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Article THE FIRST CRUISE OF THE " VIXEN." ← Page 20 of 23 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The First Cruise Of The " Vixen."
and xve lay so close to the shore that our deck must have been clearly A'isible from the IOAV mounds xi * hich , thickly covered xvith trees , fringed the treacherous coast at this spot . A deathlike silence reigned . There Avas not a ripple on the sea . " If they be in the neighbourhood , " remarked Mr . Boom , " the xvarmint won't shew afore dark—the moon will set at a quarter arter
tAvelve . Then , keep a sharp look-out . " " Be the piper ! " Avhispered Darcy , " I saxv something . AVhisht ! look , look there , to the right of the clump of mango trees . I saxv a gleam like the moon xvould make on a musketbarrel . "
" There ' s something more eA'ident , " saicl I , as I directed their attention to a thin column of smoke that rose from the right bank of the river . " You are veAxy wight , " ansxvered Fin ; " the wascals are cooking their supper . Noxv , I hax'e an idea , if Natty , Masinissa , ancl txA'O of the men remain to work the guns , we four , ancl the
remaining ten fellows , might land , just after dark , behind yonder point , which is above their village , xve can Avatch their movements , and if the galleys put out , they -will take in them all their available force ; ancl once clear of the shore , Ave can fire tlieir nest , ancl then advance under cover of the wood to the mouth of the river ; by xvhich means xve shall take the Avascals with
nmsketwy in the wear , and annoy them A'exsy much xvhen they retxveat before the guns of the Vixen , which they will clothese wobbers are alxvays curs . " This plan met Avith such approbation that the command Avas gix'en to Fin . Tlie boat Avas ready at the side of tlie x * essel
farthest from the shore , the oars xvere muffled , ancl the arms laid ready . At half-past twelve , amidst the deepest gloom , we descended one by one , and not a xvord xvas exchanged until our keel xvas heard to grate lightly on the sandy beach . Fin , having taken his bearings , directed our advance towards the spot where xi'e had obseiwed a kind of xvooded knoll , from which Ave hoped
to look over the spot AA'here xve presumed the Arab encampment was situated . The underwood was so dense that our progress Was necessarily sloxx' , ancl I began to doubt if Fin had not mistaken the direction ofthe hill ; at the same moment , howex'er , I felt that our path Avas on the ascent , when a low ejaculation from Darcy brought us to a halt . He had discox'ered a narrow
path-Avay AVMCII crossed om * direction , but eA'idently led to the summit . AVe now made Avay Avith more ease , ancl in a fexv minutes we stood on the brow of a slight eminence , overlooking a small dell and some half-mile of the river bank . Fin Avas right . Nestled in one corner of the dell Avere about
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The First Cruise Of The " Vixen."
and xve lay so close to the shore that our deck must have been clearly A'isible from the IOAV mounds xi * hich , thickly covered xvith trees , fringed the treacherous coast at this spot . A deathlike silence reigned . There Avas not a ripple on the sea . " If they be in the neighbourhood , " remarked Mr . Boom , " the xvarmint won't shew afore dark—the moon will set at a quarter arter
tAvelve . Then , keep a sharp look-out . " " Be the piper ! " Avhispered Darcy , " I saxv something . AVhisht ! look , look there , to the right of the clump of mango trees . I saxv a gleam like the moon xvould make on a musketbarrel . "
" There ' s something more eA'ident , " saicl I , as I directed their attention to a thin column of smoke that rose from the right bank of the river . " You are veAxy wight , " ansxvered Fin ; " the wascals are cooking their supper . Noxv , I hax'e an idea , if Natty , Masinissa , ancl txA'O of the men remain to work the guns , we four , ancl the
remaining ten fellows , might land , just after dark , behind yonder point , which is above their village , xve can Avatch their movements , and if the galleys put out , they -will take in them all their available force ; ancl once clear of the shore , Ave can fire tlieir nest , ancl then advance under cover of the wood to the mouth of the river ; by xvhich means xve shall take the Avascals with
nmsketwy in the wear , and annoy them A'exsy much xvhen they retxveat before the guns of the Vixen , which they will clothese wobbers are alxvays curs . " This plan met Avith such approbation that the command Avas gix'en to Fin . Tlie boat Avas ready at the side of tlie x * essel
farthest from the shore , the oars xvere muffled , ancl the arms laid ready . At half-past twelve , amidst the deepest gloom , we descended one by one , and not a xvord xvas exchanged until our keel xvas heard to grate lightly on the sandy beach . Fin , having taken his bearings , directed our advance towards the spot where xi'e had obseiwed a kind of xvooded knoll , from which Ave hoped
to look over the spot AA'here xve presumed the Arab encampment was situated . The underwood was so dense that our progress Was necessarily sloxx' , ancl I began to doubt if Fin had not mistaken the direction ofthe hill ; at the same moment , howex'er , I felt that our path Avas on the ascent , when a low ejaculation from Darcy brought us to a halt . He had discox'ered a narrow
path-Avay AVMCII crossed om * direction , but eA'idently led to the summit . AVe now made Avay Avith more ease , ancl in a fexv minutes we stood on the brow of a slight eminence , overlooking a small dell and some half-mile of the river bank . Fin Avas right . Nestled in one corner of the dell Avere about