Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-03-22
An Eton Boy.

ON Eambourne 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 more extensive view OF
the horizon, and perhaps discover
sail. but the envious vapor seemed to
darken and to roll before us. or rather
before the wind that bore us aft after
IL.
About midday, when we were paus-
ing on our oars, breathess and pant
Ing with heat, drenched with persplra-
tion, which ran into our eyes and
trickled down our breasts, and when
Yisions of ice-water and bitter beer
came tantali2ingly 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. Tom7" he
exclaimed, half starting up from the
stern-sheets; sit is man-of-war
birdl"
What then, sir?"
I'VE must be near land" replied the
mate.
land" reiterated every one In the
boat. their voices expressing Joy, sur
prise or incredulity.
is 1t Brazil?" asked Tattooed Tom,
with amazement in his singular face
Il do not think So" said Hislop,
passing hand wearily and refiectively
over his pale forehead. "BrazIl-it Is
impossible, by the last reckoning
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 | 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 | never see the More
again If 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 anxiously enough in the direc-
tion indicated by the old seaman, and
swell of rapture rose in the breasts
of all when something in the form of
a headland or bluff could be distinctly
seen right ahead, bearing due west,
about seven 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.
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 We're In an open boat, at sea.
But what land is it?" was the gem
eral inquiry.
!, Another allowance 1f grog 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 be begged that he
might be allowed to steer the boat a
little way, while Tom Lambourne kept
a bright lookout ahead, to watch for
any ripple or surf that might indicate
! the locality of treacherous coral reef
! as such might prove dangerous to q
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 the mist dispers-
) ed or rose upward into mid air. we
could see the dark brown Of the bluff
and some trees 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 II
was a large island. The shore was
somewhat level to the northeast, and
in the center lowered an almost per-
pendicular mountain of vast height
i the sides of which seemed covered with
furze, gorse and brushwood.
e Elsewhere its dusky and copper-col
I ored rocks started sheer out OF thu
/ sea. whose waters formed zone o
y snow-white surf around their base.
4 We headed the boat to the north
: east, where the shore seemed more ap
s proachable. and as We pulled along II
: but keeping fully three miles of, W,
n saw high crags, deep ravines. shadl
e woods and dells in the interior, though
h no appearance OF houses, of wigwams
: or of inhabitants
Many speculations were now ven
i tured as TO what island this might be
o May 1t not be land that has neve
a before been dlscovered?" / suggested
d with glow of pleasure, in the anti Il
r patton OF being among the first t
J. tread an unexplored and hitherto un
# known shore. Hislop smiled an
h shook his head
II Henry Warren, who had been an ol
e South Sea whaler, suggested that
was the island Grando. but Hislop n