Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-13

foot or two. But at last they opened
out good troad lagoon, and, running
across to its farther boundary, rose tho
islet which they had gone to SO much
trouble to seek
1t was still good five miles off, and
the intervening navigation was by no
means plain But the ketch was in shell
tered water now, for the outer line of
reefs broke all the heavier seas, and the
waves of these inside channels not hav-
ing so far to run, never attained any
great height. In one way this was an
added danger, for heavy surf is warn
| ing easily understood but, on the other
hand, there was little chance now of
piling the ketch up badly. She was
creeping along at very steady pace
| and if she did chance to take the ground
they could probably heave her off with
out damage or trouble
But, for all that, there was no dimi-
mutton of the caution with which she
was navigated. Whether or no there are
danger and damage to be feared from
such thing, your true sailor has the
utmost horror Of getting his craft unin-
tentionally ashore. 1t is an indelible
slur upon his seamanship, and no
amount of after skill can wash out the
stain.
1t was work that required nerve too
A timid pilot might well have blanched
at the Dreaming, believing surf which
was often but few fathoms away from
his lee, and had DR.. Tring lost his head
for moment it might have meant
death to every one on board But the
doctor GOODNESS never deserted him. He
rolled and smoked his nterminable ciga-
rettes through all that exciting day
and, as Captain Colepepper remarked,
might have been skippering a brick
barge on the Oxford canal for all the
nervousness he showed. To which the
doctor replied that he much regretted
his constitutional defects, but that
nerves, in the feminine sense Of the
word, had been forgotten when his 9TH
er attributes were dealt out to him.
Its great nuisance. said he,
laughingly. Il feel desperately sighted
that I'm not at times jumpy and jerky
like other people, and never experience
den Preparations or, in fact, any single
one of the various Injuries which the
possession of nerves gives to most peo
pie. But the fact remains, l am debar-
red from all these pleasures You
needn't laugh, Miss Colepepper. l as
sure you | do regret it, though for work
like today's it perhaps has its compen-
sations.
So the doctor continued to smoke
quietly at his post amid all the dangers
Of that passage During the whole aft
ernoon they threaded their way through
tortuous channels and narrow lagoons,
and at last, just as night was beginning
to close in, they opened out deep bay,
whose waters Tapped the shore they had
gone to such pains to seek.
DR.. Tring pointed to small strip Of
pebbly beach, which shelved sharply
down into the deep water.
There, | should imagine, is the ex-
act spot which the Mr.. Piper who gave
his name to the island probably chose
for a careening dock, said he. ave
cant do better than follow the excellent
pirates example, so far as to make use
of the same place eh, Colepepper? Over
with the anchor, Hans!"
The heavy kedge was heaved over the
SHE and fell with a splash into the blue
water. About six fathoms of the cable
ran out after it, and the Eureka swung
round to the anchor.
"Miss Colepepper, may I have the
pleasure of walk with you ashore ?
asked the doctor with a courtly bow
"An unknown island to explore Who
knows? Perhaps l shall be able to give
you an adventure.
TO BE CONTINUED