Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-09-15
THE LOST ONE
Chapter 6
BY HENRI BEAUDOUT
Captain Of Expedition

Captain Of Expedition
AUGUST III
1900 Hours: Far to the east we
see some sailing boats coming
toward us.
1909 Hours: One of the boats
comes near. shout where are
we? near France, or England or
Spain?" Her captain answers in
French that we are 200 miles of
the coast of Brittany. This is a
Breton trawler. fishing for funny.
The captain tells us to send over
our rubber dinghy. Marc goes
across, and a half hour later
returns with some bottles of fine
red wine and some fruit. bread
and cigarettes.
It is rs days since we have
drunk a glass of wine or seen
an orange. This evening will be
a feast. But we are not used to
strong cigarettes any more, AFTER
our hand-rolled ones, and we
cannot smoke the Gauloises.
AUGUST Is
We no longer see any Of the
little Breton fishing boats
dragon flies" we have christenec
them. because the two very long
arms holding the funny lines
on each side, make them look as
If they have wings. But they
have told us we should be able
ito pick one up about 40 miles
from the coast to bring us into
port.
We are afraid of approaching
the French coast, particularly
Brittany, since its hidden rocks
ARE dangerous. We prefer tc
make England, but the winds are
pushing us irresistibly toward
France.
AUGUST IA
Our impatience for land grow.
daily. Now we have virtually
Icrossed the Atlantic from West
to East. We are greatly pleased
because the raft still seems very
solid.
Already we exchange idea:
about what lies ahead. How shall
1--WE adapt ourselves to everyday
life? Shall we even be able to
sleep eight hours at a stretch?
Marc has no idea of what he
wants for the future. He was a
house painter in Montreal, and
he earned $40 a week, 500 with
Overtime. He does not particu-
larly want to go back to that
work, but what else is there fol
him?
CASTOR is very definite about
his desires. He is a craftsman
by trade, and he, too, working
in an aircraft plant, earned $40
a week. But now he would like
to be a photographer on a news
paper or magazine. It is an am
bition he has had since boyhood
I hope the photographs he has
made, hundreds of them, arr
good, and CASTOR will receive
recognition. His camera cost SIS
ut was the best we could afford
| CASTOR and Marc are agreed
ION one thing. Neither likes thu
loneliness of a rooming house
Now they will team up and shar,
a small apartment. AS for me
II have my fiat awaiting me-
land Jeannine and Chantal
Chantal has had a birthda,
since I am away. Now she il
three years old.
| What shall / do with my life:
I do not want to return to the
hydro company, planning cleo.
trio circuits. I want to organize
explorers clubs, and make people
excited over the idea of adven-
ture. There is so much to be
discovered in Canada alone. It Is
a huge country, and many places
remain unknown to the human
eye. Will I succeed in making
young men interested in explora-
ton? We shall see.
AUGUST II
1t is lunch time, but I cannot
find my knife and fork. search
for it and Marc shakes his heac
sadly and says "the voyage ha.
Iaffected you. Your memory Il
igone." After 20 minutes, Marc
produces the knife and fork. Ont
of his little jokes.
I40O Hours: We are steering II
degrees. Will we go straight tC
England? 1t all depends on the
wind. E.N.N.W. means France
and a E.S.S.W. wind means Eng.
land.
200 Hours: Marc is on watch
when he wakes us hurriedly. The
wind is coming from all over the
place-port, starboard. on the
quarter. from astern.
1900 Hours: The waves are 80
feet high. No doubt the sea is
trying to make a last attack on
our poor craft. But L'Egare II
still jumps CALAMITY over the
crests. There is a noise Of thun-
der and an enormous mass Of
water covers the whole raft. Cas-
ton is hurled forward, into the
ropes. Marc, in his sleeping bag,