Orange and Green | Page 8

fast,
but they are wonderfully good sea boats, for their size, and can live in
seas which would swamp a boat of ordinary build.
Walter had, with the assistance of Larry Doolan, built this boat for
going out fishing. It was extremely light, being a mere framework

covered with tarred canvas. As soon as Walter had reached the village,
and found that the fishermen considered that no boat could possibly be
put out, he had found and held a consultation with Larry.
"Do you think the curragh could go out, Larry?"
"Not she, yer honour. She would just be broke up like an eggshell with
them breakers."
"But she might float, if we got beyond them, Larry."
"She might that," Larry agreed, "seeing how light she is."
"Well, will you go with me, Larry?"
"Sure and I would go anywhere with yer honour, but she could never
get out."
"I am thinking, Larry, that if we carry her along beyond the Nose, we
might find it calmer there."
"Well, we might," Larry agreed. "At any rate, we can try."
So, calling together two or three other boys, they had lifted the light
boat and carried it with its oars along the shore, until they got beyond
the Nose; but even here, it was a formidable business to launch her, for,
although the rocks broke the full force of the seas, throwing the spray
hundreds of feet up in the air, the waves poured through the intervals,
and dashed over the lower rocks in such masses that formidable waves
rolled in to the shore.
After much consultation, the boys agreed that their best plan was to
scramble out on the rocks as far as possible, so as to launch the boat
beyond the break of the surf.
It was a hazardous enterprise, and the whole party were, several times,
nearly washed into the water as they struggled out. At last, they reached
a spot beyond which they could go no farther, as a deep passage was
here broken in the rock. But they were now beyond the line of breakers.

After several vain efforts to launch the boat, in each of which she
narrowly escaped destruction, they agreed that the only plan was, after
a wave passed, to drop her on to a flat rock, which then showed above
the water, and to jump into her.
The two boys on shore were to hold the head rope, to prevent her being
dashed towards the land by the next wave, while Larry worked with the
oars to get her away from the ridge. The moment the wave had passed
under them, the head rope was to be thrown off.
This plan was carried out. The two boys had but just time to jump into
the boat and get out their oars, when the next wave lifted the boat high
on its crest. The lads holding the rope were nearly torn from the rock,
but they held on till the strain ceased, then they threw in the rope, and
Walter and Larry bent to their oars.
"Row easy, Larry," Walter said, as the next wave passed under them,
"and put her head to each wave."
Terrible as was the sea, the curragh floated buoyantly over it, though
several times, as she rose to the steep waves, Walter thought that she
would be thrown right over. The worst part of their task was over, when
they got beyond the end of the Nose, for up to that point they were
forced to row across the course of the waves, and continually to turn
the boat, to face the great masses of water which ran between the rocks.
But once beyond the end of the reef they turned her head north, and
rowed straight towards the ship.
"She has struck, Master Walter," Larry said, glancing over his shoulder,
"and her masts are gone."
"Lay out, then, Larry, there's no time to lose."
But, in spite of their efforts, the boat moved but slowly through the
water, for the wind caught her high bow with such force that, at times,
it needed all their strength and skill to keep her head straight. At last
they were close to the ship, which already showed signs of breaking up.
They ranged up alongside of it.

"Fasten a line to a keg and throw it in," Walter shouted.
In a minute, a keg was thrown overboard with a line attached. As soon
as it drifted a little way from the vessel's side, they hauled it into the
boat.
"Now, back, Larry; these waves would sink us in a moment, if we turn
our stern to them."
The wreck lay within a hundred yards of the shore, and the boat backed
until close to the line where the waves toppled over in a