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Updated: May 12, 2025
Getting out cautiously over the stern he succeeded in touching the top of the rock, and, thus lightened, the Dean shot forward, though not before Hillers, who had not let go of the stern rowlock, was able to leap on board. The Canonita fared still worse. Following us too close, she tried to pass, but struck another rock, crushing in her side, though floating down nevertheless.
Except for the ceaseless murmur of the insect life about them the night was absolutely still so still that the striking of the ships' bells in the harbor came to them sharply across the surface of the water, and they could hear from time to time the splash of some great fish and the steady creaking of an oar in a rowlock that grew fainter and fainter as it grew further away, until it was drowned in the distance.
Our oars had fortunately remained in the rowlocks, and grasping them, without waiting to haul in the hundred feet of line trailing in the current, we made for the left wall, where I managed to leap out on a shelf and catch the rope over a projection, before the Canonita, unharmed, dashed up to the spot; her only mishap was the loss of a rowlock and two oars.
Between them they pulled Mittie out, a wet, frightened, miserable object, her breath in helpless gasps and sobs, and one cheek bleeding freely from striking the rowlock. "Oh, Mittie! why did you do it?" Mary asked in distress a rather inopportune question in the circumstances. "We must get her home at once, Fred, and put her to bed."
All went still again, but, soon after, my ear detected the splashing of oars and the rattle of a badly fitting rowlock. I watched, peering out into the darkness. The moon shot swiftly from under a cloud and threw its white illuminant like a searchlight sheer upon a large rowing boat as it crept up past the wharf, some fifty yards out from the point.
On landing and examining the canoe, the first thing we saw therein was one of our cutter's rowlock ports and some shoes, one of which among the latter was known to belong to Mr. Woodhouse. A piece of flesh was found by one of our people, which at first was thought to be some of the salt meat belonging to the cutter's men, but, upon examination, we supposed to be dog's flesh.
Where are the men?" "Forrard, sir, a hangin' over the starboard rail. Thar's somethin' cursedly strange a happenin' in that damn fog. Harwood was the first ter hear the clatter ov en oar slippin' in a rowlock. I thought the feller wus crazy, till I heerd sumthin' also, an' then, sir, while we wus still a listenin' we both caught sound ov a Spanish oath, spoke as plain as if the buck was aboard."
"Ye must ha' been well out for tide to catch ye," said Billy, with no eyes for anything but the vision in clinging pink. "Yes, we were too far out and couldn't get back." "Tide runs round them rocks." He dropped his oar into the rowlock and Graeme took the other, and in five minutes they were speeding across the sands of Grande Grève Margaret to cover, Graeme to his pocket for Billy's reward.
He broke a rowlock before he landed, and had to use the substitute we had hung beside it. We found a good spot for a camp just above the next rapid. Our tent was stretched in front of a large boulder. A large pile of driftwood gave us all the fuel needed, and we soon had a big fire going and our wet clothes steaming on the line.
Once a cry reached me, thrilling with despair, although I could not catch the words, and again came to me plainly enough the clank of an oar in its rowlock. I struck out madly for the point from whence it came, only to find the same rolling water, and obscuring fog. My strength began to fail, hope left me as I sank deeper and deeper into the remorseless grip of the sea.
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