Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3Sylvester, Charles Herbert
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Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 3
Sylvester, Charles Herbert
Children's literature; Literature -- Collections
We waited a great while, though very impatient for their removing; and
were very uneasy, when, after a long consultation, we saw them all
start up, and march down toward the sea; it seems they had such
dreadful apprehensions of the danger of the place, that they resolved
to go on board the ship again, give their companions over for lost,
and so go on with their intended voyage with the ship.
As soon as I perceived them go toward the shore, I imagined it to be
as it really was, that they had given over their search, and were
going back again; and the captain, as soon as I told him my thoughts,
was ready to sink at the apprehensions of it; but I presently thought
of a stratagem to fetch them back again. I ordered Friday and the
captain's mate to go over the little creek westward, and so soon as
they came to a little rising ground, at about half a mile distance, I
bade them halloo out, as loud as they could, and wait till they found
the seamen heard them; that as soon as ever they heard the seamen
answer them, they should return it again; and then, keeping out of
sight, take a round, always answering when the others hallooed, to
draw them as far into the island and among the woods as possible, and
then wheel about again to me by such ways as I directed them.
They were just going into the boat when Friday and the mate hallooed;
and they presently heard them, and, answering, ran along the shore
westward, toward the voice they heard, when they were stopped by the
creek, where, the water being up, they could not get over, and called
for the boat to come up and set them over; as, indeed, I expected.
When they had set themselves over, I observed that the boat being gone
a good way into the creek, and, as it were, in a harbor within the
land, they took one of the three men out of her, to go along with
them, and left only two in the boat, having fastened her to a stump of
a little tree on the shore. This was what I wished for; and
immediately leaving Friday and the captain's mate to their business, I
took the rest with me; and, crossing the creek out of their sight, we
surprised the two men before they were aware--one of them lying on the
shore, and the other being in the boat; the fellow on shore was
between sleeping and waking, and going to start up; the captain, who
was foremost, ran in upon him, and knocked him down; and then called
out to him in the boat to yield, or he was a dead man. There needed
very few arguments to persuade a single man to yield, when he saw five
men upon him, and his comrade knocked down; besides, this was, it
seems, one of the three who were not so hearty in the mutiny as the
rest of the crew, and therefore was easily persuaded not only to
yield, but afterward to join very sincerely with us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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