246 TKAVEL, ADVENTURE, AND SPORT. 



great to be uttered aloud, and in the hope that some 

 partial relief might be obtained by not spreading the 

 report too quickly. Then for a while it changed the 

 nature of all, in respect of moody peevishness, re- 

 ducing us to a uniform level. Our very occupations 

 seemed hateful ; the piano was shut ; the mere men- 

 tion of whist was met by a reproving shake of the 

 head ; and the editor of a newspaper, published 

 weekly on board, refused to issue the looked -for 

 journal, as if to say : " Whilst there is so much 

 going on to excite your hopes and fears, what need 

 have you of amusement 1 ? nor are you in a proper 

 temper to receive it, even if offered." For a moment 

 Captain Anderson lost his ever -hopeful smile, and 

 Messrs Canning and Clifford slightly forgot their 

 usual courtesy. Mr Gooch went below, vainly at- 

 tempting, through sleep, to obtain oblivion, and Mr 

 Field locked himself in his cabin, to draw up a fresh 

 prospectus. Mr Halpin uttered more than his usual 

 allowance of oaths; whilst Mr de Sauty, his occu- 

 pation gone, fetched his largest pipe, and, standing 

 with his back against the doors of his electric office, 

 with hands plunged deeply into his pockets, smoked 

 fiercely, as if to conceal his anxiety behind the densest 

 cloud. Even the two young Eussells lost their usual 

 spirits and no wonder, for failure, to them, meant a 

 speedy return to school and all its restraints in lieu of 

 the promised holiday in the States ; whilst Master 

 Johnny was guilty of strange neglect, for the pet 



