Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-05-01
sail. I made sure. of course. that l

sail. / made sure, of course, that I
should be taken; but / was SO dis
| tressed for want of water THAT Iscafce
knew whether to be glad or sorry at the
/ thought and long before had come
! to q conclusion surprise had taken en-
tire possession of my mind and could
do nothing but stare and wonder.
The "Hispaniola" was under her
mainsail and two ibis, and the beautiful
I White canvas shone in the sun like
snow or silver. When / first sighted
her all her sails were drawing; she Was
I lying 9 course about northwest, and i
presumed the men on board were go
! Ing round the island on their way back
10 the anchorage. Presently She began
10 fetch more and more to the VEST
/ ward, so that | thought they had sight
ed me and We're going about in chase.
+ Al last. however, she fell right into the
winds eye, was taken dead aback, and
stood there Il while helpless, with her
sails silivei ing.
Clumsy fellows. said l. they must
still he drunk as owls And | thought
how Captain Slnolett would have set
them skipping.
4 Meanwhile the schooner gradually
fell off. ana filled again upon another
tack, sailed swiftly for a minute or
50, and brought up once more dead
in the winds eye. Again and again
was this repeated. To and fro, up and
down north, south, east and west the
"Hispaniol, sailed by swoors and
daslles, and at each repetition ended
as she had begun With idly tapping
canvas II became plain To me that
nobody was st..iing. Md If 50, where
Wee the mon? Either they were dead
drunk or had deserted her, | thought
and perhaps If | oula get on board
l might return The vessel 70 her cap
tain.
TIE current Was bearing coraele and
schooner southM;iri AT An equal rate.
AS FOR the Eaters sailing. ii Was so
wild aild intermittent and she hung
caen tine SO long il irons, that she Ger
t;linlN gained nothing. ii she did not
even lose. II onlA dared To sill up and
paddle 1 mode sure lhat could over
haul her The scheme had an air Of
adventure that inspired me. and the
thought of the water breaker beside
the force omId nion doubled my grow
ing courage.
Up / got, WAS welcomed almost in
stantly w another cloud of spray. but
this time stuck to my purpose, and set
myGelf with al ms strength and eau
tipn 10 pat;die after the mustered
'iiispaniola.H once | slipped a sea so
h@aVy that had To stop ana bail, With
my hcait hultering like a bird; but
6,AGualy i got into the way of the
thing, and guided my eorace among
the waves. With only now and then u
bow upon lcl bows and a dash of foam
in my lace.
L was NOW rapidly gaining ON the
schooner; | could see the brass glisten
ON the tiller as ii banged about. and
still no soul appeared upon her de- rs.
| could not chpese but Suppose she
was deseFted. j hot. lie men were
lying drunk lseiow, where ! might bat
ten them down, peihaps and do what
! enose With the ship,
For some time she had been doing the
Worst thing possible for me standing
still SHE headed nearly due south,
yaWning, of course, all the time. Each
time size fell of her sails partly filled.
and thesa brought her. in a moment.
iisht TO the wi3sd again | haN-e said
this was The worst thing possible fer
ne; lof helIilsss as she lool1ed III this
situation. with tie canvas cracking
hike cannon, aud the Blocks trnndling
and banging on the deck, She still con-
lilHcd To run away from me. Not only
With the speed Of tho current but ~
the whole amount of her leeway, which
was naturally great.
e. lC'oltI,fl,afi next geek