FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>   >|  
It plunged through, almost tearing the frail craft in half, hurling splinters about and sending the two horrified occupants tumbling into the water! CHAPTER XXI. RECAPTURED BY THE ENEMY. Clif was so heartbroken at that sudden ending of all his hopes, that he scarcely cared whether he was drowned or not. But he saw Bessie Stuart struggling in the seething waters, and toward her he struck out desperately. It took the cadet but a moment to reach her side. The shattered wreck of the wooden boat was floating near, and to that he struggled, helping her on. And they reached it, in what it sounds like mockery to call safety. The girl scarcely knew whether it were best to hold on or to drown. But instinctively she clung to the side as the great waves swept over them; and the two fixed their eyes upon the approaching vessel. She came on swiftly, sheering the water with her sharp bow. And Clif could see half a dozen men standing in the bow watching them. "Perhaps they have heard of our escape," he growled, "and come after us." The vessel was not coming from Havana, but the cadet knew that a telegram might have sent it out. At any rate, they were recaptured; and the horrors of Morro were before them again. Steadily the gunboat drew nearer; the two half-drowned Americans were reached in a minute or two. And the vessel slowed up and a rope was thrown to them. Clif desperate from despair, seized it and drew himself close. A couple of Spanish sailors leaned down from the low side and lifted first the half unconscious girl and then the cadet up to the deck. And then, weak and pale and dripping wet, they confronted a tall, ugly-looking Spaniard with an officer's chevrons. He stared at them curiously. "Who are you?" he demanded. And Clif, grim with desperation, looked him in the eye and answered boldly: "We are Americans," said he. "Prisoners?" "Yes." "From where?" "Morro Castle." The Spaniard looked the amazement he felt. "Morro Castle!" he echoed. "Humph! How did you get out?" "Take us back there and you'll find out," was Clif's defiant answer. And with that he turned toward the girl to wipe her dripping hair from her face. He expected that the man would continue questioning them. But he was mistaken. The Spanish gunboat had done a risky thing, running out as it had, and her officers were anxious to get back. The man turned away and hurried off. A sailor wit
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102  
103   104   105   106   107   108   109   110   111   112   113   114   115   116   117   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

vessel

 

dripping

 

looked

 
Spaniard
 

Castle

 

reached

 

drowned

 
turned
 

gunboat

 

Americans


scarcely

 

Spanish

 
slowed
 

thrown

 

minute

 
Steadily
 

officer

 

nearer

 

lifted

 

leaned


seized
 

sailors

 
unconscious
 

couple

 

confronted

 

despair

 

desperate

 

expected

 
continue
 

questioning


defiant
 

answer

 

mistaken

 

hurried

 
sailor
 

anxious

 

running

 

officers

 
answered
 

boldly


desperation

 

stared

 

curiously

 

demanded

 
echoed
 

amazement

 

Prisoners

 

chevrons

 
standing
 

struggling