Paddling under Palmettos — page 53: what you’re looking at

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

48 Paddling Under Palmettos. ugly protuberances, upon which the contrary wind seemed bound to blow him. The more he paddled the worse became his sit- © uation, for the treacherous shoals seemed all around him. By this time his two companions had vanished from view. Archie was all alone. He had worked like a trooper and made some progress, but much of the reach still lay before him. There was no help for it—overboard he went and began to lead his canoe like a refractory horse. When the water got too deep he would straddle the boat and make use of his sturdy paddle, the sails having long since come down as useless. (The situation was one he was likely never to for- get, and yet, at the time, it possessed little that was laughable. Grit won the day, and by alternate dragging and paddling, helped along by some tall grumbling, the end of the reach was gained. Here the wind proved favorable again. Archie brought his mainsail to bear, and, nar- rowly missing a bar, upon which he heard his keel grate as he passed, he joined his companions, who had brought up below. Gomicbooks (E(0)