The San Francisco call., 1905-02-26

back and the blooo beginning to cir
culate again.
The island lay right abeam Of us
when was bowled over, but was hid
den in light haze on the horizon. AS
/ twisted my head around to look at
it 1 could see that it was a long pull
to get there, but that didn't bother me
any-my only worry was about getting
there at all. The crew being pretty
well used up from pulling all night
long, had dropped off to sleep one by
one, but the hairy bruiser in the stern
sheets lolled back against the tiller,
and once in while would give me
grin that put me in mind of colt with
his ears back, it was so full Of cuss-
edness. There was still a great blue
swelling over his eye where had plant
ed my fist two days before. and once
in while he would rub it gently and
look first at me, then over the side.
Whether it was to trick me into
bringing things to head or not, am
sure 1 don't know. but pretty soon he
pretended to be asleep. I was watch
ing him out of the tail of my eye. pull
ing away evenly all the while. and at
the same time overhauling my brain
6OEo
gear with a hammer, looking for a
flaw. The difference was that found
some flaw at every rap. Then sud
denly. just as I was about to give it up
in disgust, and was making up my
mind to try to take what was COM
ing the way a captured Malay pirate
takes the Chinese New Year. my heart
gave a leap into my throat that almost
strangled me. Dead astern and hull
down over the horizon I sighted a sail.
OF course. L managed to not let on
that I'd sighted anything and pretty
soon the devil in the stern dozed off
again, and this time / think that he
was really asleep for a few minutes,
for he woke up suddenly with quick
start. and the way his hand flew out
to the rifle at his side, as we'll as the
startled look that he threw my way,
gave him dead away. I pretended not
to notice it, but swung away at the
sweeps and directly his eyes closed
again. But somehow I suspicioned
that this nap was all a fake. Now and
then looked past him as indifferent
ly as I could and saw that the vessel
way astern was bringing a fresh
breeze. Pretty soon the dark blue
patch showed distinctly on the thin
edge of the horizon.
After that first pang OF hopefulness
my heart sank again bit by bit. just
as the lead line crawls slowly over the
side where the water is very deep. I
knew that the breeze was bound to
reach US while the vessel was still a
long way off. even supposing that her
course would have brought her close
aboard Us, and at the first puff my
hand would be played out. Besides
this there was the chance of one of
them waking up and casting a weather
eye along the skyline; but still they
slept and soon i was able to raise the
hull of the vessel, which appeared to
be an island schooner-but the blue.
dimpling water had filed half the
distance between us.
The watchdog in the stern was evil
IDENTIFY asleep again, for an uncomfort
able sounding gurgle was coming from
his. hairy throat with every slow
breath-evidently the genuine article
this time-and suddenly, from the
sheer knowledge that for the mo-
ment no ones eye was on me, a
thought shot across my brain like the
flash of meteor through the black
night.
Behind me, right within the reach
of my arm, the Scandinavian was
calked off, and 1 could see the hilt of
his knife sticking out under the skirt
OF his dirty cotton jumper. 1t didn't
seem possible that I could slip 1t out.