Wakulla: a story of adventure in Florida

nd called their attention to a slender shaft rising apparently from the sea itself, far to the westward. He told them that it was the light-house at Jupiter Inle

the thick clothing with which they had started, the Elmers found the

t him to make knots and splices, to box the compass and to steer. Both Mark and Ruth were tanned

ool, the Nancy Bell ran rapidly down the coast and along the great Flor

wards it from all directions, and which have enticed many a good ship to her destruction. Oth

the starb

er, and evidently stranded. As her masts, with their crossed yards, were still standing, "Captain Li" said she must have struck ver

her assistance?"

give aid to his fellows in distress. Besides, if we succeed in saving her and her cargo, we stand a

tunity of doing good and being well paid for it at the same time, and it would be

breeze that barely filled her sails. As the sun rose, and cast a broad flood of light over the tran

y come, and there, and there. I can count si

, not understanding the

om every direction; and they have seen us long ago too. I actually believe those fellows

going to do?"

s you can see slipping out from behind those low keys. The first man aboar

ine sailors, had already been got overboard and now awaited him. As he seized the tiller ropes he shouted, "Now, then,

asp of the young Northern giants, and the gig sprang away like a

e glass, small boats could be seen shooting away

onchs and Yankees," sa

onchs?" ask

rom the Bahama Islands, and all Bahamians are called 'Conch

t on the Yanke

brown bread make better muscle than fish, which is

rs, who were exhibiting a wonderful amount of pluck and endurance for "Conchs," as Jan called them, was rapidly coming up on the other. It was hard to tell which was the nearer;

e wreck, and almost at the same instant the wrecke

pe that had been thrown him, and disappear over the bulwarks. They afterwards learned that he reached the deck of

Reef, but so lightly and so unexpectedly that her crew could hardly believe the slight jar they felt was anything more than the shock of striking some large fish. They soon found, however, that they were hard and fast aground, and had struck on the very top of the flood tide, so that, as it ebbed, the shi

men, had also reached the spot, and active preparations for lightening the stranded ship were being made. Her carefully battened hatches were uncovered, whips were rove to her lower yards, and soon the tightly pressed bales of

ecking boats that had remained empty on purpose to receive them. The cables were paid out over the stern of the ship, and made fast to the great anchors, which were carried far out into th

the cables still remaining on board the ship were passed ar

opes that the ship might be pulled off the reef; but she did not move, and the

their time in exploring the reef in the captain's gig, whi

ing contrast to the pure white of the coral, the most vivid reds, greens, and royal purple. These, and masses of feathery seaweeds, waved to and fro in the water as though stirred by a light breeze, and among them darted and played fish as brill

ed loosely around his body and the smooth trunk of the tree, and the boy succeeded in cutting off several bunches of the great nuts that hung just below the wide-spreading crown of leaves. They came to the ground with a crash, but the thick husk in which each was enveloped saved them from breaking. The nu

rk and Ruth explored the beach of the little island in search of shells, which they found in countless number

if we could stay her

ere there are people and houses; besides, I heard father say that these little islands are ofte

oner, with their boat well loaded with the shells a

ve the stranded ship, and, foot by foot, she was pulled off into deep wa

est, which port they reached during the afternoon, and where they found they would be o