A RACE WITH A WATERSPOUT. 75 



count, he took "dead loads of comfort." The 

 doctor gave him a flag and rigged him a flag- 

 staff, and every night and morning the rheu- 

 matic old sailor would be seen hoisting and low- 

 ering the national emblem. From a hook in 

 his room hung an old spy -glass — a remarkable 

 instrument made from several others, and from 

 which the commodore pretended to discern not 

 only various wrecks and sails, but traces of storms 

 and foul weather. 



One morning, a week or two later, the boys 

 were visiting the old man. They were sitting 

 on the little balcony, looking off on the smooth 

 water, and listening to the cries of the laughing- 

 gulls, when Busby unhooked his wonderful spy- 

 glass and peered through it for a few seconds ; 

 then looking steadily over the top a moment, he 

 announced that it was going to blow, and blow 

 hard, and that things had better be made snug. 

 The boys wondered how he knew, and each tak- 

 ing the glass in turn tried to peer through it, 

 but could see nothing but a blur. They could 

 learn nothing further from the old boatswain, 

 who, taking down his flag, hobbled down the 



