BRINGING MR. TOWNSEND BACK AGAIN. 69 



He whispered encouragement to his crew — hissed 

 it — gasped it. 



" Spring hard, my lively hearties ! Spring 

 hard ! Break a stick, will you ? will you ? break 

 a stick ! Come, come, come, — spring hard ! " 



We pulled like mad. 



" Not a word — not a word ! If you make the 

 least bit of noise I'll brain every one of you ! 

 Come, come, — break an oar ! " 



We exerted ourselves to the uttermost. We 

 bent the oars till I thought they would snap 

 in two. 



" Give away, boys ! Spring hard ! " 



The captain tried his best to outfoot us. The 

 water leaped in foam around the prow of his boat. 

 Suddenly the mate's face changed. He bit his 

 lip. His eyes stared fixedly. He threw back 

 his head. 



" Peak your oar," he hissed. Then he shouted, 

 " Stand up and let him have it / " 



I thought my heart would burst. Everything 

 swam before me. I gripped my oar tight. I 

 thought I was fainting. 



" Starn all," the mate roared. u Starn all, and 

 get out of the suds ! " 



I fell forward with my full weight upon my oar. 

 The mast and sail came down as by magic. The 



