find a place on one of the ships. Maybe a ship where you will be a sailor and not a servant."
I had never been on this Ventura shore before in a boat. It looked like the shore at Santa Barbara farther up the coast, but there was a spit of land that ran out that had a rocky point. Between the spit and the shore was a cave. The water seemed to be quiet there and the breakers smaller than they were farther to the south. It was this cave that I aimed for.
As we approached the breakers and were squaring the boat, holding it back as best we could to catch one of the smaller waves, a current caught us. It had foam around its edges and was running swift in a line with the beach toward the rocky spit.
"Paddle hard away from the shore," I shouted to my brother. "That way we may free ourselves from the current."
We both put all our strength into turning the boat away from the breakers, thinking that we could wait until the current let us free.
But the current, with its white edges, held the boat and bore us past the cave and toward the rocks, as if we were a chip of wood.
"Be ready to jump," I said.
We were both good swimmers and as the boat struck the rocks and keeled over we jumped. The water was cold. For a while we had to fight the tide that had swept us into the rocks. The rocks were too slippery to cling to and the barnacles cut my hands. Finally, we both freed ourselves from the rocky ledge and the tide and struck out for the beach, which was not far off.
Dozens of Indians were there on the beach as we staggered ashore. We were scratched and bruised but we were alive. It was sad to see the Island Girl, pounded by the waves, slowly drifting toward us.
The Indians gave us dry clothes and some bowls of clam soup and dried beef. We were exhausted and slept all afternoon and that night. In the morning Captain Nidever rode up to talk to us.
"If there is anything left of the Island Girl, " I told him, "it is yours, if you want it."
The boat had washed ashore and was in splinters.
"There's good wood left in her," he said. "I can use it."
I handed him the compass, which I had wrapped in oilskin before we left the ship and wore around my neck.
He unwrapped it and took some directions. "Good as new," he said. "Never thought I'd get it back. I'll use it when I go to the Island of the Blue Dolphins."
"When?" I said.
"Soon."
"When?" I asked again.
"Maybe in three months. Maybe sooner. Maybe later."
"Can I go with you?"
"We'll see," he said, putting the compass in his jacket. "Women aren't good luck on a ship."
"I brought the Boston Boy good luck. They harpooned four whales while I was aboard the ship."
" Boston Boy? "
He looked surprised so I told him what had happened to us on the whaler. When I had finished the story he still looked surprised.
"You're lucky you didn't end up in Boston," he said.
"Can I go with you?" I asked him again.
"I'll think it over," he said.
Chapter 11
E VERY WEEK during the rest of the summer I went down the beach to see Captain Nidever. Just before fall I saw him at the Chumash village near Ventura. It was a pretty village that sat on the curve of a shallow headland with a white beach in front of it. The Chumash kept their canoes on this beach and it was here that I found him talking with three men.
I waited until he was finished talking and then I went and stood by his horse. After he came over and got on his horse he looked down at me and smiled.
"I'll be going out to the island one of these days," he said.
"When will it be?" I asked him.
He pushed his hat, which had a high crown and a silver band around it, far back on his head.
"Well, I can't say exactly. Depends."
He was thinking and I waited for him to get through.
"I bought two canoes from the Chumash," he said.
I did not know why he needed two but I did not ask him.
"I'm lashing the canoes together, with a little deck between. That way we can put up a bigger sail. We can go faster and bring home more pelts with two
I had never been on this Ventura shore before in a boat. It looked like the shore at Santa Barbara farther up the coast, but there was a spit of land that ran out that had a rocky point. Between the spit and the shore was a cave. The water seemed to be quiet there and the breakers smaller than they were farther to the south. It was this cave that I aimed for.
As we approached the breakers and were squaring the boat, holding it back as best we could to catch one of the smaller waves, a current caught us. It had foam around its edges and was running swift in a line with the beach toward the rocky spit.
"Paddle hard away from the shore," I shouted to my brother. "That way we may free ourselves from the current."
We both put all our strength into turning the boat away from the breakers, thinking that we could wait until the current let us free.
But the current, with its white edges, held the boat and bore us past the cave and toward the rocks, as if we were a chip of wood.
"Be ready to jump," I said.
We were both good swimmers and as the boat struck the rocks and keeled over we jumped. The water was cold. For a while we had to fight the tide that had swept us into the rocks. The rocks were too slippery to cling to and the barnacles cut my hands. Finally, we both freed ourselves from the rocky ledge and the tide and struck out for the beach, which was not far off.
Dozens of Indians were there on the beach as we staggered ashore. We were scratched and bruised but we were alive. It was sad to see the Island Girl, pounded by the waves, slowly drifting toward us.
The Indians gave us dry clothes and some bowls of clam soup and dried beef. We were exhausted and slept all afternoon and that night. In the morning Captain Nidever rode up to talk to us.
"If there is anything left of the Island Girl, " I told him, "it is yours, if you want it."
The boat had washed ashore and was in splinters.
"There's good wood left in her," he said. "I can use it."
I handed him the compass, which I had wrapped in oilskin before we left the ship and wore around my neck.
He unwrapped it and took some directions. "Good as new," he said. "Never thought I'd get it back. I'll use it when I go to the Island of the Blue Dolphins."
"When?" I said.
"Soon."
"When?" I asked again.
"Maybe in three months. Maybe sooner. Maybe later."
"Can I go with you?"
"We'll see," he said, putting the compass in his jacket. "Women aren't good luck on a ship."
"I brought the Boston Boy good luck. They harpooned four whales while I was aboard the ship."
" Boston Boy? "
He looked surprised so I told him what had happened to us on the whaler. When I had finished the story he still looked surprised.
"You're lucky you didn't end up in Boston," he said.
"Can I go with you?" I asked him again.
"I'll think it over," he said.
Chapter 11
E VERY WEEK during the rest of the summer I went down the beach to see Captain Nidever. Just before fall I saw him at the Chumash village near Ventura. It was a pretty village that sat on the curve of a shallow headland with a white beach in front of it. The Chumash kept their canoes on this beach and it was here that I found him talking with three men.
I waited until he was finished talking and then I went and stood by his horse. After he came over and got on his horse he looked down at me and smiled.
"I'll be going out to the island one of these days," he said.
"When will it be?" I asked him.
He pushed his hat, which had a high crown and a silver band around it, far back on his head.
"Well, I can't say exactly. Depends."
He was thinking and I waited for him to get through.
"I bought two canoes from the Chumash," he said.
I did not know why he needed two but I did not ask him.
"I'm lashing the canoes together, with a little deck between. That way we can put up a bigger sail. We can go faster and bring home more pelts with two
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