It was about twenty feet
long, had a small cabin divided into two compartments, and appeared to
be well stocked with provisions and other necessaries.
"Is it to be a long cruise?" I said to Walkirk; "and do you know how to
sail a boat?"
"With this wind," he answered, "we should reach our destination in a
couple of hours, and I consider myself a very fair skipper."
"Up sail, then," I cried, "and I am not in the least hurry to know where
I am going."
Walkirk sailed a boat very well, but he did it in rather an odd way, as
if he had learned it all out of a book, and never had handled a tiller
before. I am not a bad amateur sailor myself, but I gave no
consideration to the management of our craft. Walkirk had said that he
knew where he was going, and was able to sail there, and I left the
matter entirely to him; and whether or not this were his first essay in
sailing, in due time we ran upon a low beach, and he exclaimed:--
"Here we are!"
I rose to my feet and looked about me. "Now, then," said I, "I shall ask
you, where are we?"
"This is Racket Island," he replied, "and as soon as we get the boat
pulled up and the sail down I will tell you about it."
"Racket Island," said Walkirk, a short time afterwards, as we stood
together on a little sandy bluff, "was discovered two years ago by me
and a friend, as we were sailing about in this bay.
Pages:
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141