A TEMPESTUOUS CRUISE 





shortened sail when the fog covered 

 us, as we did not care to make much 

 speed under such conditions, we soon 

 wanted all our canvas to keep the 

 ship steady and to prevent her from 

 rolling her rail under. At the flag 

 gun (for you must know we were a 

 flag ship), there was not wind enough 

 to blow out a lighted match. 



About this time our attention was 

 attracted by some little confusion 

 about the forehatch, and presently 

 two of the sailors lifted out of the 

 depths below an instrument that 

 looked like a cross between an old- 

 fashioned pump and a hand-organ. 



"What in ■ is that thing?" 



Pardon, I forgot we had acquired, in 

 Portland, the reputation of Salvation 

 Armyites. Our curiosity was soon 

 satisfied, for out belched the most 

 unearthly sounds that mortal man 

 could listen to and live. Our host 

 said it was a new patent fog horn. 

 We asked if the inventor survived, 

 and if it was intended that this noise 

 was to scare the fog away. We were 

 surely safe, so far as collision was 

 concerned, for any vessel approach- 

 ing would doubtless think the sea ser- 

 pent, or some other monster of the 

 deep, was let loose on him. The light- 

 house answered immediately, the 

 keeper probably thinking a cattle 

 ship was sinking near by, and that 

 he heard the groans of the drowning 

 beasts. 



There being now no steerage way, 

 we soon swung around into the 

 trough of the sea. And then came 

 a thrashing and rolling and churn- 

 ing that cannot be described. The 

 foreboom seemed desirous of in- 

 specting the topmast and the boats 

 bent on looking in the cabin win- 

 dows. 



Supper was announced and the con- 

 dition of things below was even more 

 appalling. To keep your plate on 

 the table was utterly impossible, and 

 all liquids had to be taken by ab- 

 sorption, for as soon as you tried 

 to put anything in your mouth, it 

 was thrown violently in your face, and 

 trickled affectionately down beneath 

 your shirt collar. In about 30 seconds, 



my napkin held three pol 

 plate of soup, souk- meat, with a full 

 allowance of gravy; half a pitcher of 

 ice water, a glass of wine, a -.1 

 preserves, a roll of charts, and but 

 memory fails me. 



By this time it was dark, and we 

 lay perfectly helpless in the tremen- 

 dous sea. The fog lifted a little, 

 after night set in, and we could 

 two lighthouses Boon Island to the 

 northwest and the Isleof Shoals'light 

 nearly due south. Shortly before 

 midnight we turned in; of COUl 

 leaving a watch on deck, and tried to 

 get some rest. At least, we hoped we 

 might be rocked to sleep. 1 had 

 hardly touched the pillow, when I 

 found myself in the wash basin, with 

 the ice pitcher wrong side up on my 

 head, and the ice rolling about t he- 

 cabin floor. A grunt from my com- 

 panion who was sharing the watch 

 below 7 . 



"Is that you or the ice pitcher?" 

 He said: 



"I don'treally know: I just picked 

 up something, but can't say which it 

 was — myself or the pitcher. Have 

 you a piece of rope out there? I want 

 to tie one of us in the bunk, so we will 

 not come together again." 



In this way the night passed, and 

 at four o'clock we went on d< 

 again, with the old pilot, and found 

 the tog had shut down once m< 

 Nothing was visible tor more than a 

 few feet about us. 



As I have said, some good people 

 in Portland mistook us tor Salvation 

 Army soldiers. It they could 1 

 heard us. during these temp stuous 

 days and nights, anathematizing the 

 fog, the wind, the- sea, and all tin 

 therein, they would never a ^ain 

 pect us of such affilial 

 would more likely have 

 members of tin- histori 

 Flanders." When we fir t w< 

 stairs there was no air: but soon ! 

 draughts began to ripple the 

 and ' the boat started I 

 headway. The ^.uls st< 

 that thepitching and rollii 

 most stopped, and the motion ; 

 easy, graceful and pleasant 



