[Dle-develop] er and thought he m

[Viera P. <far...@jo...>]

Would attend a jump across the three or four feet of water between the
craft. "I think you'd better stop here," he objected. "I don't," Jake
answered with a laugh. "Guess you've got to be logical. You want the
coal, and it will take us both to save it." He followed the fireman, who
stood, balancing himself for a spring, on the forward deck, while Dick
let the launch swing in as close as he thought safe. The man leapt and
Dick watched Jake with keen anxiety as the launch rose with the next
comber, but the lad sprang off as the bows went up, and came down with a
splash in the water that flowed across the lighter's deck. Then Dick
caught the line thrown him and with some trouble dragged the end of the
hawser on board. He was surprised to find that it was not broken, but he
waved his hand to the others as he drove the launch ahead, steering for
the beach, near which he expected to find a passage through the reef.
Before he had gone far the tug steamed towards him with the other barges
in tow, apparently bound for Adexe. "It is not possible to go on," the
skipper hailed. "Give me a rope; we take the lighter." "You shan't take
her to Adexe," Dick shouted. "We want the coal." Though there was danger
in getting too close, the captain let the tug drift nearer. "We bring
you the lot when the wind drops." "No," said Dick, "I'll stick to what
I've got." He could not catch the captain's reply as the tug forged
past, but it sounded like an exclamation of anger or surprise, and he
looked anxiously for the foam upon the reef.