"Martain Rattler" - читать интересную книгу автора (Ballantyne R.M)

these soon told too plainly that the boats of the schooner were overtaking those
of the barque.
"Pull with a will, lads," cried the captain; "we can't be more than half a mile
from the shore; give way, my hearties."
"Surely, captain, we can fight them; we've most of us got pistols and
cutlasses," said one of the men in a sulky tone.
"Fight them!" cried the captain; "they're four times our number, and every man
armed to the teeth. If ye don't fancy walking the plank, or dancing on nothing
at the yard-arm, ye'd better pull away and hold your jaw."
By this time they could just see the schooner's boats in the dim light, about
half musket range astern.
"Back you' oars," shouted a stern voice in broken English, "or I blow you out de
watter in one oder moment-black-yards!"
This order was enforced by a musket-shot, which whizzed over the boat within an
inch of the captain's head. The men ceased rowing, and the boats of the pirate
ranged close up.
"Now then, Martin," whispered Barney O'Flannagan., who sat at the bow oar, "I'm
goin' to swim ashore; jist you slip arter me as quiet as ye can.
"But the sharks!" suggested Martin.
"Bad luck to them," said Barney, as he slipped over the side; "they're welcome
to me. I'll take my chance.
They'll find me mortial tough, anyhow. Come along, lad, look sharp!
Without a moment's hesitation, Martin slid over the gunwale into the sea, and,
just as the pirate boats grappled with those of the barque, he and Barney found
themselves gliding as silently as otters towards the shore. So quietly had the
manoeuvre been accomplished that the men in their own boat were ignorant of
their absence. In a few minutes they were beyond the chance of detection.
"Keep close to me, lad," whispered the Irishman. If we separate in the darkness
we'll niver forgather again. Catch hould o' my shoulder if ye get blowed, and
splutter as much as ye like. They can't hear us now, and it'll help to frighten
the sharks."
"All right! " replied Martin; " I can swim like a cork in such warm water as
this. Just go a little slower and I'll do famously."
Thus encouraging each other, and keeping close together lest they should get
separated in the thick darkness of the night, the two friends struck out bravely
for the shore.
[CONTENTS]



CHAPTER VII
Martin and Barney get lost in a great forest, where they see strange and
terrible things
ON GAINING the beach, the first thing that Barney did, after shaking himself
like a huge Newfoundland dog, was to ascertain that his pistol and cutlass were
safe; for, although the former could be of no use in its present condition,
still, as he sagaciously remarked, "it was a good thing to have, for they might
chance to git powder wan day or other, and the flint would make fire anyhow."
Fortunately the weather was extremely warm, so they were enabled to take off and
wring their clothes without much inconvenience, except that in a short time a