Brendan continued weaving through the ice, but it was not easy. At last, sliding over an iceberg, she sprung a leak. The crew used the pump to keep Brendan from swamping, but it was very tiring and they could not keep it up forever. They kept it up until morning, and then the captain found a leak. The tremendous pressure on the leather had burst a hole in one place, but they could fix it. George and and Trondur put a patch on it, which was something that they would not have been able to do if Brendan had not been made of leather.
That was the first and only time they let Brendan steer herself for a while. The crew was so exhausted that they just took down the sails and lashed the helm and went to sleep.
More soon!
Bell
Friday, January 31, 2014
Monday, January 27, 2014
In Freedom's Cause
Chapter 16:
The wild Irish took Archie and Ronald to see their chief, Fergus. He told Archie that, well the Irish wanted to get rid of the English, it would not be possible to do what the Scots had done and were doing. The Irish had no patience for that kind of fighting. Archie then went to see another chief, and found the Irish there already in one of those small uprisings that occurred often. But they would not do anything except charge the enemy. Archie saw that the Irish could not do what the Scots had done, and so he went back with Ronald to the island were the king was.
Chapter 17
The king went back to the mainland, and he decided to keep on harrying the English. The English went after him several times, but they could not lay hands on him. They caught many others and killed them without mercy. The king would not kill any of his prisoners, but the young Douglass did. Douglass killed any and all of his prisoners, giving no more quarter than the English.
A great danger here came to the king. The English had his favorite blood-hound, and they kept trying to catch him with it. Archie determined to either kill the hound or to set it loose.
Chapter 18
Archie went to the English camp, and acted like he was a poor, half-witted man who had been one of Bruce's retainers. The English lord in charge of the camp gave him charge of the dog, Hector, on Archie's pretending that he used to wash the dog. Hector knew Archie, and they got along very well. A traitor came in and told them were Bruce had last slept. They took Hector out there and they almost caught the king. But they were going up a steep hillside, and when he got to the top ahead of the knights on foot who had followed him he set Hector free and pushed boulders down on the knights below. He then escaped and joined his men and later the king.
Marry Kerr sent her retainers to join him, which very much confused Archie, and here the chapter ends.
More soon!
Bell
The wild Irish took Archie and Ronald to see their chief, Fergus. He told Archie that, well the Irish wanted to get rid of the English, it would not be possible to do what the Scots had done and were doing. The Irish had no patience for that kind of fighting. Archie then went to see another chief, and found the Irish there already in one of those small uprisings that occurred often. But they would not do anything except charge the enemy. Archie saw that the Irish could not do what the Scots had done, and so he went back with Ronald to the island were the king was.
Chapter 17
The king went back to the mainland, and he decided to keep on harrying the English. The English went after him several times, but they could not lay hands on him. They caught many others and killed them without mercy. The king would not kill any of his prisoners, but the young Douglass did. Douglass killed any and all of his prisoners, giving no more quarter than the English.
A great danger here came to the king. The English had his favorite blood-hound, and they kept trying to catch him with it. Archie determined to either kill the hound or to set it loose.
Chapter 18
Archie went to the English camp, and acted like he was a poor, half-witted man who had been one of Bruce's retainers. The English lord in charge of the camp gave him charge of the dog, Hector, on Archie's pretending that he used to wash the dog. Hector knew Archie, and they got along very well. A traitor came in and told them were Bruce had last slept. They took Hector out there and they almost caught the king. But they were going up a steep hillside, and when he got to the top ahead of the knights on foot who had followed him he set Hector free and pushed boulders down on the knights below. He then escaped and joined his men and later the king.
Marry Kerr sent her retainers to join him, which very much confused Archie, and here the chapter ends.
More soon!
Bell
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Brendan Voyage
Brendan was just sailing along when she blundered into the remains of some pack ice that had been blown apart by a gale. She was in a lot of trouble, trying to keep off the ice and make sure that she wasn't squashed. The whole crew had to get up again and again, manning the sails to give more steering way or watching for ice ahead. They couldn't sleep anyway, with the ice knocking on the thin leather all around. The crew kept on in spite of this, but it was just not possible to avoid all the ice. It was all different colors, very pretty but you couldn't look at it without thinking what would happen if Brendan hit the ice, which rather ruined it. The colors would tell you what kind of ice it was, and if it was a choice between hitting one piece or the other, which one would be worse to hit. They kept on like this for a long time. At this point, the section ends.
More soon!
Bell
More soon!
Bell
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
In Freedom's Cause
Archie was on the island of Rathlin with Bruce and such of Bruce's followers as remained with him. The fishermen had to go out in many weathers now, because of the visitors. Archie went out with them one day but a gale blew up so they turned back. The wind prevented them from getting to the land, and they had to head for an island where some monks had a monastery. The monks sheltered them until the storm had abated enough for them to get back to land. The king and his followers were very glad to get Archie back, and the king had a mission for him: to go and see if the Irish could help them or not. Archie set out with one of the fisherman's sons as interpreter. They got to the island and ended up in the same cave as some of the wild Irish.
More soon!
Bell
More soon!
Bell
Brendan Voyage
Brendan was having some problems with waves. The captain was on watch, when a big wave came tumbling over Brendan and completely submerged her. It looked like she was going to roll over, but the air in her pulled her up to the surface. Nothing was broken or damaged except the captain's peace of mind. George had a similar experience during his watch but again nothing was damaged.
Brendan was supposedly well clear of the ice, but one day they saw floating chunks of ice. They thought that it was just an ice raft but they were wrong. They kept going, thinking that they would find the end soon, but it just stretched on and on. Then a ship came up, a Faroese ship. Brendan was almost invisible against the ice, but George had a brainwave. He used the signal mirror and Svanur headed over to them. She gave them some food, and pulled her out of the ice trap that they had blundered into. Not long after on that same day, an American ship came into view. They were very confused about Brendan, but once the Americans on board Mirfak understood they gave Brendan so much food that George had to give some of it back! Brendan sailed on, well away from the ice and provisioned in plenty.
More soon!
Bell
Brendan was supposedly well clear of the ice, but one day they saw floating chunks of ice. They thought that it was just an ice raft but they were wrong. They kept going, thinking that they would find the end soon, but it just stretched on and on. Then a ship came up, a Faroese ship. Brendan was almost invisible against the ice, but George had a brainwave. He used the signal mirror and Svanur headed over to them. She gave them some food, and pulled her out of the ice trap that they had blundered into. Not long after on that same day, an American ship came into view. They were very confused about Brendan, but once the Americans on board Mirfak understood they gave Brendan so much food that George had to give some of it back! Brendan sailed on, well away from the ice and provisioned in plenty.
More soon!
Bell
Monday, January 13, 2014
In Freedom's Cause
Chapter 12
Bruce had gathered his followers and they were ready to oppose the English. They were camped at Methven, having prepared to meet the English the next day. Archie was not pleased with the way that Bruce had thrown away all the advantages of the Scottish mobility.
They were resting, when the English charged then in the dark. The Scottish were defeated, but the king was saved though many nobles were taken prisoner.
Chapter 13
Bruce and his followers had to split and take to the woods. Archie went off hunting, and was attacked by some of the McDougalls who were escorting a young lady. He surrendered to her, as he would have been killed otherwise and she promised him his life. She took him to the castle of Dunstaffnage where her uncle lived. He imprisoned Archie, to kill him the next morning. This would have been done but that the girl, Marjory, imposed upon the priest to help her set Archie free. This was done, and he rejoined Bruce in the forest.
More soon!
Bell
Bruce had gathered his followers and they were ready to oppose the English. They were camped at Methven, having prepared to meet the English the next day. Archie was not pleased with the way that Bruce had thrown away all the advantages of the Scottish mobility.
They were resting, when the English charged then in the dark. The Scottish were defeated, but the king was saved though many nobles were taken prisoner.
Chapter 13
Bruce and his followers had to split and take to the woods. Archie went off hunting, and was attacked by some of the McDougalls who were escorting a young lady. He surrendered to her, as he would have been killed otherwise and she promised him his life. She took him to the castle of Dunstaffnage where her uncle lived. He imprisoned Archie, to kill him the next morning. This would have been done but that the girl, Marjory, imposed upon the priest to help her set Archie free. This was done, and he rejoined Bruce in the forest.
More soon!
Bell
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Brendan Voyage
The waves were swamping the boat. Every time a big or medium-sized one hit, it was back to the pumps quick and hope that you got the boat pumped out in time. The waves were getting to be a big problem, but they couldn't do much about it. If they tried to use some of the tarpaulin to cover the place the waves came in, that would just make another hole. Every time a wave came in it swamped the cabin. The radios were long-suffering, almost drowning every time. The journal that Tim was writing his notes in was soaked and the ink ran all over the pages. Tim was thinking about it when he remembered the spare pieces of leather that they had to plug leaks if needed. They used these to make a kind of shield around the helmsman, although it was very uncomfortable to steer. The waves quit swamping the boat now, and very seldom did one get in.
More later!
Bell
More later!
Bell
In Freedom's Cause-Chapters 10-11
Chapter 10
Edward was coming with an army, so Wallace got ready to meet it. He would have won the battle of Farlkirk, but Comyn, one of the Scottish nobles, deserted at the critical moment and insured that the Scots would lose. After this defeat, Wallace decided to go to France. He was sure that if he stayed in Scotland, the nobles would never join him. But if he left, they might rally together to help Scotland.
11
Archie was now 23 years old, and was tall and strong. He helped Comyn, the new champion of Scotland, when called upon, but did not really like Comyn.
Comyn surrendered to England, and Archie realized that there was no hope unless Robert the Bruce could be persuaded to join Scotland's cause. He went to London dressed as an English middle-class person and persuaded Bruce that his duty rested with his country.
Bruce and Comyn had made an agreement about the division of land and kingship that left Comyn the more powerful, though Bruce had not realized that. Comyn now went and revealed it to the king of England, betraying Bruce. Flight was unavoidable, and Bruce could do nothing about it. He and Archie fled to Scotland, there to finish what Wallace had begun.
More soon!
Bell
Edward was coming with an army, so Wallace got ready to meet it. He would have won the battle of Farlkirk, but Comyn, one of the Scottish nobles, deserted at the critical moment and insured that the Scots would lose. After this defeat, Wallace decided to go to France. He was sure that if he stayed in Scotland, the nobles would never join him. But if he left, they might rally together to help Scotland.
11
Archie was now 23 years old, and was tall and strong. He helped Comyn, the new champion of Scotland, when called upon, but did not really like Comyn.
Comyn surrendered to England, and Archie realized that there was no hope unless Robert the Bruce could be persuaded to join Scotland's cause. He went to London dressed as an English middle-class person and persuaded Bruce that his duty rested with his country.
Bruce and Comyn had made an agreement about the division of land and kingship that left Comyn the more powerful, though Bruce had not realized that. Comyn now went and revealed it to the king of England, betraying Bruce. Flight was unavoidable, and Bruce could do nothing about it. He and Archie fled to Scotland, there to finish what Wallace had begun.
More soon!
Bell
Monday, January 6, 2014
Brendan Voyage
Brendan has her crew back after their winter break. The weather was calm at first, giving them time to remember lessons learned the last year and get back into the swing of things. They had bird visitors as well as human ones. Some fishermen stopped by and gave Brendan some of their catch.
But the good weather did not last forever. The bad weather struck, and the pack ice was not that far away. The winds were driving them towards the pack ice, the wrong direction for getting to North America. The stove stopped working, and the replacement parts didn't fit. Tim managed to make the stove work on one burner. Trondur caught seabirds often, so they had fresh meat.
The wind was still blowing them in the wrong direction, and they kept getting soaked by waves. They had to pump the boat out often or they would be waterlogged and the waves would sink them.
More soon!
Bell
But the good weather did not last forever. The bad weather struck, and the pack ice was not that far away. The winds were driving them towards the pack ice, the wrong direction for getting to North America. The stove stopped working, and the replacement parts didn't fit. Tim managed to make the stove work on one burner. Trondur caught seabirds often, so they had fresh meat.
The wind was still blowing them in the wrong direction, and they kept getting soaked by waves. They had to pump the boat out often or they would be waterlogged and the waves would sink them.
More soon!
Bell
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