Paddling under Palmettos — page 195: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

188 Paddling Under Palmettos. yet beached a canoe through the surf—when he caught a strange sound. It came back from leeward, and seemed for all the world like the braying of a donkey. Archie knew that sound. It was Dick’s battered fog horn—whenever he wished to introduce a new key he was wont to ham- mer the poor old thing upon the gunwale of the ca- noe. The racket was answered by Ned with two blasts, while Archie signified that he heard and understood by sending three blasts to leeward, and presently the captain was heard from. The signaling was intended to inform them all that to continue on was useless. Each daring canoeist was expected to stow his sail, head his boat for the shore, and paddle the best he knew how. Archie thrilled with the thought. The danger was greater, staying out half a mile from the shore, as an upset meant death, but the excitement of go- ing in on a giant roller was something to stir the blood. To stow his sail was the first job, and he found it a difficult one. Gomicbooks co m