In the second place, the ebb was now making--a strong rippling current
running westward through the basin, and then south ard and seaward down
the straits by which we had entered in the morning. Even the ripples
were a danger to our overloaded craft, but the worst of it was that we
were swept out of our true course and away from our proper landing-place
behind the point. If we let the current have its way we should come
ashore beside the gigs, where the pirates might appear at any moment.
I cannot keep her head for the stockade, sir, said I to the captain.
I was steering, while he and Redruth, two fresh men, were at the oars.
The tide keeps washing her down. Could you pull a little stronger?
Not without swamping the boat, said he. You must bear up, sir, if you
please--bear up until you see you re gaining.
I tried and found by experiment that the tide kept sweeping us westward
until I had laid her head due east, or just about right angles to the
way we ought to go.
We ll never get ashore at this rate, said I.
If it s the only course that we can lie, sir, we must even lie it,
returned the captain. We must keep upstream. You see, sir, he went on,
if once we dropped to leeward of the landing-place, it s hard to say
where we should get ashore, besides the chance of being boarded by the
gigs; whereas, the way we go the current must slacken, and then we can
dodge back along the shore.
The current s less a ready, sir, said the man Gray, who was sitting in
the fore-sheets; you can ease her off a bit.
Thank you, my man, said I, quite as if nothing had happened, for we
had all quietly made up our minds to treat him like one of ourselves.
Suddenly the captain spoke up again, and I thought his voice was a
little changed.
The gun! said he.
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