DREAMS OF LIBERTY 93 



ward the gangway for the pier. But I was for 

 one more try before giving up. Suddenly I 

 darted for the rail on the harbor side of the ship. 

 We were in the waist and the bulwarks reached 

 about to my breast. Before the Kanaka police- 

 men had recovered from their surprise I had 

 plunged head first over the rail and dived into 

 the water twenty or thirty feet below. When I 

 came to the surface I struck out for shore with 

 all my might. It was only a short swim. I soon 

 made the land and dragged myself, dripping 

 brine, out upon a beach. 



I glanced toward the pier. The policemen, 

 with a crowd at their backs, were dashing for me 

 along shore. I started for the cane fields, but in 

 my wet and heavy clothes I stumbled along as 

 if there was lead in my shoes. Perhaps I ran a 

 quarter of a mile. My pursuers gained on me 

 steadily. I was drawing near a cane field, in 

 which I felt I should be able to lose myself ; but 

 before reaching it, my pursuers sprang upon me 

 and bore me to the ground. Then, with a police- 

 man on either side of me, I was marched back to 

 the brig's boat. 



