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from tumbling. On a level path he was as spry as anyone, but to climb up hill
or down required some care.
They reached the boat safely and while Trot was untying the rope Cap'n Bill
reached into a crevice of the rock and drew out several tallow candles and a
box of wax matches, which he thrust into the capacious pockets of his
"
sou'wester." This sou'wester was a short coat of oilskin which the old sailor
wore on all occasions--when he wore a coat at all--and the pockets always
contained a variety of objects, useful and ornamental, which made even Trot
wonder where they all came from and why Cap'n Bill should treasure them.
The jackknives--a big one and a little one--the bits of cord, the fishhooks, the
nails: these were handy to have on certain occasions. But bits of shell, and tin
boxes with unknown contents, buttons, pincers, bottles of curious stones and
the like, seemed quite unnecessary to carry around. That was Cap'n Bill's
business, however, and now that he added the candles and the matches to his
collection Trot made no comment, for she knew these last were to light their
way through the caves. The sailor always rowed the boat, for he handled the
oars with strength and skill. Trot sat in the stern and steered. The place where
they embarked was a little bight or circular bay, and the boat cut across a
much larger bay toward a distant headland where the caves were located,
right at the water's edge. They were nearly a mile from shore and about
halfway across the bay when Trot suddenly sat up straight and exclaimed:
"
What's that, Cap'n?"
He stopped rowing and turned half around to look.
"
"
"
That, Trot," he slowly replied, "looks to me mighty like a whirlpool."
What makes it, Cap'n?"
A whirl in the air makes the whirl in the water. I was afraid as we'd meet with
trouble, Trot. Things didn't look right. The air was too still."
It's coming closer," said the girl.
The old man grabbed the oars and began rowing with all his strength.
'Tain't comin' closer to us, Trot," he gasped; "it's we that are comin' closer to
"
"
the whirlpool. The thing is drawin' us to it like a magnet!"
Trot's sun-bronzed face was a little paler as she grasped the tiller firmly and
tried to steer the boat away; but she said not a word to indicate fear.
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