THE BOOK OF THE TARPON 



foam, until it hurled the craft through the nar- 

 row pass and within the shelter of its banks. 



Standing on the point of the beach south of 

 the pass, where the incoming waves swept above 

 his knees, was our captain, while behind him, 

 just out of the wash of the water, stood the light- 

 house keeper and another. Our welcome as we 

 landed was warm and true, but the first to speak 

 was the keeper of the light: 



"Your captain wanted to go for you in the 

 skiff when he saw you drifting into the breakers, 

 but I stopped him. Told him he'd only help 

 drown you, that nothin' less than a life boat 

 could live in that smother. You oughter heard 

 him yell when you went over that first big 

 breaker like a bubble. 'They're goin' to pull 

 through,' said he, 'nd I yelled a little myself." 



"What made you motion us back when we had 

 started for the beach?" I asked. 



"That was more of Cap.'s foolishness. He 

 said there was a schooner comin' down the coast 

 that 'ud pick you up, but I told him that you 

 wouldn't be picked up." 



"So he did," interrupted the captain. "He 

 said that any boat that could ride those breakers 



54 



