Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-17


since found l could not push the cor
acle directly off, l now showed straight
astern. At length l was clear of my
dangerous neighbor; and just as gave
the last impulson, my hands came
across the stern bulwarks. Instantly
| grasped it.
I Why l should have done SO 1 can
hardly say. 1t was at first mere in
stinct; but once l had it in my hands
and found it fast, curiosity began to get
the upper hand, and l determined |
should have one look through the cabin
window.
l pulled in hand over hand on the
cord, and, when 1 judged myself near
enough, rose at infinite risk to about
half my height, and thus commanded
the roof and slice of the interior of the
cabin.
| BY this time the schooner and her
little consort were gliding pretty swift
ly through the, water; indeed, we had
already fetched up level with the camp
fire. The ship was talking, as sailors
say, loudly, treading the innumerable
ripples with an incessant welterng
splash; and until got my eye above the
window sill 1 could not comprehend
why the Waterman had taken no alarm.
One glance, however, was sufficient;
end it was only one glance that burst
take from that unsteady skiff. 1t
showed me Hands and his companion
locked together in deadly wrestle. each
with hand upon the others THROAT.
! l dropped upon the thwart again,
none too soon, for was near overheard.
could see nothing for the moment, but
these two furious, encrlmsoned faces,
swaying together under the smoky
lamp; and l shut my eyes to let them
grow once more familiar with the
darkness.
The endless ballad had come to an
end at last, and the whole diminished
company about the campfire had broken
into the chorus had heard so often:
Fifteen men on the dead mans chest
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle OF rum!
Drink and the devil had done for the rest
| Yo-ho-ho. and bottle Of rum"
j was just thinking how busy drink
and the devil were at that very moment
in the cabin of the "Hispaniola," when
/ was surprised by sudden lurch of the
coracle. At the same moment she
waved sharply and seemed to change
her course. The speed in the meantime
had strangely increased.
l opened my eyes at once. All round
me were little ripples, combing over
with sharp, bristling sound and slight
ly phosphorcsceut. The "Hispuniola"
herself, a few yards in whose wake l
was still being whirled along, seemed
to stagger in her course, and / saw her
spors toss little against the black
ness of the night; nay as hooked longer,
l made sure she also was wheeling to
tho southwark.
l glanced over my shoulder, and my
henrt jumped against my ribs. There,
right behind me, was the glow of the
campfire. The current had turned at
right angles, sweeping round along
with it the tall schooner aHd the little
dancing coracle; ever qnickening, ever
bubbling higher, ever muttering louder,
it went spinning through the narrows
for the open sea.
Suddenly the schooner in front of me
gave violent yaw, turning, perhaps,
through 20 degrees; and almost ut the
same moment one shout followed an
other from on beard; / could hear feet
pounding on the companion ladder; and
| knew that the two drunkards had at
last been interrupted in their quarrel
and awakened to a sense OF their dis
aster.
/ lay down fiat in the bottom of
that wretched skiR, and devoutly COM