The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1902-04-25

| the surface smooth and blue, but still
these great rollers would be running
along all the external coast, thunder-L
ing and laundering by day and night;
and scarce believe there is one spot in
the island where a man would be out
| of earshot of their noise
walked along beside the surf with
great enjoyment, till, thinking 1 was
now got far enough to the south, L
took the cover of some thick bushes
and crept warily up the ridge OF the
| spit.
Behind me was the sea, in front the
anchorage. The sea breeze, as though
1t had the sooner blown itself out by
Its unusual violence was already at an
end; 1T had been succeeded by light.
variable airs from the south and south
east, carrying great banks of fog; and
! the anchorage, under lee of Skeleton
island, lay still land leaden as when
first we entered, The "Hispaniola"
in that unbroken mirror was exactly
portrayed from the track to the water
| line, the jolly river hanging from her
| peak.
Alongside lay one Of the gigs, Silver
in the stern sheets-him could always
recognize-while a couple Of men We're
| leaning over the stern bulwarks, one of
them with q red cap-the very rogue
l had seen some hours before stride
| legs upon the paliSade. Apparently
they We're talking and laughing. though
at that distanCe-upwards of a mleI
could, of course, hear no word of what
! was said. All at once there began the
most horrid unearthly screaming,
| which at first startled me badly, though
L had soon remembered the voice of
| Captain Flint, and even thought I
could make out the bird by her bright
plumage as she sat perched upon her
masters wrist.
,Ft. ~ ~
and pulled for the shore, and the man
with the red cap and his comrade went
below by the cabin companion.
Just about the same time the sun
had gone down behind the Spy glass.
and as the fog was collecting rapidly
1t began to grow dark in earnest.
saw l must lose no time IL were to
lind the boat that evening.
The white rock, visible enough above
the brush, was still some eighth of q
mile further down the split, and it took
me a goodish while to get up to it,
crawling often on all tours among the
scrub Night had almost come when
| laid my hand on its rough sides.
Right below it there was an exceed
ingly small hollow OF green turf, hid
den by banks and thick underwood
about knee, deep, that grew there very
plentlfully; and in the center of the
| dell, sure enough, a little tent of goat
skins like what the gypsies carry about
with them in England
| dropped into the hollow, lifted the
side of the tent, and there was Ben
Gums boat-homemade, if ever any
f, thing was homemade; a rude. lop-side
framework of tough wood and
stretched upon that a covering of goat
skin. with the hair inside. The thing
was extremely small. even for me, and
I can hardly imagine that it could
tnI J., f,1ls
There was one thwart set as low as
possible. kind of stretcher in the
bows and a double paddle for propul-
sion.
| had not then seen a coracle, such
as the ancient Britons made, but I
have seen one since. and l can give
you no fairer idea Of Ben Gunns boat
than by saying 1t was like the first
and the worst coracle ever made by
man. But a great advantage OF the
: coracle 1T certainly possessed, for it
was exceedingly light and portable.
| Well, now that had found the boat,
you would have thought that l had
had enough of truantry for once: but
in the meantime 1 had taken another
notion, and became SO obstinately fond
of it that I would have carried 1t out,
1 believe in the teeth of Captain Smol-
lett himself This was to slip out I'M
der cover Of the night, cut the
"Hispaniola adrift. and let her go
ashore where she fancied. had quite
made up my mind that the mutineers,
had nothing nearer their hearts than
to up anchor and away to sea; this,
l thought, it would be fine thing to
prevent, and now that / had seen
how they had left their Waterman un-
provided with a boat, thought it
! might be done with little risk.
Down l sat to walt for darkness, and
made hearty meal of biscuit 1t was
a night out Of ten thousand for my
purpose. The fog had now buried all
heaven. AS the last rays of daylight
d'Hindled and disappeared, absolute
| blackness settled down on Treasure ISL
and. And when, at last, shoudered
the coracle, and CROPPED my way STUN
blingly out of the hollow where I had
supped, there were but two points Wis
ible on the whole anchorage.
One was the great fire on shore, by
which the defeated pirates lay carous-
Ing in the swamp. The other, a mere
blur of light upon the darkness. indi
Gated the position Of the anchored ship.
She had swung round to the ebb-her
bow was now toward me-the only
lights on board were in the cabin; and
what l saw was merely, a reflection
on the fog Of the strong rays that
flowed from the stern window.
The ebb had already run some time,
and / had to wade through the long
belt of swampy sand, where i sunk
several times above the ankle. before
l came to the edge Of the retreating
water. and, wading little way in.
with some strength and dexterity set
my coracle, keel downward, on the
surface.
CONTINUED next week.)
-s-0-~----
Taikin' About Weather.
Atlanta Constitution: Well, sir,
talkin bout Weathers, I hain't seen