The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-01-25
bainrt. why, we can just go straight

fN>1NN3N~
to carry all of us would be heavy to
handle and far too conspicuous. pro-
pose to build light vessel, just big
enough for four, without being cum
bersome. In this we could go across
quickly by night and land unobserved,
while a larger raft. sluggish in it's
movements. would certainly be seen if
the island is Inhabited and an argue
buster or a couple of archers could
pick us off one by one before we got a
chance of landing"
"Oh, no. hov put in the old man at
this point. 1.-THE youngsters got some
sense in him after all! Do as your cap
tain tells you. you dolts, and if he lands
you all in heaven you can say it's the
old mans fault"
The men said no more, for they yield
other, and he man of unimpaired
brain, might not have succeeded in
persuading them. Even felt more
: comfortable now that the plan had
been approved by this uncanny author
ity.
The discussion was closed. for no one
had anything more to say. We set a
+, watch to guard against possible at
tempts on the part of our prisoners and
addressed ourselves to slumber.
| During the next day small raft was
made. and when night fell four of us
embarked on it, Alec and myself. with
Jan .Pengony and another-the two last
being enormously powerful men form
ed the crew. and after we had cautious
ly padded out through the reef we set
a rag Of sail and steered course by
the stars. The sea was smooth, the
wind was dead aft. and, slipping
! through the water at about knot and
half an hour, we made the island a
little before midnight. The surf broke
at the foot of tall, forbidding cliffs, and
as there appeared no place for land
ing we lowered the sail and, taking to
our paddles. worked round to the
southwark.
In about mile we came upon a
scrap of shelving beach. upon which,
after much trouble, we drew the raft,
amt then set out to explore.
It was mighty hard work scaling the
cliff, and all our nimbleness was need.
ed to keep clear of falls. But we reach.
ed the top at last and at once found
ourselves in tangled lane bound for
est, through which 1t was furiously
hard work to press a passage. 1t die
not, however, extend very far, anG
presently we came out into the open
The sea fowl We're not quite SO nu
merous as on Galley island, but there
were gay plumaged parrots and othel
land birds in abundance. There were
traces, too, Of four footed beasts, and
presently we flushed from piece O.
Z swamp a fine drove Of pigs, which
made our mouths water and our heel
itch to give chase. This, however, Ale
/ forbade, sasing that hunting erie
might be dangerous If there were Span
iards in the neighborhood. He bad
us walk prudently, therefore, rove GU
eyes and kennel our tongues.
why all this cautionY' said wit
q laugh. There's never five toed foo
trodden these thickets since delug
, time"
Very possibly, Jack. But have yo
!, no sense besides those keen eyes Q
yours? Turn your nose up wind, man.
.sWell?"
Nov sniff"
.There's nothing but smell of hea,
ed marsh and rotting leaves, with
: sprinkling Of pungent flower odors e,
> cry now and again"
o Yes? And what bush do you thin
those same flowers grow on, Jack?"
How should know? never learr
a ed their outlandish names. Firetre
/ perhaps. 1t smells something ik
smoke"
E Something like smoker reptile
Alec dryly.
( "Why, it is smoker
}. aye, smoke sure enough. saw
! thin blue wreath of it floating up aboy
!. the clump of bushes ahead there not
minute since. Look! There goes al
q other!
J. "Phew!' said 1. 'Philistines, for a
n emperor's ransom!'
Exactly" said Alec, land therefor
: 1t seems to me we had better advant
n carefully and reconnoiter their positio
b They may be only one or two, or the
n may be hundreds. So forward to IL
! bushes. Keep the cover of the lor
grass as much as possible and be rea6
e to duck down your sconces smartly
t. any one puts in an appearance. There
3 no use in bringing the whole rocker
e round our ears by carelessness."
it aye, aye, captain" said Jan Pc
S gony, with a grin. Trust me an Gar:
J. here for that We haven't forgotte
lie how Dartmouth deer's poached ye
an we've got the wind o. this un,
@ it's as easy as making riled Spanial
swear"
i. We went on again through the raj
Y, vegetation, startling more pigs al
le keeping a bright lookout for chan
it snakes, but not trace of Spaniar,
,e did we see, and in very short spa
e we were peering through the farth
.e end of the copse. Neither house n
h fire was in sight, but the thin trunk
lie smoke rising in front Of us could mes
e, nothing but that there was fire bur
ID ing somewhere out of our sight. 1t 70
II from rocky fissure in the op,