Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1923-11-30

as strong as fear
All the time I was washing out
the blockhOuse, and then washing VI
the things from dinner, this disgust
and envy kept growing stronger and
stronger, till at last, being near a
bread-bag, and no one then observ-
ing me, | took the first step toward
my escapade and filled both pockets
of my coat with biscuit.
was a fool, if you like, and GER
tainly 1 was going to do a foolish,
overbold act, but I was determined
to do it with all the precautions in
my power. These biscuits, should
anything befall me, would keep me
at least from starving till far on in
the next day.
The next thing / laid hold of was
a brace of pistols, and as l already
had a powder-horn and bullets,
felt myself supplied with arms.
As for the scheme / had in my
mind, it was not a bad one in itself.
1t was to go down the sandy spit
that divides the anchorage on the
east from the open sea, find the
white rock l had observed last even
| ing, and ascertain whether it was
there or not that Ben Gum had hid
den his boat-a thing quite worth
| doing, as / still believe. But as
was certain / should not be allowed
to leave the Enclosure, my only plan
was to take French leave and slip
out when nobody was watching, and
that was so bad a way of doing it
as made the thing itself wrong. But
l was only a boy and l had made
my mind up.
Well, as things at last fell out,
found an admirable opportunity The
squire and Gray were busy helping
the captain with his bandages; the
coast was clear; l made a bolt for
it over the stOckade and into the
thickest of the trees, and before my
absence was observed / was out of
cry of my companions.
This was my second folly, far
worse than the first, as l had left
but two sound men to guard the
house; but, like the first, it was a
help toward saving us all.
l took my way straight for the
east coast of the island for l was de-
termined to go down the sea side
of the spit to avoid all chance of OBJ
servation from the anchorage. It
was already late in the afternoon,
although still warm and sunny. AS
l continued to thread the tall woods
l could hear from far before me not
only the continuous thunder of the
surf, but a certain tossing of foliage
and grinding of boughs which
showed me the sea breeze had set
in higher than usual Soon cool
draughts of air began to reach me, |
and few steps farther l came forth
into the open borders of the grove ]
and saw the sea lying blue and sunny
to the horizon and the urf tumbling |
and tossing its foam along the beach. |
l have never cen the ca quiet |
round Treasure Island. The sun might |
blaze overhead, the air be without
a breath, the surface smooth and .
blue, but still these great rollers
would be running along all the ex-
ternal coast, laundering and thumb
ering by day and night, and l scarce
believe there is one spot in the island
where a man would be out of ear
shot of their noise.
1 walked along beside the surf
with great enjoyment, till, thinking
l was now got far enough to the
south, / took the cover of some thick
bushes and crept warily up to the
ridge of the spit.
Behind me was the sea, in front
the anchorage. The sea breeze, as
though it had sooner blown itself out
by its unusual violence, was already
at an end; it had been succeeded by
light, variable airs from the south
and southeast, under lee of Skeleton
Island, lay still and leaden as when
first we entered it. The Hispaniola,
In that unbroken mirror, was exact
" portrayed from the truck to the
the Jolly Roger hang
ng from her peak
Alongside lay one of the gigs, Sill
yer in the stern-sheets-hi l could
always recognize-while a couple of
men were leaning over the stern bull ]
varks, one of them with red cap
he very rogue that had seen some
hours before stride-legs upon the l
)alisade. Apparently they were
alking and laughing, though at that q
istance-upward of a mile-I could q
# course hear no word of what was t
aid. All at once there began the T
most horrid, unearthly screaming,
which at first started me badly; a
hough l had soon remembered the a
oice of Captain Flint, and even a
bought l could make out the bird e
y her bright plumage as she sat b
erched upon her masters wrist S
Soon after the jolly-boat showed
IF and pulled for shore. and the T.
ian with the red cap and his COM n
ade went below by the cabin com a
anton. {
Just about the same time the sun 81
ad gone down behind the Spy-glass, s.
nd as the fog was collecting rapidly, a
began to grow dark in earnest. 1
lw I must lose no time if I were to 81
nd the boat that evening. b
The white rock, visible enough b.
bOve the brush, was still some Il
ghth of a mile farther down the ei
pit, and it took me a goOdish while NJ
, get up with it, crawling, often m
4 all tours, among the scrub. Night
ad almost come when l laid my 81
and on its rough sides. Right be- f
W it there was an exceedingly small OF
ollow of green turf, hidden by tn
lnks and a thick underwood about pl
nee-deep, that grew there very W
pnfif11llv. and in tho cpnfnr Of fhe