R. L. STEVENSON AND LLOYD OSBOURNE 105 



captain gloomed and chafed, as he held to the 

 coaming of the house, and if ever I saw dormant 

 murder in man's eye, it was in his. God help the 

 hand that should have disobeyed him. 



Of a sudden he turned towards the mate, who 

 was doing his trick at the wheel. 



"Two points on the port bow," I heard him say; 

 and he took the wheel himself. 



Johnson nodded, wiped his eyes with the back 

 of his wet hand, watched a chance as the vessel 

 lunged up hill, and got to the main rigging, where 

 he swarmed aloft. Up and up I watched liim go, 

 hanging on at every ugly plunge, gaining with 

 every lull of the schooner's movement, until, 

 clambering into the cross-trees and clinging with 

 one arm rountl the masts, I could see him lake 

 one comprehensive sweep of the south-westerly 

 horizon. The next moment he had slid down the 

 backstay and stood on deck, with a grin, a nod, 

 and a gesture of the finger that said '• Vcs " ; the 

 next again, and he was back sweating and squirm- 

 ing at the wheel, his tired face streaming and 

 smiling, and his hair and the rags and corners of 

 his clothes labiiing round him in the wind. 



Nares went below, fetched \\\) his binocular, and 

 fell into a silent perusal of the sea-line ; I also, with 

 my unaided eyesight. Little by lillle, in that white 



