26 



RECREATION 



and at last made out their distant forms 

 winnowing in scattered array far in 

 toward shore. "Too bad, durn it," 

 growled the skipper, ruefully shaking 

 his head. "We won't get no more. 

 When them tha' gulls quit it's a sign 

 that the blues have shighed and quit 

 huntin' the small fellers. Wow !" he ex- 

 plosively added, and a glance at the 

 line told that there was a serious case 

 of blue trouble at the other end. "Now 

 we hev got 'em!" he grunted, as he 

 struggled with his prize, which when 

 boated needed no second glance to 

 prove its superiority over mine. "Best 

 take a holt again. No! Well, out she 

 goes!" he hurriedly remarked, and a 

 blind man might have seen that 

 he really didn't crave a change of 

 places. 



But alas ! the totally unexpected 

 happened, for without warning the 



good breeze played us false, so false 

 that for hours we could not even make 

 tne inlet, to say nothing of further 

 trolling. But we had good grub and 

 tobacco and the sea was only two feet 

 below. I peeled as easily as a boiled 

 potato and enjoyed a glorious swim, 

 which alone was well worth the trip. 

 Finally I climbed aboard and soon af- 

 ter we both got into an argument with 

 the grub. A loaf and a smoke followed 

 and eventually our lost, strayed or 

 stolen breeze found its way back and 

 the good old sloop lazied homeward. 

 Pleasant? Aye! wondrous pleasant. 

 Far from the madding — clean, whole- 

 some and in every way beneficial. O 

 reader, make arrangements with the 

 skipper and upon your return, deny, if 

 you dare, that there is at least one form 

 of that blue devils which is not very 

 depressing. 



THE GREAT SOUTH SEA 



By GRACE BARTON ALLEN. 



Oh, it's many a day since our ship left port, and the land dropped down out of view ; 

 And it's many a day did she tack and veer, for the contrary winds that blew, 

 Till she leaned to the strength of the northeast trades, with all of her canvas free, 

 And they sent her bowling along her course, which was set for the great south sea. 



Oh, it's day by day that the sun grew hot, as we sailed down out of the north, 



And the sky and the sea took a warmer tone than they wore when our ship set forth. 



There were flying-fish skimming in glittering shoals when the weeks of our voyage were three 



And the ocean about was like fire at night, as we drew toward the great south sea. 



Oh, it's then when the latitude grew low, that the favoring breezes fell ; 



There were languid airs ; there were thunderstorms ; there were calms with scarcely a swell 



But, while seeming moveless., she floated on, she was over the first degree, 



And at last she drifted across the line, and we came to the great' south" sea. 



Oh, the southeast trade winds, they fill our sails and our course it is full and by, 

 And we know, till the roaring forties are passed, we shall still see but water and sky. 

 We are weary of all that has gone before, we are sick of the used-to-be; 

 They have sunk to the under side of the world, and the top is the great south sea, 



