28 
THE STRANGELAND BIRD LIFE 
out, but it was so very delightful after the great 
heat he had endured that he just drifted happily 
on the waves or skimmed along in the vessel’s 
lee, and refused to puzzle much about it. 
On and on they traveled, day after day. 
Sometimes his ship turned back to the north, 
but at such times he waited for another little 
steamer which was going south. Always he 
found a welcome from the strange sailors, 
though he could not understand a word of the 
strange tongue which most of them spoke. 
“Rock me to sleep, mother, 
I’m going round the Horn.” 
Stormy heard a stray English sailor singing it 
as the sun went down one night. He wondered 
what it meant, that song of the sailor. He was 
going to find out, but not right away. 
He went to sleep that night safe on the 
waves. The wind was contrary to the sailing 
vessel he was following, and he felt quite sure 
