Chapter 3 third chapter

After a few struggling swims, Flip reached the boat, and flipped in deftly, while trying to keep the boat balanced so that it wouldn't tip too far and capsize.Although the clothes were soaked and stuck tightly to his body, he didn't care at all, the first sentence was: "Don't be afraid, young gentlemen, it's me." Then he said to Mrs. Clifton, "Let's do our best, ma'am, and we'll get out of this." Then he said to Mark and Robert: " Handsome young man, come and help!" He assigned tasks to the two of them, and hurriedly hoisted the sails, tightened the slings of the mast, tightened the rigging of the sail, held the rudder, and leaned towards the shore as much as possible.Although it is against the wind, it is more beneficial for the boat to dock because of the high tide.

The admirable Flip, with his naturally calm personality and trusting words, inspired this small world.Now he spoke a few words of comfort to the mother, now smiled at the children, and at the same time he paid close attention to the slightest change in the course of the boat.However, when he looked at the fragile boat and the land that was still several sea miles away, and then at the large clouds rising from the sky, and the headwind that was getting stronger and stronger, a wave of fear couldn't help but welled up in his heart .His brow furrowed and his lips were pursed.He knew, as he had said, that if the high tide still failed to reach the shore, they would all be buried in the sea.

After asking where her father was again, the little girl fell asleep in her mother's arms, and her little brother was also sleepy.The two older boys worked hard to help Flip steer the boat, making it keep coming closer to the shore.And poor Mrs. Clifton has been thinking about her husband who was separated from her by the rebel crew.Her eyes were always full of tears.What was she thinking when her eyes fell on the children?Are you thinking: Is there still a tragic fate waiting for them on that strange land?Was there a cruel, flesh-eating race on that possibly utterly desolate shore?But they had to go ashore under the threat of a possible sinking ship.Although this unfortunate woman had great spiritual strength and wanted to set a brave and fearless example for her children in the face of disaster, she was overwhelmed by the great misfortune and could not control her great grief.Between crying and twitching in pain, the name "Harry, Harry" was always on her lips.

In the end, though, they had Flip in the midst of the disaster.More than once Mrs. Clifton put her hands on the shoulders of this brave man.She said to herself that Heaven had not completely abandoned them, because they still had a noble friend, a devoted companion. The unfortunate women recalled their acquaintance with Flip during their voyage on the Vancouver.He always gives great love and sympathy to the children, and he often plays with them and makes them happy.Still, Mrs. Clifton was in a state of grief.She glanced at the deserted sea again, her sobs welled up in her throat immediately, and the tears burst out of her eyes again.With her head bowed and her face buried in her hands, she seemed completely unconscious, devastated by difficulty and grief.

About three o'clock in the afternoon, land came into view more clearly, with a tailwind of about 5 knots.But the cloud was rapidly rising over the sea, and the sun was gradually setting in the west.The sky grew darker, and the sea shone brightly in the afterglow of the sun.These are all worrying signs. "Of course," said Flip to himself, "it's not a good omen, but we have no choice but to get off this ship at once and take refuge in a warm house with a chimney. But It can't be done now, there is no way!" Just at this moment a big wave hit, the boat was shaken violently and tilted to one side.The waves crashed into the boat like a giant blanket.Standing on the bow of the boat, Mark was drenched from head to face by the sea water. He shook his head and splashed down on the sea water, like a puppy suddenly soaked by cold water.

"Be brave, Mr. Mark! Well, Mr. Mark, it's just a little sea water, a little salty, and it won't do you any harm." In order to avoid the attack of the waves, the clever sailor lowered the sail a little.Then he started talking to himself again, which was his old habit, which he always did when the situation was urgent. "If we had landed on this deserted island," he said to himself, "instead of fighting the wind and waves in this walnut-shell boat, if only we had a little hole to shelter from the wind and rain! But what a pity! We Just to endure this unstoppable misery on a sea that only shows tyrannical tempers!"

The wind blew more violently, and the rolling waves turned the sea into white, and the undulating waves slapped the water surface, and the sea water seemed to turn into mist and rise up.Seeing this scene, the brave sailor frowned even tighter. "If we don't get ashore," he began again to himself, "if we don't have a house or a cave, we're out of luck; it'd be better if we were in a strong boat Ya. Alas! Only flimsy planks. There's nothing to complain about, anyhow, hold up. Oh, the sails shouldn't go up to the top!" Yes, the sails should be lowered a little at once.The boat was rocking and in danger of capsizing, but Flip, with the help of the two children, quickly lowered the sails and the boat began to stabilize a little.

"Very well, young gentlemen," cried Flip, "what a sail this is, and look how fast we sail! I ask you, is there anything better?" At this time, it was already close to the coast, and seabirds were flying on the cliffs.Swallows, gulls, and skuas circled over the top of the boat, uttering shrill calls.Suddenly a gust of wind came and drove them far, far away. It seems that it is difficult to get close to the coast, and the shore looks very desolate and rugged.There is no tree or grass, only uneven rocks and steep cliffs.The waves crashed against the rock wall and made a roar.Obviously, it is impossible for a boat to get close to this sharp and vertical cliff.The cliffs block the coast tightly like a strong fortress, and it is difficult to find even a seam.Flip wondered how he could land on the shore surrounded by steep cliffs.To the south, there was a headland jutting out to sea for a mile or so, and was there land hidden behind its towering rocks?It is still difficult for people to judge whether this is an island or a continent.In the distance is a large mountain, with its snow-capped peak rising into the clouds.On the huge black twisted rock, you can see the groove marks washed out by volcanic lava everywhere.From this, geologists can judge that these steep cliffs are formed by volcanic lava.This is the ingenious work of Pluto, the god of hell.But could there be a gap, a crevice, a hole in the great rock, through which Flip could slip and moor his boat?This made Flip anxious and anxious.

Then Mrs. Clifton looked up, and beholding the wild, unmerciful land, her questioning eyes fell again upon the honest man. "What a pretty coast!" said Flip. "Splendid rocks, ma'am, out of which nature has made her many caves! Once we've settled in one of the caves, we light a fire with sticks How comfortable it would be to make a bed of seaweed!" "But, can we go ashore?" Mrs. Clifton asked desperately looking at the hideous strange peaks and rocks around her. "What! Can we go ashore?" replied Flip, deftly avoiding a big wave. "Look how fast we're sailing! The wind is leaving us behind, and soon, a little further on, we'll be anchoring under the cliff. I'm sure we'll find a little natural harbor for us to anchor. What a boat! It's like petrels flying on the water."

Before Flip finished speaking, a terrible huge wave hit the sky and covered the sky, and the boat was immediately filled with sea water, and almost a quarter of it was submerged.Mrs. Clifton gave a shriek, and her two little ones woke up suddenly, and hugged their mother tightly in terror.The two big boys clung to the side of the boat, stabilized themselves, and tried their best to resist the impact of the huge waves.Flip turned the rudder sharply to steady the boat, and cried: "Quick! Mr. Mark, quick! Mr. Robert, bail out the water, bail out the water, boat, bail out the boat!"

He tossed his watertight fur hat to the children, and Mark and Robert used it as a basin to scoop water out.The hat really played a big role, and the water was quickly drained. With signs and shouts of encouragement, Flapp said, "Well done, young gentlemen, you can do it! What a hat, it's ready for soup!" The water in the boat was washed clean.It can easily shuttle on the cusp of the wind and waves again.The waves carried it westward.At this moment, the wind direction has changed again.With all his might Flip pulled the hawser tight, and fixed the sail on the lowest part of the yaw, so that it faced the wind all the way.It looked as if the boat had disappeared and there was only a jib left at sea.But this is the only way to ensure that the boat will float in the waves without capsizing. As we got closer to the shore, the scene on the shore became more and more clearly revealed. "Good wind, good wind!" Flip yelled, avoiding the incoming waves one by one. "The wind turned just in time, but the wind was too strong, but we can't ask for too much." He said to Say it yourself. At half past four, it was only one nautical mile from the shore.The boat rushed towards the shore in a hurry, as if it could touch land every moment.However, the coastal landscape has not changed and is full of steep cliffs. Mark standing at the bow pointed out to Flip in time that black mushroom-like reefs were appearing and disappearing in the rolling waves.At this time, the sea water was foaming and boiling like a boiling pot.The situation is extremely dangerous, as long as the boat touches these reefs, it will be smashed to pieces. Flip, who had been standing by the helm, now stood with his legs apart and worked hard on the tiller.He was trying to find a way through the foaming waves.He knew that at any moment he might be smashed to pieces, but he couldn't let that happen, and he was determined to get ashore safely. "These rocks are awesome! Like buoys pointing the way, we'll get over it, we'll get through!" The boat was floating on the reef at an alarming speed, and the sea wind rolled the waves and slapped the land, throwing the boat to the shore.Flip drove the boat, sometimes weaving close to the foamy reefs, sometimes riding the waves over the black mushroom-like reefs, and passing by the top.Relying on the innate intuition of a seaman, he avoided one reef after another and escaped one danger after another.His wonderful intuition is more practical than the science of navigation. Flip gestured to the boys to raise the sail all the way.They understood what he meant, and untied the ropes, and the sail was fully spread round the yard.The boat was blown by the wind and moved forward at a faster speed. The question of how to land was always in Flip's mind, and he couldn't find any gap in this steep wall like a castle wall.It is impossible to land at the foot of the precipice on rough seas.There were only two hundred fathoms away from the shore, and measures had to be taken, and if they could not reach the shore, they had to continue sailing along the shore. Flip became very anxious, looking at the inaccessible land, his brow furrowed more tightly, and he kept muttering some incomprehensible words.He turned the rudder in the direction of the shore, and the boat changed direction a little, and he tried to turn around and go ashore.Just at this time, the boat was nearly capsized by a side wave, and water entered the boat again.Mark and Robert had to use their hats to scoop water out again. Flip rose from his seat.He hoped to find even a hole under the cliff, a crack that would allow him to drive the boat into it.The tide has reached its highest point, maybe there will be a sandy beach after the tide goes out?But there was no sign of the tide receding, only endless, unattainable stone walls towering in front of him. Mrs. Clifton watched the scene on the shore, and she understood the danger of landing.Facing the only land where they could avoid disaster but was difficult to dock, fear and anxiety gripped her heart tightly.She dared not say a word, or ask Flip a question. Suddenly, the expression on the seaman's face brightened, and confidence and firmness reappeared on his face. "Port!" he said simply. Yes, maybe a huge geological force has split the towering cliff face in two.The sea plunged between the cliffs, forming a small, pointed bay.Flip saw at once that this was the mouth of a river, and that it was high tide, and the tide was rough and fast. Flip steered the skiff to the bottom of the creek.The boat drifted with the waves, bumped and swayed for a certain distance, then swayed suddenly and landed smoothly on the beach.

---

Notes: