The Riddle Of The Sands - Childers Robert Erskine ... - Cove Systems

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meat and littered packing-cases! <strong>The</strong> bitterest touch of all was a growing sense of inferiority and ignorance which I had never before been allowed to feel in my experience of yachts. CKQUOTEDavies awoke from another reverie over my portmanteau to say, cheerily: 'I'll just show you round down below first, and then we'll stow things away and get to bed.' He dived down a companion ladder, and I followed cautiously. A complex odour of paraffin, past cookery, tobacco, and tar saluted my nostrils. 'Mind your head,' said Davies, striking a match and lighting a candle, while I groped into the cabin. 'You'd better sit down; it's easier to look round.' <strong>The</strong>re might well have been sarcasm in this piece of advice, for I must have cut a ridiculous figure, peering awkwardly and suspiciously round, with shoulders and head bent to avoid
the ceiling, which seemed in the half-light to be even nearer the floor than it was. 'You see,' were Davies's reassuring words, 'there's plenty of room to _sit_ upright' (which was strictly true; but I am not very tall, and he is short). 'Some people make a point of head-room, but I never mind much about it. That's the centre-board case,' he explained, as, in stretching my legs out, my knee came into contact with a sharp edge. I had not seen this devilish obstruction, as it was hidden beneath the table, which indeed rested on it at one end. It appeared to be a long, low triangle, running lengthways with the boat and dividing the naturally limited space into two. 'You see, she's a flat-bottomed boat, drawing very little water without the plate; that's why there's so little headroom. For deep water you lower the plate; so, in one way or another, you can go practically anywhere.'
Page 1 and 2: The Riddle of the Sands Childers, E
Page 3 and 4: Quartette * 23 A Change of Tactics
Page 5 and 6: dignified incredulity, due in part,
Page 7 and 8: against this course, first, because
Page 9 and 10: The maps and charts are based on Br
Page 11 and 12: London in September. I say 'martyrd
Page 13 and 14: went abroad, for I found that such
Page 15 and 16: saying that Mr So-and-So was away a
Page 17 and 18: The usual preliminary scuffle on th
Page 19 and 20: epairs done here, and will have the
Page 21 and 22: Yachting in the Baltic at the end o
Page 23 and 24: mind on it at all, that the whole t
Page 25 and 26: 2 The 'Dulcibella' THAT two days la
Page 27 and 28: unattractive, and all the other dra
Page 29 and 30: Stores, instead of specializing in
Page 31 and 32: two disreputable brown-paper parcel
Page 33 and 34: through the calm channels of the Th
Page 35 and 36: yachtsman--no cool white ducks or n
Page 37 and 38: vacantly, and felt a little hurt);
Page 39 and 40: He seemed to be clinging timidly, b
Page 41 and 42: stores, and stowed the cargo as bes
Page 43: OTE In a moment he had jumped on de
Page 47 and 48: skylight gave additional cabin spac
Page 49 and 50: The absurdity of argument struck me
Page 51 and 52: uthless sense of humour which whisp
Page 53 and 54: lew out the light from where he lay
Page 55 and 56: 3 Davies I DOZED but fitfully, with
Page 57 and 58: should have come from Dover to the
Page 59 and 60: two skins of teak, and thus had imm
Page 61 and 62: that he scarcely noticed me, save a
Page 63 and 64: haze. Ahead, the scene was shut in
Page 65 and 66: stamped on every lineament. A deep
Page 67 and 68: where we are,' dabbing with a long
Page 69 and 70: esourceful, skilful, and alert, he
Page 71 and 72: We were following the inward trend
Page 73 and 74: attentive steward mocked me with pa
Page 75 and 76: 'I think I'll go on deck,' I said.
Page 77 and 78: drenching brain and body in the swe
Page 79 and 80: you'll steer in that direction.' He
Page 81 and 82: slight traces of the day's news dis
Page 83 and 84: lock-dues, bumping against schuyts,
Page 85 and 86: 'We want another chart now,' and he
Page 87 and 88: feverishly--a habit of his when exc
Page 89 and 90: 'What does it look like?' I called
Page 91 and 92: the _German_ islands.' He pointed a
Page 93 and 94: acquaintance not yet enamoured of t
Page 95 and 96:
'If there are many places about her
Page 97 and 98:
grasping a misty lantern of giganti
Page 99 and 100:
heard that persuasive song the foam
Page 101 and 102:
firm on the need for a walk, and go
Page 103 and 104:
we shall ever fight her.' A little
Page 105 and 106:
Sailing Directions, there were seve
Page 107 and 108:
and a brisker tone pervaded the ent
Page 109 and 110:
calling to Davies, and chaffing him
Page 111 and 112:
detected at once as an uninterestin
Page 113 and 114:
'You mean it's all very jolly about
Page 115 and 116:
est. Backwards and forwards we tack
Page 117 and 118:
'Let's get in as near as we can--yo
Page 119 and 120:
gods knew naught of. On the followi
Page 121 and 122:
He stammered on through a sentence
Page 123 and 124:
thinking about. You're a brick to j
Page 125 and 126:
greeted us with a hoarse roar of we
Page 127 and 128:
lair, or perhaps it was chance; but
Page 129 and 130:
7 The Missing Page I WOKE (on 1st O
Page 131 and 132:
coffee. How's the Johannes? Was tha
Page 133 and 134:
excess of warmth which almost took
Page 135 and 136:
This is all the conversation that I
Page 137 and 138:
'Well, you're quite right, it was t
Page 139 and 140:
the night pretty near her. I meant
Page 141 and 142:
it, offered me some wine, and began
Page 143 and 144:
from this, sticking to it that I sh
Page 145 and 146:
last reef.' (Simple words, simply u
Page 147 and 148:
very complicated, and ends in a mer
Page 149 and 150:
'I kept dead in the wake of the Med
Page 151 and 152:
flood, with two hours more of risin
Page 153 and 154:
for the rudder had crocked up someh
Page 155 and 156:
away, up a branch of the channel. I
Page 157 and 158:
water, and we could get at her rudd
Page 159 and 160:
what--of whom?' 'I'll tell you how
Page 161 and 162:
'He doubled back into the northern
Page 163 and 164:
hard. It was an easy game to play,
Page 165 and 166:
'But the crew?' I said; 'what about
Page 167 and 168:
'Yes, that's what I mean. It was so
Page 169 and 170:
'And if he was piloting you into th
Page 171 and 172:
withheld me from pressing him too f
Page 173 and 174:
Scenting a faint clue, I felt the n
Page 175 and 176:
armaments and speeds in which I cou
Page 177 and 178:
sandbanks littered about all throug
Page 179 and 180:
would be important, _sand and all._
Page 181 and 182:
adjoins the estuaries, and would al
Page 183 and 184:
Evidently, too, he wanted my help,
Page 185 and 186:
ound. If my theory, as you call it,
Page 187 and 188:
'For goodness' sake, don't apologiz
Page 189 and 190:
'And, after all, hang it!' exclaime
Page 191 and 192:
'Why, it's dark at seven!' 'Yes, bu
Page 193 and 194:
I sat upon my portmanteau at Flensb
Page 195 and 196:
guided us safely to the mouth of Ki
Page 197 and 198:
at Cuxhaven, or inquired at the loc
Page 199 and 200:
entered Kiel Fiord, and began a dea
Page 201 and 202:
on the move in the confined fairway
Page 203 and 204:
of our adventure never struck me mo
Page 205 and 206:
The same evening we were taking our
Page 207 and 208:
forces were at work. The inner gate
Page 209 and 210:
mighty waterway that is the strateg
Page 211 and 212:
our goal was his own beloved Hambur
Page 213 and 214:
as this.' 'Oh, as long as I get it,
Page 215 and 216:
'We're improving, aren't we?' 'Oh,
Page 217 and 218:
commands her North Sea coast. And s
Page 219 and 220:
from the very wind and spray. He co
Page 221 and 222:
'Oh, I know; she went on to Hamburg
Page 223 and 224:
have missed them.' 'Think twice, ca
Page 225 and 226:
anchor was down, instinctively leav
Page 227 and 228:
This was a new light. 'What do you
Page 229 and 230:
mouth; drab, dreary miles like the
Page 231 and 232:
mighty dyke, that of some of its ho
Page 233 and 234:
crowded half-hour we wormed ourselv
Page 235 and 236:
painter, tumbled the kedge-anchor a
Page 237 and 238:
need to tire the general reader wit
Page 239 and 240:
saplings fixed in the sand to mark
Page 241 and 242:
12 My Initiation THE yacht lay with
Page 243 and 244:
that's a tricky bend there.' He too
Page 245 and 246:
covered, the water can travel where
Page 247 and 248:
channel hurrying and rising alongsi
Page 249 and 250:
mauled in the _fracas_, that her te
Page 251 and 252:
ound the outermost alley of the hid
Page 253 and 254:
north. That's where I was nearly wr
Page 255 and 256:
an hotel. Let's have dinner, and a
Page 257 and 258:
'Of course we can,' said Davies, 'i
Page 259 and 260:
The ground sloped down, and a rushi
Page 261 and 262:
it! Two good strokes. Ship your scu
Page 263 and 264:
ampant in here, you see, in spite o
Page 265 and 266:
13 The Meaning of our Work NOTHING
Page 267 and 268:
any danger at all. But I think that
Page 269 and 270:
tolerably alert. As a soldier learn
Page 271 and 272:
See, too, how the strong invader ca
Page 273 and 274:
for defending our coasts in the way
Page 275 and 276:
nothing that suggested a really ade
Page 277 and 278:
14 The First Night in the Islands A
Page 279 and 280:
touch of frost in the air. I lit a
Page 281 and 282:
would be in the doorway lighting hi
Page 283 and 284:
elit the riding-light, and carried
Page 285 and 286:
'You've done jolly well, I think,'
Page 287 and 288:
person. Then there were the naval b
Page 289 and 290:
the Ems estuary and beyond that by
Page 291 and 292:
occasional word 'Bade-strand', sugg
Page 293 and 294:
'We may as well visit one or two, I
Page 295 and 296:
15 Bensersiel [For this chapter see
Page 297 and 298:
at her. Kormoran was on her stern;
Page 299 and 300:
half-past four, when we were soundi
Page 301 and 302:
low hard too, though that is no gre
Page 303 and 304:
'When the banks uncovered we lay mo
Page 305 and 306:
the yacht, heard something snap bel
Page 307 and 308:
ound up properly and no time to low
Page 309 and 310:
up through dark and mud to his cott
Page 311 and 312:
16 Commander von Brüning TO RESUME
Page 313 and 314:
'Supposing he comes on board and as
Page 315 and 316:
'wreck-works' boat. It seemed that
Page 317 and 318:
place. We passed friend Grimm on th
Page 319 and 320:
'Yes,' said Davies, shortly. 'Well,
Page 321 and 322:
'A thousand pardons!' said von Brü
Page 323 and 324:
was very thick and squally--and she
Page 325 and 326:
'I wonder he brought you here last
Page 327 and 328:
'We never dreamed there would be th
Page 329 and 330:
ankrupt, and the wreck came into th
Page 331 and 332:
'Well, it's a romantic speculation,
Page 333 and 334:
'Are there many like you in England
Page 335 and 336:
That was how the question of our fu
Page 337 and 338:
to shoot some ducks.' He was nervou
Page 339 and 340:
probably call at Norderney. Come ab
Page 341 and 342:
foreigners, and young. You I take t
Page 343 and 344:
me; and the last hope of a bed in t
Page 345 and 346:
17 Clearing the Air 'HAS he gone to
Page 347 and 348:
Such was Memmert, as I saw it on th
Page 349 and 350:
'There's the wreck, though.' 'Oh, h
Page 351 and 352:
Dollmann treated you badly--discour
Page 353 and 354:
said. 'At Schlei you spoke of "sett
Page 355 and 356:
'Can't we _possibly_?' 'Of course n
Page 357 and 358:
mean?' 'No, no, not that. I'm not s
Page 359 and 360:
problem in the light of the morning
Page 361 and 362:
Memmert, gained precision and vigou
Page 363 and 364:
scoundrel at all, but it was explic
Page 365 and 366:
shoals, and blocked in the centre b
Page 367 and 368:
Now Memmert was part of the outer r
Page 369 and 370:
as this one was to quarrel with our
Page 371 and 372:
his perfectly frank explanation (wi
Page 373 and 374:
From the bank we could see all alon
Page 375 and 376:
Nobody appeared to have taken the s
Page 377 and 378:
us ready for sea in their own confu
Page 379 and 380:
Davies would be tempted to cut the
Page 381 and 382:
OTE 'Yes,' I said. 'But I should li
Page 383 and 384:
first. Good-night.'
Page 385 and 386:
'Well, it's Norderney, isn't it? We
Page 387 and 388:
He loyally did his best to 'shove h
Page 389 and 390:
another of a few moments, when Davi
Page 391 and 392:
'Medusa's dinghy.' He handed, or ra
Page 393 and 394:
'It's your affair this time,' I sai
Page 395 and 396:
and I was scrubbing fruitlessly at
Page 397 and 398:
I held out my hand and swung her up
Page 399 and 400:
We spent a few minutes on deck whil
Page 401 and 402:
out, and led to some questions, whi
Page 403 and 404:
passing travellers.' 'You will stop
Page 405 and 406:
'Is the Medusa in harbour?' said Da
Page 407 and 408:
her. She was staring at Davies with
Page 409 and 410:
'Go on,' said Davies to me in Engli
Page 411 and 412:
'We can wait. We have several days
Page 413 and 414:
'He will understand. I know he will
Page 415 and 416:
in small yachts. He had six or seve
Page 417 and 418:
with a greyish beard.' 'By the shap
Page 419 and 420:
'Was she never on board you in Sept
Page 421 and 422:
_got_ to. The time to cut and run,
Page 423 and 424:
'Oh! that settles it,' I answered,
Page 425 and 426:
'She didn't know you took the short
Page 427 and 428:
'Now, what about her voyage back fr
Page 429 and 430:
even know he's English, or they may
Page 431 and 432:
'At what time?' 'Your Bradshaw will
Page 433 and 434:
'I'll think about it,' said Davies.
Page 435 and 436:
chivalry more suited to knights-err
Page 437 and 438:
abandon the first and embrace the s
Page 439 and 440:
justification, fearlessly adopted a
Page 441 and 442:
21 Blindfold to Memmert 'HERE she c
Page 443 and 444:
coming,' I said; 'let's go below.'
Page 445 and 446:
up, and the weedy waiter and two ma
Page 447 and 448:
Davies agreed, and we both looked l
Page 449 and 450:
at leisure. 'What a waste of good d
Page 451 and 452:
shorewards slowly but surely. 'It d
Page 453 and 454:
luck,' Davies .commented; 'we ought
Page 455 and 456:
minutes.' He whipped out the German
Page 457 and 458:
'Leave that to me,' I said. 'You ge
Page 459 and 460:
have stated in words all the pros a
Page 461 and 462:
sense (eyesight, in my case) fails
Page 463 and 464:
fathom casts, till, just as suddenl
Page 465 and 466:
'Rest for three minutes now,' he sa
Page 467 and 468:
starboard for the whole distance; o
Page 469 and 470:
alpenstock of a lunatic mountaineer
Page 471 and 472:
over the side with the boat-hook. I
Page 473 and 474:
the niceties of the course; during
Page 475 and 476:
ut if he heard a long whistle he wa
Page 477 and 478:
six feet, reached hard wet sand, an
Page 479 and 480:
in the air--voices, the rasp of a b
Page 481 and 482:
passing, dressed very like me, but
Page 483 and 484:
one with a gold signet-ring, rested
Page 485 and 486:
ack between Grimm and me, and then
Page 487 and 488:
conspirators? Was gold after all at
Page 489 and 490:
was a harsh croak, belonging to the
Page 491 and 492:
hopeless. I tried for a downward pu
Page 493 and 494:
The marlin-spike! Where the lower h
Page 495 and 496:
chance came when Böhme, reading ra
Page 497 and 498:
must wait for this,' I thought, and
Page 499 and 500:
and, as the lesser of two evils, bl
Page 501 and 502:
'One or two clues, and an invitatio
Page 503 and 504:
eyes from the pool of light. 'Damn!
Page 505 and 506:
'No.' 'Nothing about transports?' '
Page 507 and 508:
'Steamer,' said Davies; 'going sout
Page 509 and 510:
He extinguished the lantern, lit a
Page 511 and 512:
the dinghy were in deep shadow betw
Page 513 and 514:
enough. Dollmann having seen the ya
Page 515 and 516:
'Oh, thanks,' said Davies; 'we took
Page 517 and 518:
The cabin was just as we had left i
Page 519 and 520:
out as I thought it would. Von Brü
Page 521 and 522:
think they), "we'll come too, and t
Page 523 and 524:
'It may be anywhere from Emden to H
Page 525 and 526:
were in the dinghy again. 'It's a c
Page 527 and 528:
weakness, the game's up.' 'What are
Page 529 and 530:
abstractedly. 'I can just do it in
Page 531 and 532:
'Well, what's it to be?' I said. 'H
Page 533 and 534:
24 Finesse THE door of a room on th
Page 535 and 536:
sudden, mirthless laugh. I thought
Page 537 and 538:
ours, and under that implied condit
Page 539 and 540:
he said, in his vile lingo. No one
Page 541 and 542:
'By the way, Herr Davies,' he began
Page 543 and 544:
and she dropped hers instantly, but
Page 545 and 546:
'As long as usual. I visit the work
Page 547 and 548:
Norderney, and find you have return
Page 549 and 550:
'Ah! you remember that? (He remembe
Page 551 and 552:
financial secrets.' 'I have done my
Page 553 and 554:
the way it came about,' I pursued,
Page 555 and 556:
the loudest share. 'I warned you, B
Page 557 and 558:
Memmert?' 'What do you say, gentlem
Page 559 and 560:
'You needn't pretend that you canno
Page 561 and 562:
once delivered his soul, seemed to
Page 563 and 564:
suggested to Davies, for I should h
Page 565 and 566:
vulnerable; whom he feared most, us
Page 567 and 568:
same conclusion, that I liked the m
Page 569 and 570:
25 I Double Back 'GOOD-BYE, old cha
Page 571 and 572:
into my pocket-book. 'Look at it in
Page 573 and 574:
e quickly sent to any threatened po
Page 575 and 576:
no moment, but whose conversation i
Page 577 and 578:
me. Anxiety to reach London was swa
Page 579 and 580:
e recognized--possibly haled to jud
Page 581 and 582:
left my bag at the cloak-room, afte
Page 583 and 584:
others failed; for the present it m
Page 585 and 586:
shallow), were a very fair conjectu
Page 587 and 588:
my journey. At Rheine 1 changed tra
Page 589 and 590:
which, alas! quickly cooled. From E
Page 591 and 592:
Bensersiel took its name. But it ar
Page 593 and 594:
It was between Dornum and Esens tha
Page 595 and 596:
these new-fangled schemes.' 'But it
Page 597 and 598:
more; there were gaunt heaps of coa
Page 599 and 600:
y the side of the canal, till the q
Page 601 and 602:
making progress, but the wings of i
Page 603 and 604:
debouched, as at Bensersiel. From a
Page 605 and 606:
explored, I could pass on to Nesse,
Page 607 and 608:
myself involved in a tangle of impr
Page 609 and 610:
street. Perceiving that he was in l
Page 611 and 612:
my odious crimp was sober enough to
Page 613 and 614:
not so bad after all; it demanded n
Page 615 and 616:
willows. What little I learnt was i
Page 617 and 618:
opened, and a raucous voice shouted
Page 619 and 620:
follow them? These were nebulous qu
Page 621 and 622:
must inevitably accumulate at the b
Page 623 and 624:
The harbour itself looked exactly t
Page 625 and 626:
turning and backing down to a berth
Page 627 and 628:
skylight, and then joined his mate
Page 629 and 630:
landed and strutted off in high dud
Page 631 and 632:
I was abaft the wheel also, though
Page 633 and 634:
and least familiar was, I made out,
Page 635 and 636:
igid conditions of this cruise, whi
Page 637 and 638:
to clean planks and a warm cuddy. W
Page 639 and 640:
shores. Indulgent reader, you may b
Page 641 and 642:
Norderney beamed under transient mo
Page 643 and 644:
the Dulcibella, and swim the rest.
Page 645 and 646:
no one could come, there being no d
Page 647 and 648:
channel of a navigable breadth, at
Page 649 and 650:
of running aground had told me that
Page 651 and 652:
28 We Achieve our Double Aim WHEN,
Page 653 and 654:
'Is Dollmann at the villa?' 'Yes.'
Page 655 and 656:
'I think so; by the Kormoran's men.
Page 657 and 658:
'Clara?' _ 'She's_ all right. By Jo
Page 659 and 660:
ironical laugh). 'You fools,' he sa
Page 661 and 662:
side! Böhme and the rest were deal
Page 663 and 664:
'What did you say about immunity, a
Page 665 and 666:
Dulcibella--now, at once.' She had
Page 667 and 668:
tam-o'-shanter, was a miracle of co
Page 669 and 670:
een lying in a sort of trance. A bo
Page 671 and 672:
it of beating between Rottum and Bo
Page 673 and 674:
Epilogue BY THE EDITOR [For this ch
Page 675 and 676:
command of the North Sea which woul
Page 677 and 678:
minute detail, but in the grasp of
Page 679 and 680:
mechanism, but for the study of riv
Page 681 and 682:
so secure. The only logical alterna
Page 683 and 684:
taken that anything that did do so
Page 685 and 686:
eyes of the curious. [Memmert, by t
Page 687 and 688:
positively that there exist (in a p
Page 689 and 690:
the essence of such an enterprise.
Page 691 and 692:
we may have it to-day and lose it f
Page 693 and 694:
Lastly, a Manning Committee has (am
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