Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-03
CHAPTER XVII.

NARRATIVE CONTINUED BY THU
DOCTOR THE JOLLY BOATS LAST
TRIP.
This fifth trip was quite different from
any of the others. In the first place, thu
little gallipot Of boat that we were in
was gravcly overloaded. Five grown
men, and three of them-Trela wney,
Redruth and the captain--over six feet
high, was already more than she was
meant to carry. Add to that the pow
der, pork and the bread-bags. The
gunwale was Tipping astern. Several
times we shipped little water, aud my
breeches and the tails of my coat were
all soaking wet before we had gone 100
yards.
The captain made us trim the boat,
and we got her to lie little more even
ly. AL the same, we were afraid to
breathe.
In the second place, the ebb was now
makiug-a strong ripping current run
ming westward through the basin, an
then southland and seaward down u
straits by which we bad entered in the
morning. Even the ripples were a dan
ger to our overloaded crafe; but the
worst of it was that we were swept out
of our true course, and away from our
proper landing-place behind the point.
If we let the current have its way we
should come ashore beside the gigs,
where the pirates might appear at any
moment.
81 cannot keep her head for the
stockade, sir" said | to the capt ain. I
was steering, while he and Redruth,
two fresh men. were at the oars. ''The
tide keeps washing her down. Could
you pull little stronger
mot without swauping the boat"
said he. "You must bear up. sir, if you
p,ease-bear up until you see you're
gaining"
tried, and found by experiment that
the tide kept sweeping US westward I'M
Ill l had laid her head due east. or just
about right angles to the way we ought
TO go.
Wen never ge. ashore at this rate"
said |.
"Tf rs the only course that we can
! lie. sir. we must even lie IT," returned
the cl,iain. I'VE must keep upstream IN.
/ You -oc 9ir," he went on, IF once we
droir,4 - ,eeward of the landing
/ place. IS hard to say where we should
/ roi d hore. besides the chance of be-
| ing boarded 10y the gigs; whereas, tho
| way we 90 the current mrst slacken,
| and then we can dodge back along the
| shore"
The currents less already, sir" said
the man Gray. who was sitting IN the
! fore-sheets; you canease her off bit"
Thank you, myman," said I, quite as
if nothing had happened; for we had
all quietly made up our minds to treat
| him like one of ourselves
Suddenly the captain spoke up again,
and l thought his voice was a little
changed.
The guni" said he.
81 have thought of that said I. for I
made sure he was thinking of bonn
bnrdment of the fort. They could
never get the gun ashore, and if they
did, they could never haul it through
the woods"
Look astern, Doctor replied the
captain.
We had entirely forgotten the long
nine; and there, no our horror. were the
five roFues busy about her, getting OFF
her Jacket, as they called the stout
tarpau!tn cover under which she
sailed. Not only shat, but it finshed into
my mind at the same monfen that the
round shot and the powder for the gun
had been left Ireland, and a stroke with
an Ak would put II all into the posses
sion OF the evil ones aboa I'd
Israel was Fhnvs gunner" said
Gray. hoarsely.
At any risk, we put the boats head
direct for the hnding-piace. BY this
time we had got so far out OF the run
Of the current that we kept Storage
way even at our necessarily gentle rate
of rowing, and could keep her steady
for the goal. But the worst of it was
that, with the course l now held, we
turned our broadside instead of our
stern to the "Hispaniola," and offered
target like a barn door.
could hear, as well as, see, that
brandy faced rascal, Israel Hands,
pumping down round-shot on the
deck.
who's the best shot?" asked the
captain.
"Mr. Trelawney. out and away" said
|.
"Mr. Trelawney, will you please pick