The Danger Seemed To Be
Decreasing, And I Stole A Furtive Glance Over My
Shoulder At The Low Dunes Of The Beach Shore
Which I Was Approaching, To See How Far Into The
Inlet The Tide Had Dragged Me.
The white water
to leeward warned me of a shoal, and forced me
to pull hard for the sound to escape being drawn
into the breakers.
This danger was hardly
passed, when suddenly the waters around me
seethed and foamed, and the short waves parted
and closed, as great creatures rose from the
deep into the air several feet, and then fell
heavily into the sea. My tiny shell rocked and
pitched about wildly as these animals appeared
and disappeared, leaping from the waves all around
me, diving under the boat and reappearing on
the opposite side. They lashed the current with
their strong tails, and snorted or blowed most
dismally. For an instant surprise and alarm took
such possession of me that not a muscle of my
arms obeyed my will, and the canoe commenced
to drift in the driving stream towards the open
sea. This confusion was only momentary, for as
soon as I discovered that my companions were
porpoises and only old acquaintances, I
determined to avoid them as soon as possible.
With a quick glance at my stern range, a
sandhill on the shore of the inlet, and another look
over my shoulder for the sand dunes of the other
side, I exerted every muscle to reach the beach;
but my frisky friends were in no mood to leave
me, but continued their fun with increased
energy as reinforcements came up from all directions.
The faster I rowed the more they multiplied,
ploughing the sea in erratic courses.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 168 of 310
Words from 45915 to 46205
of 84867
