Part 62 (2/2)
”Going to, my lad Don't you be scared about that I'll overhaul her, if it's only to get some fresh lobsters for breakfast There, I told you so,” he continued, after a few ht in for the cliffs, about five hundred yards away froe, away to the west; and as the master spoke the mainsail was rapidly lowered, the jib dropped, and those in the _White Hawk's_ leading boat saw that there was a good deal of busy work on board; and before they had recovered from their surprise, several men rose up, oars were thrust over now that the wind had failed, and, with eight ht for the cliff
”Slers!” shouted Gurr excitedly ”Junal the bo's'n to coh it's only a little one Pull lers' boat was now about half a ht, but the King's boat was the h after a few lers' favour
”Hang theot a nook there, I'll be bound, and as soon as they're landed they'll be scuffling up the side of the cliff Pull, my lads, and as we reach the rock, out with you and chase the away, cover them with your pistols, and tell 'em they shall have it if they don't surrender”
The excite fast, and the second boat was closing up, so that it would be ilers to escape by sea And now, as they drew nearer, Archy saw that his first surht forward, his red cap showing out plainly in the ht Je dark felloho had tricked the lieutenant, while the rest of the creere strong-looking fellows of the fisher up, but retaining his hold of the tiller with one hand ”It's of no use Surrender!”
A yell of derision came from the boat, and Ram jumped up and waved his red cap, with the effect that it seemed as if some of the dye had been transferred to Archy's face, which a minute sooner had been rather pale with excitement
”Pull, my lads, pull, and you'll have the his foot ”Here, take the tiller, Mr Raystoke;” and he shi+fted his position, passed the tiller to Archy, and stood up and drew his sword
”Starboard a little--starboard!” he said ”Run her right alongside, my lad; and you, my men, never mind your oars, the others'll pick them up
The moment we touch, up with you, out with your cutlashes, and doith any man who does not surrender”
”Ay, ay, sir!” cheered the men
”Now, then,” shouted Gurr, ”do you surrender?”
A derisive laugh calers, who pulled their hardest, pretty closely followed by the king's boat, when, just as they see stem on to the rocks at the foot of the cliff, the four ed their oars down deep, backing water, while thethat the head of the boat swung round, and she glided right out of sight behind a tall rock, which seemed part of the e ca directions, checking the course of his boat, and then proceeding cautiously; and having no difficulty in following under a low archway for soe evidently only possible at extreain in broad daylight, and at the bottoe funnel-like hollow, from which the rocky cliffs rose up some three hundred feet
It was a marvellously beautiful spot, but the occupants of the _White Hawk's_ boat had only eyes then for the slers, who had run their boat into a nook just across the bottom of the pool, and they had had tih zigzag path
”And us never to have been along here at the right tiht Archy, as, in obedience to a sign, he steered the boat across the beautiful transparent pool, and laid her alongside the slers boat
Then oars were thron, the lers' craft, and, headed by Archy and Gurr, began to climb rapidly after their enemies
”It's of no use to call upon them to surrender,” said Gurr rather breathlessly, as they toiled up the zigzag
”We'll make them do it later on,” cried Archy, whose youth and activity helped hiet on first
”Steady, o”
”Right, but keep out of danger, ht, keep back”
Archy heard, butevery nerve as he saw the last sler disappear over the top, and, at the next turn he limpse of the ascent fro up, and just then there was a fresh cheer, which ain, to look round and see the second boat gliding through the rocky arch into the pool
It was rather risky, for he was on a narrow slippery place at one of the turns of the _zigzag_, and nearly lost his footing, but, darting out a hand, he caught at the rock, recovered himself, and climbed on, to reach the top just in ti some four hundred yards away over a rounded eain, and then, breathless as he was, ran on over the down-like hillside till he reached the spot where he had seen Ram's red cap disappear, and here he stopped, tothe direction he had taken, standing well up with his sword raised above his head in the bright sunshi+ne