Every one was wet to the skin; bodies steamed in
the heat; men who had pulled at oars until their hands were raw
and bleeding cursed and groaned at their own fatigue. But there
was little shirking; those whose strength completely failed them
dropped in the sand and rested until they could resume their
labors.
Daylight was coming when the last boat cast off and the Fair Play,
with a hoarse triumphant blast of her whistle, faded into the
north, her part in the expedition at an end.
O'Reilly bore Norine Evans ashore in his arms, and when he placed
her feet upon Cuban soil she hugged him, crying:
"We fooled them, Johnnie! But if it hadn't been for you we'd have
turned back. The captain was afraid of the reef."
"I don't mind telling you I was afraid, too," he sighed, wearily.
"Now then, about all we have to fear are Spanish coast-guards."
Dawn showed the voyagers that they were indeed fortunate, for they
were upon the mainland of Cuba, and as far as they could see, both
east and west, the reef was unbroken. There was still some
uncertainty as to their precise position, for the jungle at their
backs shut off their view of the interior; but that gave them
little concern. Men were lolling about, exhausted, but Major Ramos
allowed them no time for rest; he roused them, and kept them on
the go until the priceless supplies had been collected within the
shelter of the brush.
Pages:
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232