United States or Palestine ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
They were arranged with great regularity, those having just broken the shell being together, as were those with their feathers appearing, and also those expecting soon to fly. Never had I seen so many birds together. However, we were too anxious about our friends to stop, so we hurried on after old Surley.
"I think there's two guys trying to break loose out of here." "Who? If you're wrong it'll be the worse for you, remember that." "Surley an' Watson. I heard 'em talkin' about it behind the latrine." "Damn fools." "They was sayin' they'd rather be dead than keep up this life." "They did, did they?" "Don't talk so loud, Sarge. It wouldn't do for any of the fellers to know I was talkin' to yer.
Old Surley sat still, only now and then uttering a low whine, as if well aware of our peril, but feeling that he was unable to render me aid. Now and then he looked into the water, as if he would like to swim ashore, which he might possibly have done; but then, perhaps, he remembered the shark he had seen, or he was unwilling to desert me.
'I was at the Brocas, and a bargee told me that an Eton fellow had been drowned above Surley, and the only Eton boat above Surley to-day, as I can learn, is Buckhurst's four-oar. That is all. There was a murmur of hope. 'Oh! come, come, said Sedgwick, 'there is come chance. Who is with Buckhurst; who knows? 'I saw him walk down to the Brocas with Vere, said a boy.
I had made myself two strong paddles one to serve in case the other should break. At last I reached a point where I thought I might embark with safety. Surley, who had before hesitated, now came and placed himself by me. I had put on my shirt again, but the rest of my things were on the small raft. I gave my raft a desperate shove, and away I went, paddling as hard as I could up the lagoon.
One night Jerry and I were on deck, actively moving about, followed by Old Surley, looking out in every direction; for it was very dark, and the officers had been having a carouse. For some reason or other I was more than usually uneasy. So was Jerry. "I should not wonder," said he, "that something will happen before long."
However, we crossed in safety, and spent a very pleasant day at Santiago, seeing all the sights of that city, though Jerry and I agreed that we would rather have been in the mountains shooting guanacoes or hunting pumas, so I daresay would old Surley. We got back in good time to Valparaiso.
They could not doubt our assertions, as they had proof in the slices of the former which we cooked for them. Fleming and Old Surley, too, showed the marks of their encounter with the puma; and we got great credit for having killed him.
A few words served to tell us how Cousin Silas had reached the shore a little way above the station, with old Surley as his companion; how kindly he had been received, and how promptly every one rushed to man the boats to hasten to our rescue. In less than an hour we were at the station, when the schooner and the other boats soon returned.
We were followed closely by the guide and our valiant ally, old Surley, at whom several blows were aimed, but he escaped them all, and at full gallop we pushed over the sandy plain, pursued by our black assailants. Happily they had no fire-arms, or we should have fared ill.
Word Of The Day