsies carry about with
them in England,
| dropped Into the hollow. lifted the
side nf the tent. and there was Ben
Gunp's boat-homemade If ever any
thing was homemade; rude, lop-sided
framework of tough wood, and
stretched upon that a covering of goat
skin, with the hair inside. The thing
was extremely small, even for me, and
I can hardly imagine that it could have
HOdtcu Win IL Iull-SlZcQ man. IneIo
was one thwart set as low as possible, IL
kind of stretcher in the bows, and
double paddle for propulsion.
i had not then seen u coracle, such
as the ancient Britons made, bud L
have seen once since, and l can give you
no fairer idea of Ben Gums boat than
by saying it was like the first and the
worst coracle ever made by man. But
the great advantage if the coracle it GER
tainly possessed, for 1t was exceedingly
light and portable.
Well, now that had found the boat,
you would have thought | had had
enough of truantry for once; but in the
meantime hadftakcn another notion,
and become so obstinately fond of it
that l would have carried it out, be-
lieve, in the teeth of Capt. Smollett him
SELF This was to slip out under cover
OF the night, cut the 'IIispaniola"
adrift, and let her go ashore where she
fancied. had quite made up my mind !
that the mutineers, after their repulse
of the morning, had nothing nearer
their hearts than to up anchor and away |
TO sea; this, 1 thought, it would be
fine thing TO prevent, and now that L
had seen how they left their watchmen
unprovided with a boat, | thought 1T |
might be done with little risk.