Part 19 (1/2)
It was then I noted Cairnes, struggling just beyond ainst the stone, then lifting his great crop to gaze about, sweeping the ainst the boat's side, with such a heave as I never supposed lay in the ht free of the rock, and ere the dancing craft, we clinging desperately to it, had , I felt ht, ready to do ain
”Are you safe, Madans of her presence from where I stood, and she uttered no sound
”I am uninjured,” she returned, ”but the boat takes water freely I fear a plank has given way”
”_Parbleu_!” sputtered De Noyan, with a great sound of coughing ”So have I taken water freely _Sacre_! I have gulped down enough of the stuff to last me the remainder of life”
”Hold your wit until we are safe ashore, Monsieur,” I commented shortly, for as I stood the strain was heavy on ht, both of you, or the boat will sink before we can beach her; she takes water like a sieve”
We sloon our way backward, the effort requiring every pound of our co breathlessly at the stern, the sectary doing yeo us into quieter water, although we upbore the entire weight of the boat on our shoulders after weThe water poured in so rapidly Mada overboard also, but we persuaded her to reainst the bank at last, and, as I rested, panting fro thereat mat of red hair soaked with black mud, which had oozed down over his face, so as to leave it aly water-dog after a bath, flinging hirowl
De Noyan fared so the snatch of a song as he cliay military cap, without which, jauntily perched upon one side of his head, I had scarcely before seen hi down-streaso little _a lathe look of surprise in Madarass, before flinging hiuide us!” I exclaimed, so soon as I could trustto all our toil, nor do I understand how it ca across at the fellow ”It looked topreacher either was taken with a fit, or sought to rihly winded by his late exertions to try the lift of a Psallish, ”perhaps you will explain what sort of a Connecticut trick you attempted to play there in the current?”
He twisted his narrow eyes inofan answer
”I know not what youvoice of his ”Did I not perforh after ent overboard, but why, in the na us into such ier visible, but I rily, like distant thunder, as he enerated infidel, you thick-headed heretic? Why did I? Better were I to ask why you ran the boat's nose into that bubbling hell Why did I? What else saved us losing every pound we carried, together with the woman, you cock-eyed spawn of the devil, only that Ezekiel Cairnes possessed sufficient sense to throw hi the bulk of the strain? The water was somewhat deeper than I supposed, andto do, and the only hope of steadying the boat
Better for you and that grinning papist yonder to be on your knees thanking the Alhty He sent you afor breath hich to abuse one of the Lord's anointed Yet 'tis but righteous judg with papists and unbelievers”
Feeling the possible justice of his claim I hastened to make aht,” I admitted slowly ”Certainly ill return thanks for deliverance each in his oay As formistrusted your act Perhaps it was best, yet I think we have sain It appears badly injured However, we e In the meantime, let us make shi+ft to ca, and put us in better humor for the morrow”
CHAPTER XVIII
A HARD DAY'S MARCH
The dawn ca white over the grass-land, sufficient nip in the air to stir the blood Before the others were aroused I exah in theprevious The cruel rent in the solid planking was such as to afford little hope of our ever being able to repair it How the accident occurred I did not rightly comprehend, but we had been cast ashore on the western bank of that swift azed forth upon the whirlpool extending between the rock against which we had struck and the bank where I stood, in speechless wonder at thethere in silence broken only by the wild tuht of Eloise tossed helpless in their rip, and bowedup a heartfelt petition I was not in those days a erm of my father's robust faith was ever in ood lesson Certainly I felt better withinstars
My head was yet bowed over the gunhen the heavy footsteps of the Puritan sounded close at hand I could not fail to re one hand upon laddens race I fear thou art not greatly accusto so can never weaken thy are the Lord of Hosts, nor dream thou wilt ever prove less of a man because thy heart responds to His manya new respect for him in that hour ”There is no better way in which to start the day; and, unless my eyes deceive me, this bids fair to prove a day of sore trial
Have you looked to the dae done the boat?”
”Nay,” he returned earnestly, bending low to examine the rent ”I slept like a man in drink, and even now am scarcely well awakened 'T is, indeed, a serious break, friend; one, I fear, which will prove beyond our re”
”Have you skill with tools?”
”It is one of ifts; yet of what use in the wilderness where tools are not to be found? However, I will see what may be done, after we break our fast--there is little acco of sorrowful labor; fro had been so badly crushed that a portion was actually ground into powder, leaving a great gaping hole To patch this we possessed no tool to shape the wood properly, or, indeed, any wood to shape, except the seats of the oarsmen Nor did we possess nails More than one expedient was resorted to with bits of canvas, wooden pegs, or whatsoever else we could lay hands upon, but our efforts resulted each ti before the sun had attained the zenith, the old preacher looked up, disappointrimly: