"I TOLD YOU SO" 363 



the other. I did not find fault with her, but 

 neither could I understand her ; so I fretted and 

 fumed and smoked, and walked the deck and 

 bet on everything in sight and out of sight, until 

 the soothing influence of the sea took hold of me, 

 and then I drifted like the rest of them. 



No, I will not say " like the rest of them," for 

 I could not forgive this waste of space given over 

 to water. In other crossings I had not noted 

 the conspicuous waste with any feeling of loss 

 or regret ; but other crossings had been made 

 before I knew the value of land. I could not get 

 away from the thought that it would add much 

 to the wealth of the world if the mountains were 

 removed and cast into the sea. Not only that, 

 but it would curb to some extent the ragings of 

 this same turbulent sea, which was rolling and 

 tossing us about for no really good reason that I 

 could discover. The Atlantic had lost much of 

 its romance and mystery for me, and I wondered 

 if I had ever felt the enthusiasm which I heard 

 expressed on all sides. 



" There she spouts ! " came from a dozen voices, 

 and the whole passenger list crowded the port 

 rail, just to see a cow whale throwing up streams 

 of water, not immensely larger than the streams 

 of milk which my cow Holsteins throw down. 

 The crowd seemed to take great pleasure in this 

 sight, but to me it was profitless. 



I have known the day when I could watch 

 the graceful leaps and dives of a school of por- 



