THE GOOSANDER AND THE PIED SMEW 255 



craft ? I be only one among ye. Whichever 'tis 

 to be must be settled quick one way or t'other, if we 

 wants this cruise to end well, 'Tis middlin' smooth 

 as yit at the mouth on it. But not for long it wun't 

 be. Look at the rib o' that unfortunate craft stickin' 

 up, an' there's another just showed ; she's broke up to 

 match splinters — see 'em wiggle ? The bar feels the 

 tide, look at it bilin' at the mouth. Now then, out 

 with it, through or round ? Through ! All right, 

 my lads, we all fares alike, sink or swim," 



Peerinof like a cormorant, first on one side and 

 then on the other, the man appeared to be listening 

 intently. Then he said — 



" The tide's racin' through the cut. Here she goes," 



It would be quite useless to attempt to describe 

 on paper what that passage through the cut was 

 like. No one spoke a word. There sat our old sea- 

 dog grasping the tiller, and, had it not been for the 

 glitter in his eyes, he might very reasonably have 

 been taken for a stuffed scarecrow. 



" Never more," thought one member of that crew ; 

 " if this adventure turns out well, all's well, but it 

 is one to end with," for it was a creepy experience, 

 with the boilinsf waters below and the live sands 

 above, and the hiss of it all. 



" Hold fast! " roared the skipper, and then there 

 was a grating rishe, rishe, rishe, and a bump. 

 "Cleared!" he roared; "stick tight." We were 

 going at a rare rate. 



Another lonq- rishe, rishe. The bow of the boat 

 rose, pitched again, and once more rose. Then we 



