THE SEA'S WAY 



27 



of a gang of riveters working overtime and anxious to go home. 

 With every wave that swept the deck a gush of salt water 

 came down the stove pipe and burst from between the grates 

 in a miniature flood. That meant another trip to the deck with 

 rope and canvas. We tried to salvage some of the material 

 drifting about on the cabin floor. It was useless. As soon as one 

 object was stowed another came loose. The flat stove Hds re- 

 placed on the range jumped off again when the ship suddenly- 

 plunged to one side and then back with a severe jolt. This same 

 jolt sent the pair of us spinning the length of the cabin to pile 

 in a sodden heap at the far end. It was impossible to stand. 

 Progress was feasible only by clinging tightly to fast objects 

 and waiting for a lull. The best method was crawling. Even 

 then the lurching and pitching would hurl us reeling into the 

 far wall and back again. After a time we gave it up and let 

 the jumble take care of itself. 



Our bunks were made of canvas stretched between metal 

 frames. On our knees and between slitherings we slacked the 

 canvas until it formed a deep hollow; then we piled in. Only 

 thus were we able to keep our positions. As it was, we had to 

 maintain a constant grip on the sides to keep from being 

 thrown out. We could not sleep. It was diflicult even to doze. 

 Hour passed hour in monotonous succession. Every now and 

 then we could hear something give, vague sphnterings and 

 tearings that came to us through the howling of the wind. Time 

 and time again great waves would smash aboard. We could see 

 them coming through the ports. We thanked the gods that we 

 had full steamer ports of three quarter inch glass instead of the 

 flimsy things generally used on vessels as small as ours. We 

 could see these huge waves mount up and up, could see the 

 bow dip as if to plunge into the depths, could see the oncom- 

 ing mountains suddenly rise and curl and then break in a dark 

 blue welter of foam and solid water. When they hit it was 



