United States or Russia ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Had poor Dick Tillard been alive and with us, his fund of yarns would have been invaluable. We frequently spoke of him, and mourned his loss. Mudge had seen a good deal of service, but he had not the happy knack of describing what had happened to him in the graphic, racy way poor Dick had of spinning a yarn.
One of the pipers, Lance Corporal Milne, was shot through both legs; but still continued to play his pipes, in a sitting position. Four other pipers played right across the fatal passage, three of them being wounded. Lieutenant Tillard was the first man across. He was a fast runner, but he stopped to encourage his men, midway.
In about three weeks after the date of his passing the spot, Captain Tillard returned to it and found an island of about a mile in circumference, with a height of between two and three hundred feet at its highest point. There was no violent eruption going on, although the craters still emitted smoke.
Then I'm sure they'd appreciate what they got." The midday meal finished, they lost no time in repacking the sled load and starting up the river once more. The stream was now wider than before, and presently spread out into a small lake. "This is known as Tillard's Pond," said John Barrow. "Feller named Gus Tillard built his cabin over yonder, about ten years ago.
"We are going to board yonder barque," said Mudge aloud; "there is an opening through the reef just abreast of us, and we shall have no difficulty in reaching her." "Orders are orders," said Tillard; "I never knew any good come of disobeying them."
The whole work was accomplished sooner than I could have expected; and Tillard declared his belief that not a drop of water would come through the damaged part of the boat, whatever it might do elsewhere. "I wish we could try her," I said, when our last nail was expended. "Wait patiently, Mr Rayner," answered Dick; "when the tide rises, we'll get her afloat."
"You, Tillard, I suppose, will prefer waiting to finish your forge; and we must trust to you to keep up the fire, so that, should a ship appear off the coast, her attention may be attracted." "I'll undertake to do that, sir," answered Tillard; "but as I shall want help, I shall be obliged if some one will remain with me.
Such is the description given of this submarine volcano in action; and the crater which was thrown up at the time was about twenty feet above the level of the sea. As Captain Tillard could not, however, delay his voyage to make further observations at that time, the action that subsequently took place is not known; but its results were seen shortly afterwards.
Unwilling to lose our big fish, too, we now cut it up into slices, which we smoked over the fire. Dick Tillard also advised us to search for some salt, that we might still better preserve our fish; and Tom and Harry undertook to do so after we had set sail.
Some of the men, and Dick Tillard especially, were at first rather jealous of this. When I told him what the commander had said, he replied, "It's all right, Mr Rayner; and if you follow his advice, it will do you as much good as it will Harry; and we'll all be ready to serve him as much as before."
Word Of The Day