Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-07-06
An Eton Boy.

Tom Lambourne steered: the sea
was smooth, the wind light. and in our
favor; SO ere long the mast was ship
ped and sail hoisted to lessen the
labor of the rowers.
We were anxious for the dense bank
OF purple cloud to clear away, that we
might have a more extensive view OF
the horizon. and perhaps discover a
sail. but the envious vapor seemed to
darken and to roll before us. or rather
before the wind that bore us aft after
It.
About midday. when we were paus-
ing on our oars, breathless and pant
Ing with heat, drenched with perspira-
tion, which ran into our eyes and
trickled down our breasts, and when
visions Of ice-water and bitter beer
came tantalizingly to memory-for sea
and sky were equally hot, as the for
mer seemed to welter 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. thought. was sleeping.
DO you see that bird, Tom?" he
exclaimed. half starting up from the
stern-sheets; sit is man-of-war
bird!"
| What then, sir?"
Eve must be near land" replied the
mate.
"Land!" reiterated every one in the
boat. their voices expressing joy. sur
prise or incredulity.
rs 1t Brazil?" asked Tattooed Tom,
with amazement In his singular face.
| tbinl, :, 81
passing n hand wearily and refiectively
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 a-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 IL 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 arXiously enough in the dircc-
tion Indicated by the old seaman, and
a swell Of rapture rose in the breasts
Of all when something in the form of
n headland or bluif could be distinctly
seen right ahead, bearing due west.
about seven miles distant, standing
out from the bank OF vapor. or loom
ing like n darker shadow within 1t.
This appearance never changed in
outline, but remained stationary. and
every moment became more defined
and confirmed.
Exclamations 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.
as we were, in an open boat. at sea.
| But what land is it?" was the gen
eral inquiry.
| Another allowance of groS was serv-
ed round; the oars were again shipped,
we bent our backs and breasts sturdily
to the task. and at every stroke al
most lifted the boat clean out OF the
shining water in our eagerness to reach
this suddenly discovered shore.
This had such an effect upon Marc
Hislop that, though weak and sinking
as he had been. he begged that he
might be allowed to steer the boat
little way. while Tom Lambourne kept
bright lookout ahead. to watch for
any ripple or surf that might indicate
| the locality OF a treacherous coral reef
as such might prove dangerous to
large and heavily laden craft like ours.
With every stroke of the bending
| oars 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 tho mist di5pers-
ed or rose upward into mid air, we
could see the dark brown of the bluff.
and 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 It
was 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
furze. gorse and brushwood.
Elsewhere its dusky and copper-col-
ored rocks started sheer out of the
sea. whose waters formed zone of
snow-white surf around their base.
We headed the boat to the north
east, where the shore seemed more ap-
proachable, and as We pulled along it,
b,it keeping fully three milps off vp |
saw high crags, deep ravines. shady
woods and dells in the interior. though |
no appearance of houses, of wigwams,
or of inhabitants.
Many speculations were now ven
.ured as to what island this might be.
May it not be land that has never