The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1899-05-19
~ JAMES


and sky were equally hot, as the for
mer seemed to weller and become oily
under the blaze of the latter-a sharp
winged bird that skinned past us sud-
denly caught the hollow eye Of Hislop,
who, l thought, was sleeping.
do you see that bird, Tom?' he
exclaimed, half starting up from the
s~tern-sheets; ut is a man-of-war
bird!"
What then, sir?"
We must be near land" replied the
mate.
Land" reiterated every one in the
boat, their voices expressing joy, sur
prise or in%credulity.
rs 1t Brazil?" asked Tattooed Tom,
with amazement In his singular face.
II do not think so,'' said Hislop,
passing a hand YEARLY and reflectively
over his pale forehead. "Brazil-it is
impossible, by the last reckoning l
made before that Spaniard wounded
me. But Heaven only knows where
we may have drifted to since them"
"The wind and currents may have
taken us many hundred miles from
where the last observation was made"
added Carlton.
"But I am convinced that we are
near handbook at the sea-wrack that
passes us now; and we must be out
OF the track Of the Gulf-weed," con-
tinued the mate, with confidence.
"And may l never see the More
again II that amt land now, looming
right ahead through the fog-bank!"
exclaimed Tom, starting up and shad-
ing his eyes from the sun with both
hands, as he peered intently westward.
/, AS the reader may imagine, we all
gazed a~nxiously enough in the direc-
ton indicated by the old seaman, and
a swell of rapture rose in the breasts
of all when something in the form of
a headland or bluff could be distinctly
right ahead, bearing due west,
about eve miles distant, standing
out from the bank OF vapor, or loom
ing like a darker shadow within it.
This appearance never changed in
outline. but remained stationary, and
every moment became more defined
and confirmed.
Explanations OF joy now broke from
us, and we congratulated each other
on making the land so soon and SO
unexpectedly without enduring the
miseries which SO frequently fall to
the lot Of those who are cast away,
We were, in an open boat, at sea.
But what land is it," was the gen.
eral inquiry.
Another allowance IF grog was serv-
ed round; the oars were again shipped,
bent our backs and breasts sturdily
to the task. and at every stroke al
most lifted the boat clean out of the
water in our e%agerness to reach
this suddenly discovered shore.
This had such an effect upon Marc
that. though weak ana sinking
as he had been, he begged that he
might be allowed to steer the boat q
little way, while Tom Lambourne kept
q bright lookout ahead, to watch for
any ripple or suri that might indicate
the locality Of a treacherous coral reef,
as such might prove dangerous to a
large and heavily laden craft like ours.
With every stroke of the bending
the land seemed to rise higher and
more high.
Ere long we could make out Its
form clearly. 1t was bold, rocky and
mountainous. and as the mist dispers-
ed or rose upward into mid air, we
could see the dark brown of the bluff,
some trees Of strange aspect, with
dropping foliage on its summit, were
clearly defined, as they stood between
us and the blue sky beyond.
We soon made out distinctly that 1t
was q large island. The shore was
somewhat Level. to the northeast, and
IN the center lowered an almost per-
pendicular mountain of vast height,
The sides OF which seemed covered with
Eurze, gorse and brushwood.
Elsewhere its dusky and copper-col-
bred rocks started sheer out of the
sea. whose waters formed a zone OF
snow-white surf around their base.
We headed the boat to the north
east. where the shore seemed more app
.proachable, and as we pulled along it,
but keeping fully three miles of, we
Jaw high crags, deep ravines, shady
woods and dells in the interior, though
40 appearance OF houses, Of wigwams,
,r Of Inhabitants.
Many speculations we're now ven
.ured as to what island this Right be.
May 1t not be land that has never
before been discovered ?'e / suggested,
d glow OF pleasure, in the antiad-
Of being among the first to
read an unexplored and hitherto i'm.
known shore. Hislop smiled and
shook his head.
Henry Warren. who had been an old.
SOUTH Sea whaler, suggested that it
the lisland Grando, but Hislop ass
sNured ns that this was impossible. In
he aarst place, BY the position Of the
he could BEE That we were not so
south a the parallel Of Port San
iiorgio on the Brazilian shore, and In.
he second. the existenceaof such an
WIS doIbteds
Can II b Trinidad Island-Tristan.
q cunha, or the Rocks Or Martin
VaxS" asked Tom Lamb0urne. ss
IL the latter replied Hislop, "
lhould now besin south latitude 20 deg.
min. but this land In NO way an
swers TO the aspect o. the Martin vaz
Rock. 80 ixs < II
ibid you i seesthem.ssir?D asked