



Produced by David Edwards, Mary Meehan and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
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                        THE WRECK OF THE RED BIRD

                      A STORY OF THE CAROLINA COAST

                        BY GEORGE CARY EGGLESTON

    _Author of "The Big Brother," "Captain Sam," "The Signal Boys,"
    etc., etc._


    NEW YORK
    G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
    27 & 29 WEST 23D STREET
    1882

    COPYRIGHT BY
    G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS
    1882


    _Press of
    G. P. Putnam's Sons
    New York_




[Illustration: THE "BONES" OF THE RED BIRD]




I intended to dedicate this book to my son, GUILFORD DUDLEY EGGLESTON,
to whom it belonged in a peculiar sense. He was only nine years old, but
he was my tenderly loved companion, and was in no small degree the
creator of this story. He gave it the title it bears; he discussed with
me every incident in it; and every page was written with reference to
his wishes and his pleasure. There is not a paragraph here which does
not hold for me some reminder of the noblest, manliest, most unselfish
boy I have ever known. Ah, woe is me! He who was my companion is my dear
dead boy now, and I am sure that I only act for him as he would wish, in
inscribing the story that was so peculiarly his to the boy whom he loved
best, and who loved him as a brother might have done. It is in memory of
GUILFORD that I dedicate "The Wreck of the Red Bird" to CHARLES PELTON
HUTCHINS.

G. C. E.




CONTENTS.


        CHAPTER I. MAUM SALLY'S MANNERS                         1

       CHAPTER II. ON THE JOGGLING BOARDS                      10

      CHAPTER III. AFLOAT                                      15

       CHAPTER IV. PLANS AND PREPARATIONS                      28

        CHAPTER V. THE SAILING OF THE "RED BIRD"               35

       CHAPTER VI. ODD FISH                                    40

      CHAPTER VII. AN ENEMY IN THE CAMP                        52

     CHAPTER VIII. THE BEGINNING AND END OF A VOYAGE           59

       CHAPTER IX. THE SITUATION                               68

        CHAPTER X. PLANS AND DEVICES                           79

       CHAPTER XI. SOME OF NED'S SCIENCE                       88

      CHAPTER XII. JACK'S DISCOVERY                           101

     CHAPTER XIII. AN ANXIOUS NIGHT                           109

      CHAPTER XIV. IN THE GRAY OF THE MORNING                 120

       CHAPTER XV. CHARLEY BLACK'S ADVENTURES                 125

      CHAPTER XVI. ON GUARD                                   134

     CHAPTER XVII. A NEW DANGER                               147

    CHAPTER XVIII. A CAMP-FACTORY                             155

      CHAPTER XIX. A NIGHT OF ADVENTURE                       166

       CHAPTER XX. A CALCULATION OF PROFIT AND LOSS           177

      CHAPTER XXI. CHARLEY'S SECRET EXPEDITION                184

     CHAPTER XXII. THE LAUNCH OF THE "APHRODITE"              193

    CHAPTER XXIII. THE VOYAGE OF THE "APHRODITE"              201

     CHAPTER XXIV. MAUM SALLY                                 212




LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.


    THE "BONES" OF THE RED BIRD                   _Frontispiece._

    "LOOK OUT! HOLD THAT FELLOW AWAY FROM YOU!"                23

    THE ELOQUENT LANGUAGE OF GESTURE                          128

    "GIVE HIM A VOLLEY AND THEN CHARGE!"                      150

    THE END OF CHARLEY'S ADVENTURE                            190

    "HI! MAUM SALLY"                                          214




The Wreck of the Red Bird




CHAPTER I.

MAUM SALLY'S MANNERS.


"Bress my heart, honey, wha'd you come from?"

It was old "Maum" Sally who uttered this exclamation as she came out of
her kitchen, drying her hands on her apron, and warmly greeting one of
the three boys who stood just outside the door.

"Is you done come to visit de folks? Well, I do declar'!"

"Now, Maum Sally," replied Ned Cooke, "stop 'declaring' and stop asking
me questions till you answer mine. Or, no, you won't do that, so I'll
answer yours first. Where did I come from? Why from Aiken, by way of
Charleston and Hardeeville. Did I come to visit the