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Now the resourceful Thompson, without apologies, undressed, and removing the white shirt that he had worn at the dance, bade a sailor to tie it to an oar and wave it to and fro. Still the steamer went on, until presently they heard her siren going, and saw that she was putting about. "She has seen us," said Thompson. "Thank God, all of you, for there is wind coming up.
Of the cord he made nooses and caught eider-ducks, by which, and their eggs, he kept himself alive; in the night, he crept under an overhanging rock to sleep. At length he discovered a piece of wood floating to the shore; of this he made an oar, and, getting on a flake of ice, rowed himself to an island nearer the main land, whence he reached two more islands nearer still.
He used it as a scourge, lashing it to right and left of him, splitting here a head and crushing there a face, until he had hacked a way clean through the Spanish press, which bewildered by this sudden rear attack made but little attempt to retaliate upon the escaped galley-slave. After him, whirling the remaining ten feet of the broken oar, came Yusuf.
The man turned pale as he tried to bind a handkerchief round his arm to stop the bleeding; but he still continued tugging at his oar. "Never fear, my chief, we will all be pierced through and through before we give in," he exclaimed. "Row on bravely, my comrades, row on."
A partially cleared space near the river was chosen for the tables and seats; nearby a log-fire was kindled, on which huge kettles of water were boiled. One thing only marred our hopes for the day. Miss Macpherson herself was almost prostrate through a sharp attack of rheumatism, and oar hearts sank as we feared she would be unable to be among us.
"I think it is, sir," answered the man, resting on his oar a moment, and glancing over his shoulder; "but I can't be sure at this distance." "Well, pull easy," said the lieutenant; "you see, it won't do to scare them, Captain Ogilvy, and they'll think we're a pleasure party when they see a woman in the boat." Ruby thought they would not be far wrong in supposing them a pleasure party.
Thus, as Plato says, instead of stationary soldiers as they were, he made them roving sailors, and gave rise to the contemptuous remark that Themistokles took away from the citizens of Athens the shield and the spear, and reduced them to the oar and the rower's bench. This, we are told by Stesimbrotus, he effected after quelling the opposition of Miltiades, who spoke on the other side.
The handle of the great oar swung towards Tristram.
"Alas, I too have had my fling. "Methinks she is a haughty onion. I prithee go not to-night." "I have given my word." "Thy word is a band." "Adieu, my friend." "Methinks thou ghost to thy damn. The raft Vick Lan Vohr is dragged to the shore, and Stroke steps on board, a proud solitary figure. "Farewell!" he cries hoarsely, as he seizes the oar.
In the day when another wayfarer should meet me and say that I had a winnowing fan on my stout shoulder, even then he bade me make fast my shapen oar in the earth, and do goodly sacrifice to the lord Poseidon, even with a ram and a bull and a boar, the mate of swine, and depart for home, and offer holy hecatombs to the deathless gods, that keep the wide heaven, to each in order due.
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