Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1900-07-25
CHAPTER XVII

CHAPTER XVII.
What the Sharpness people had been
warming US about we were by-and-by to
discover. The Shoots" as they are call
pd. are formed by the sudden contraction
Of the Severn estuary between North
witch and POrtskewet, and consist of q
series Of races and whirlpools not unlike
those in the neighborhood of Corriever-
chau-Over by the Cora Islands and the
parUs Nor. When we found these cur
rents strong enough to grip the pilot boat
by the bows and yaw her about. it is to
be imagined that our poor old Noah's
GrS. iumbering up in the rear, had any
lhiu- hut a daisy time" of it. More
over the water became more and more
mmpy-what with the swirling currents
themselves. and the breeze blowing
AGAINST the tide, the .Nameless Barge"
began to forsake her heavy gambolings
for all kinds of mystical and unexpected
gyrauonS. and again and again ominous
rOises told of catastrophes within.
Ii was blowing hard, and looking very
dirty in the south; and one of US, at least,
began TO wish that the two women could
be transferred to the other boat. The
pilots themselves no longer seemed to re-
gard this performance as a joke; they
kept an eye on our unwieldly craft, as she
plunged through the heavily running sea-
Indeed, 1t was almost ludicrous to watch
this mISshapen thing dipping her nose in
the water and springing forward again,
and LI>hIns the foam from her bows just
as II she were real yacht; and the only
question was, how long she was likely
to keep up the pretense by remaining ST.
lent.
Presently a new and startling discovery
was made. As there was no calculating
what time we should get to Bristol, with
this head wind driving against us, the
steersman desired Jack Duncombe to 60
inside and bring forth a handful of bis
cults; and the young man cheerfully obey
ed. The next instant he came out again,
without any biscuits.
Il say" he exclaimed, with a curious
expression of face, this blessed boat IL
full of water,"
In moment, from the look of the wom-
en-, he perceived the mistake he had
made.
"Oh, no; not that" he protested, but
n little water has come in and it's slop-
ping all about the floor of the saloon.
Here, you'd better let me take the tiller
for minute. and you can go and look
for yourself"
OF course, we all of US Instantly made
for the door of the saloon; and there q
most unpleasant spectacle met our eyes;
for if there was not as yet much water
visible, it was washing from side to side
as the vessel lurChed; and, of course, no
one could tell at what rate the leakage
was coming in.
rs she going TO sink!" said Miss Peg
gy, rather breathlessly; it was Sir Even
Cameron she addressed.
Il won't stay another moment in this
boat" Mrs Threepenny-bit exclaimed.
You must call to the pilots-tell them
to stop and take us on board"
"Oh, be quietl'' one had to say to her.
This is nothing of a leakage-it only
means that there's nowhere for the water
TO go to-
And how fast is it coming in?" she
asked.
How can anybody tell? Wen have to
wait and watch. Or, rather, Columbus
must come inside and watch; and if the
water should rise in any quantity, then
we may have to get on board the pilot
boat: that's all. 1t isn't doing any harm
its only washing the floor"
Here a violent pitch of the boat flung
us all together; and then we could see
through the forward window her bows
shaking off a great mass of foam.
"Do you see that now! She isn't used
to dipping her nose like that"
Well, it has to be conceded to Col.
Cameron that he was the only one who
cared TO wet his ankles in order to make
an examination. He boldly splashed
through the lurching water and got TO
the further end of the saloon, and, stoop-
ing down. strove to reach with MS long
arm the circular pieces or glass SET IN
the hows of the boat. But neither there
nor anywhere else could we hnd out the
source of the leakage; and When capt,
Columbus was summoned from MS post
and shown the state of affairs it was gen
orally agreed that the water must De
coming in through defective seams.
Our gallant convoy continued 10 cut
her wav through those swlft-runnlng sea ;
like a racer; and we laboriousiy piuhseu
and rolled and struggled after. IL must
he said for the women that Ihey we,e {
80 brave over it; after that first fright
about the water in the saloon ,hey ndu
hardly a word to say; they merely looked
~ ~ i, s;Ience-sitting close to each other.
And now that long, dark spur OF land-
Portishead Point, was It caiied vas
drawing sensibly nearer. lne sniPpins
that was gradually becoming visible w
doubt marked the Whereabouts y. .ne
King. or Kings, road; ana tnat' W.
knew. was just off the mouth Vi ,ne
Avon Then the sea grew niue cam
or Capt. Columbus was proVideu VIII
a hinge sponge to help him IN his paninH
Ue could hear Murdoch at tue puw ~
ING TO his brother mariners aheau VI I'M
asking for instructions, most pioo.
And at length and at last the conn CONN onua
hawser was shipped, and we pai... ~
Now w, f~"nd ourselves u
q comnarat5yely smooth sheet OF SenU"
e.atar and near to Dutch iooNihs w,
at coast the topmasts of vesses, VI Ia
an5 tbore little glimmer OF oistah ~
scane appearing above steep
mud. and 1 expec
.. ha waited upon by the wnoie u
sb;n,s crew and passengers. an,
saan on duty since half-past W. Co
80 II il ten. If that isn't "orAs
80 breakfast, what is hu sai
on ...1,,,, snre Pm hungry enough, 20
,,,i, paogx sadly; and Queen ha,
.,aha5 with compassion that 81" hi
SO ieu sotien 70 get the table ready W."
In-docb was in the pantry puSy ~"
ham and eggs and Tea. d breakfast
: Now we had just hnisneI . loo
.nd had gone out again 10 zero al
d onr surroundings, when tbre
nroached by wherry conla,t; coaaarat;on. I
men 20 Bristol. Truth compe, u.;,
~" .hot those three sailors u N