236 



R EC RE A TION. 



there without being seen from the out- 

 side. We watched the cutter pass 

 around and through the group, in every 

 direction, examining closely every possi- 

 ble place where a boat might be hugging 

 the rocks to avoid being seen. At last 

 she came to our island, which, by the 

 way, was one of the smallest of the 

 group, rowed around it, then carefully 

 looked into the rushes through which 

 we had passed, but failed to discover the 

 archway. Here the men rested. 



" Well, boys," said the captain. " That 

 cuss must have doubled around Coral 

 Island and then back to Hickory, which 

 is Canadian, and where we daren't fol- 

 low. As we came down on one side he 

 must have gone up on the other. As 

 we showed out at the head he must have 

 turned the foot ; then getting the island 

 between us and him he had a clear run 

 to Hickory. We'll signal Sam, at Bart- 

 lett Point, that we've sighted our game; 

 he will then be on a smart look out. 

 Then we'll go back to our old hiding 

 place and wait for him once more." 



Two minutes later a rocket flew 

 heavenward and passed within a few 

 feet of us. It was answered by another 

 from off Bartlett Point. Joe whispered: 



"That's good. Now I know where 

 the Bartlett Point cutter is." 



Our friends now left us. I went down 

 to the cavern and smoked a cigar. No 

 one knows the full value of a puff of 

 the fragrant weed who has not been in 

 such a position as this. Joe remained 

 on the lookout until he saw the cutter 

 double round Coral Island. 



A quarter of an hour afterward we 

 hauled out our boat and set sail for the 

 American mainland. The clouds were 

 more broken. Joe said we must 

 get a hustle on, before it entirely cleared, 

 or get caught by the Bartlett Point 

 boat. With a fair wind, in 20 minutes, 

 we struck the American mainland at the 

 upper end of Colan's Flats. The moon 

 had now sunk so low that by hugging 

 the shore the high land prevented 

 the moon's rays from striking on our 

 sail and betraying us. Being out of the 

 wind, the water was calm, so we ran 

 down within 50 feet of the land. When 

 within a quarter of a mile of the Point 

 we saw a rocket go up from the Bartlett 

 Point boat. Joe gave a start and held 

 his breath. Could it be possible that 

 we were again discovered ? No ; a few 



seconds later a second rocket went up. 

 This, Joe said, was their signal that they 

 were going farther up river, probably to 

 lie under the Blankets to cut us off 

 from crossing to the mainland from the 

 south side of Hickory. They set sail 

 and with the first opening of the clouds 

 we saw their boat moving toward the 

 Blankets. We were now getting close 

 to the Point and out from the kindly 

 shelter of the land, so Joe took down 

 his sail and rowed. If the moon would 

 only keep behind the clouds for five 

 minutes we should be safe, but. fate de- 

 creed otherwise. Just as our boat was 

 off the Point, in the most exposed 

 position, the clouds broke and the moon 

 shone full on us. A shout from the 

 cutter told us we were seen. 



Joe laid to his oars. Down went their 

 sail and after us they came with two 

 pair of oars. Joe rowed in close to 

 shore under the shelter of the trees. 

 The cutter followed down as far as the 

 Point, where we saw them stop. Joe 

 did the same. Then they came along 

 close to shore. Joe pulled his boat in 

 underneath the branches of an over- 

 hanging tree which completely hid us. 

 Just as they got directly off us, about 

 100 yards out,we heard one of them say: 



"We're all wrong, boys, to hug the 

 shore like this. He dodged in here, ran 

 down a little and then straight out into 

 the centre of the bay. While we are 

 hunting for him in the dark, here, he 

 will land his cargo safe at Buck Burns, 

 and when we catch him the stuff will be 

 gone." 



The cutter then moved out and took 

 the centre of the bay. We proceeded 

 down cautiously close to shore. Every 

 now and then they would stop to listen. 

 Joe would do the same. We had a great 

 advantage over them, because we could 

 place them all the time by the sound of 

 their oars in the rowlocks, while ours 

 were muffled. We had got nearly down 

 to the bridge when the moon once more 

 betrayed us. The cutter was probably 

 1,500 yards to our left. A second later 

 and they gave us another volley. We 

 were not touched although we heard 

 two balls strike the water ahead of us. 

 Then there was a race for the bridge. 

 Just as we came to the archway they 

 stopped and fired again. One ball 

 struck our mast as it protruded over the 

 bow of the boat. 



