Polly's Southern Cruise Read online

  CHAPTER IV--THE SECOND DAY OUT

  Mr. Dalken enjoyed the joke immensely and hoped it would benefit hisfriends as he had planned it should. During the night the sea calmed sothat by dawn it presented a beautiful surface of small playful waves.Consequently the yacht danced over the waters like a happy nautilus, butthe tossing had ceased.

  During the night the vessel had made wonderful headway and by breakfasttime the Captain said they were opposite Old Point Comfort. Theinformation gave rise to puns, because every member in the party exceptElizabeth, presented himself at the table, ready for a hearty meal, butone and all maintained that their improvement was due to Old PointComfort.

  Upon comparing notes of their illnesses, and the dark brown medicinegiven by the young doctor, the patients found they had been givendiluted licorice; Mr. Dalken had visited his daughter several timesduring the night, and again in the morning, but she complained that hedisturbed her rest every time he came in. Therefore he decided not toannoy her until she felt better.

  When asked by Mrs. Courtney whether it would be advisable to take alight breakfast to Elizabeth and attend her, Mr. Dalken replied: "Betterleave her absolutely alone for a short time. She may recover sooner."

  In spite of ravenous appetites and the temptation of the dainty dishessent to the breakfast table, the mariners, so recently recovering fromthe effects of the wild waves of the night before, found a suddenrelapse of well remembered conditions the moment any food touched theirtongue and palate. Thus the alluring breakfast had to be sent back tothe kitchen with regrets.

  That day the convalescents, as Mr. Dalken persisted in calling hisguests, preferred to keep quiet, amusing themselves with the periodicalsliberally provided in the lounging room, or chatting on deck andwatching the curling waves against the speeding yacht.

  Late in the afternoon, just before tea was served on deck, Elizabethcame from her room, looking very pathetic in spite of the touch of rougeon her cheeks, and color on her lips. Mr. Dalken sprang up to assist herto a chair, but she refused his support with an impatient toss of herhead. Consequently, the vessel giving a sudden graceful curve, Elizabethwas thrown head first into Mr. Ashby's arms.

  "My! It's not often that an old man has such an armful of lovelinesstossed him by the generous sea," laughed Mr. Ashby, as he assistedElizabeth to her feet. He understood the way to calm a young woman'schagrin, and compliment her at the same time.

  Elizabeth had not heard of the graduate physician's visits to the othersea sick guests, nor of the dark brown medicine he had prescribed inobedience to Mr. Dalken's orders. Hence she believed she had been theone who received all the medical attentions and the dose.

  "Dear me, I have had such an attack of cerebral neuritis," commencedshe, sighing to attract sympathy. "Unfortunately, this attack came overme from the unusual excitement due to preparing for this cruise. Thedoctor says I need more rest and a nerve tonic. I never call in suchinexperienced doctors at home, but this one seems to know exactly whatto do in my case."

  Elizabeth glanced at Mrs. Courtney, then at her father, in order toassure herself that they had comprehended what she had said. Mrs.Courtney seemed to be politely intent upon the girl's words, and Mr.Dalken smiled lovingly at his daughter. Elizabeth failed to read anysuspicion of amusement in their expressions, so she proceeded.

  "You know, I never am sea-sick--_never_! And I wondered if the rest ofyou would think that my indisposition might be an attack of theunpleasant sensations which generally prostrate inexperienced seafarers.It was rather disconcerting that this attack of nervous trouble shouldreturn the first day out at sea." Elizabeth now glanced around at thefaces about her. She felt a bit piqued at the hardly controlledexpressions of one or two of them.

  Eleanor, with her blunt honesty and impatience with any form ofsubterfuge, blurted out unexpectedly: "I, too, was indisposed,Elizabeth; but the wise young doctor informed me that I _never_ could besea-sick--my trouble was eating too much candy, and the volume of waterwhich was playing fast and loose with the yacht. He gave me this darkbrown medicine to take, and assured me that the moment the gale subsidedmy nausea would disappear."

  As Eleanor spoke she took a small bottle from her bag and held it out inplain view of Elizabeth and the others in the amused circle of friends.

  Elizabeth looked in dismay, recognized the color of the medicine, thenglanced about at the smiling faces of those who also had taken thedoctor's medicine.

  "Is this a joke you wish to play on me?" demanded she.

  "IS THIS A JOKE YOU WISH TO PLAY ON ME?"]

  "It wasn't a joke last night, I can tell you, Elizabeth," exclaimedPolly, bringing her vial to view and shaking her head deploringly as shestudied the brown liquid. "If every one on this ship felt as I did,they'd never have thought of a doctor or medicine, let alone anylicorice water."

  The laugh caused by Polly's admission failed to soothe Elizabeth. Shewas furious, but managed to demand: "Who of this group was ill?" In thismanner she thought to detect the ones who had taken such amusement infooling their friends.

  One after another in the circle admitted the truth, but Mrs. Courtneyconfessed to having spent her evening with Polly and Eleanor. That leftMr. Dalken alone. He smiled as he said: "Well, I am forced to confessthat I am the guilty one. I prescribed the doctor and his doses."

  As Elizabeth could not very well denounce her father for having playedthis practical joke on his friends as well as on herself, she merelytossed her head and turned her back upon him. He smiled to himself, thencaught Polly's glance which told him she understood the cause of hisdaughter's annoyance. Also he read a sympathy in her heart for themisunderstanding so deliberately displayed by the girl.

  Fortunately for the situation the boy now came forward and beganpreparations to serve tea. Having arranged the wicker table in front ofMrs. Courtney, without a look or word to Mrs. Fabian or Mrs. Ashby whowere in the circle, he left again to fetch the tea service. Directlybehind the well-bred young servant came an uncouth Scandinavian youthcarrying a heavy tray of viands.

  Mr. Dalken had not seen nor had anything to do with engaging theindividuals in the crew on his yacht, as that was part of his Captain'swork. And up to this moment Mr. Dalken had never seen this greatovergrown Swede. But the blonde giant had no intentions of beingignored, as he soon made plain.

  He planked his tray forcibly upon the table beside the tea servicewagon, and then turned to Mr. Dalken. No introduction was needed forhim. He was too disturbed to consider aught but his injured feelings.

  "Dot tea what yun Shink meks me fer supper, Oi not drink. Oi tek cuffeeer Oi go home!" exclaimed he with ire.

  Several of the voyagers had been quietly admiring the low-lying banks ofsoft cirrus clouds, and some had been engaged in absent-mindedlywatching the man servant arrange the tea table, when the Swede explodedhis complaint in a loud thunderous tone.

  Mr. Dalken gave a start. He was too surprised at the unlooked forcomplaint to control the nervous action. He frowned at the ponderousyouth, then waved him away. Turning to the other man he told him toserve; then he followed the wondering Swede down the promenade deck tothe culinary quarters.

  As Mr. Dalken disappeared to view, Elizabeth smiled a tantalizing smileand remarked, to no one in particular: "Dear me! I cannot understand whyDaddy engages such inexperienced servants. He always did neglectimportant things."

  An ominous silence followed this information from Elizabeth, then Mr.Ashby gayly proposed a diversion which interested his friends till Mr.Dalken rejoined the group.

  Not having heard his daughter's criticism Mr. Dalken reseated himselfand smiled as he began: "I investigated the cause of that young chap'scomplaint, because I could not very well consent to his walking backhome--not on the water, you know. And I discovered a most amusing affairback in the kitchen. Want to hear the tale?"

  Every one but Elizabeth signified eagerly a desire to hear the story.She pretended indifference to her father and his experience in thekitchen. But he did not see her face and l
aughingly began his narrative.

  "I learned that the Chef treats the crew with unusual consideration byserving the same quality tea that we drink. That poor Scandinavian ladhad never before sailed with a decent crew, it seems. In the past he hasbeen the butt for all the deep-sea sailors who sailed from their Swedishports on tramp steamers or fishing boats.

  "Captain Blake tells me that Jansen is a fine youth and veryconscientious, but too blunt for his own good. In his past experienceshe has only had the cheapest black coffee served, or a weak sort ofbitter drink faintly colored that went by the name of tea. The Captainexplained to me that such tea is made from used tea-leaves which aredried by enterprising men and stained with chemicals to produce a brownliquid with a strong flavor. Naturally, he said, such second-hand tealeaves are not any too clean. The driers do not spend time on seeing toit that the leaves are kept free from vermin and dirt. Hence it oftenhappens that sailors find unexpected dregs mixed with their tea leavesin the bottom of the pannikins in which they receive their measure ofso-called tea."

  As Mr. Dalken reached this part of his story Elizabeth gave a shudderand exclaimed in a horror-stricken tone: "Oh, Daddy! How _can_ you be soordinary as to speak of such horrible things? Any one would think youwere just common. What does it matter to us whether these plebeianseamen drink tea or salt water, as long as we are not subjected to theircoarse modes of living?"

  Mr. Dalken turned to stare at Elizabeth, and his frown should havewarned her of further pursuing such a line of condemnation. ButElizabeth was bent on punishing her father for having made her--so shedeemed it--the laughing stock of his friends by sending in a doctor whogave her licorice water to cure a serious attack of cerebral neuritis,though Elizabeth was not quite sure what such a dreadful disease was.

  "You have forgotten, I suppose, because of the recent years of your notassociating with the best society, that subjects of food are notconsidered permissible. But the very idea of any one in my class offriends, daring to broach a story such as you just began--all aboutvermin--would have instantly caused him to be excluded from us,"concluded she.

  Polly stared unbelievingly at the girl who dared say such things to afather; and the others in the group who considered themselves intimatefriends of Mr. Dalken's, could not but interpret the insolent girl'sspeech as personal affronts: had they not been her father's closestassociates for the past few years? The society which she daringlycondemned as not being good for him?

  What may have been the result of this indiscreet speech from Elizabethcould not be said, but Mrs. Courtney, in her wisdom, instantly rose tothe call for immediate action of some sort. The Captain had justannounced a "change of watch on board." She caught at the idea.

  "Oh, oh! Mr. Dalken! The Captain is about to change the watch. Cannotyou take us there and explain how this interesting act is accomplished?"As she spoke the wily woman sprang from her chair, and took two or threeeager steps in the direction of the group of sailors now appearingbefore the Captain.

  Instantly all the other members in the circle seated at the tea tablesprang up, only too thankful to catch at a straw by which to save thesituation. Mr. Dalken also rose and led the way down the promenade deckin the direction of the Captain. Elizabeth remained in her chair,shrugging her shoulders in a decidedly French manner.

  Having heard the Captain explain how changes of watch were made onvessels, the group of friends eagerly accepted his offer to conduct themover the entire yacht. They were introduced to the chef who had beencalled the "Shink" by the Swedish boy. They met and felt an interest inthe overgrown, inexperienced youth of fifteen who seemed like a heartyman of twenty-five. He grinned sheepishly when Polly selected him toaddress her admiration of his qualities of seamanship--as the Captain hadexplained it.

  Then they were introduced to the capable young Belgian waiter, Johann,who was always well-bred and attentive.

  Shink, the Chinese cook, felt so nattered by the visit of many prettywomen to his domain that his rather incomprehensible manner of speakingEnglish became choked and jumbled. Such a medley of consonants andvowels as he poured forth in a continuous flood by his twisting tongue,caused his visitors to gasp in breathless amazement. In his endeavors toshow "Honorable Boss Fren's" all the courtesy due their Most HonorableSelves, Shink bowed and chattered, even after the Most Honorable Partyhad gone.

  Unfortunately for the Oriental's peace of mind, and the welfare of theSwede the latter had stepped outside the kitchen to make more room forthe visitors. As the group of Mr. Dalken's guests were leaving thekitchen by another door from that entered by them, a great crash ofchina was heard by the excitable Shink. He leaped to the door anddiscovered the cause. Poor Wooden-top, as the Swedish lad was nicknamedby his associates, in turning to gaze after the receding form of Pollyto whom his heart was forever lost, had stubbed his toe against theraised door sill. The heavy tray of dishes which he had been carryingaloft went flying through the door to smash as best suited eachindividual dish against the opposite wall.

  Elizabeth was not to be seen when the inspecting party returned to thelounging place on deck. But it was soon ascertained that she had retiredto her own room after her friends had left her.

  That evening was a merry one. Dancing and other diversions were enjoyedby the younger members of the party, and cards were played by the olderones, to the entire satisfaction of both groups. The sea was as calm asa sheet of glass, but the Captain foretold a storm, though this was hardto believe when one gazed at the wonderful starlit sky and felt theclearness of the atmosphere.

  "The Captain says we will soon be off the coast of Florida, if we keepup this speed," ventured Polly, who had stood with the man in charge ofthe yacht for a long time that evening after dinner.

  "And there I shall have to leave you," whispered Tom, in a moody tone ofvoice.

  "You should be thankful that you were granted this lovely visit with Mr.Dalken's friends," returned Polly, purposely misinterpreting hismeaning. She hoped to steer Tom away from his constant harping on hislove for her, and demanding her sympathy in his distress over it.

  The temperature had become so balmy and delightful in the latitudes theyacht had reached, that it was a pleasure to sit on deck or walk aboutwhile thinking of the sleety, penetratingly cold air in New York City.Tom, anxious to make the most of his fast-ending visit on board thevessel, coaxed Polly to go with him and watch the moon rise over thequiet sea.

  With a desperate glance behind--much as Lot's wife must have given afterleaving Sodom to its fate--Polly sighed and agreed. There seemed to be noother alternative. Eleanor and Ruth Ashby had vanished soon after thelast dance had ended, Nancy was deep in a new novel, Elizabeth was inher own room, and the rest were playing a new game of cards proposed byMrs. Ashby.

  Tom, elated at his success in securing Polly's undivided company uponsuch a glorious night, walked with her to a cosy nook he had found inthe stern of the vessel. Here, seated upon luxurious chairs which he hadcommandeered from the lounge, he felt that any girl should be willing towatch the frothy wash of the water from the rapid cleaving of the yachtthrough its surface, and listen to an ardent lover who had much to sayin a very short space of time.

  But Polly thought otherwise. She was willing to watch the churning waterthrown this side and that by the stern of the boat, and she was eager tosee the moon rise from the horizon of the sea, but she was not keenabout hearing, again, the oft-repeated story of Tom's love and hisheartache because she would not reciprocate such love.

  Just as long as Tom kept to general topics of conversation, Polly smiledand showed an interest in him. But let him launch his love story even inthe least possible manner, and she instantly sat up and changed thesubject to one of the weather, the moon, or the landing at Jacksonville,where they were to find friends awaiting the yacht.

  Tom finally rebelled at such treatment.

  "Polly, you are cruel, and you know it! Here it has been many, many longweeks since Christmas, when you showed me enough heart to make mebelieve that you truly loved
me. But you froze up again, the next day,and since then you try to make yourself and others believe that youconsider me only in the light of a good friend. If it takes seriousillness or adversity to rouse your love, I'll do something desperate toprove you!" Tom's threat sounded ominous.

  "Tom, I really think you are mentally deranged. I've told you over andagain, that I shall take ample time to weigh my future life. It's notgoing to be a case of 'marry in haste; repent at leisure.' I have wantedto travel and see the world, and now that I have the opportunity, it issheer selfishness on your part to try to dissuade me from such joy andpleasure."

  "Oh, Polly! I am the least selfish lover in the world. I tag on at yourheels and never receive any mark of your affection. Why, you scarcelydeign to notice me, when other admirers are at hand."

  "That's not true, but I do try to show them the same attention andconsideration that any sensible girl ought to. I have said emphaticallythat I am _not_ to be considered as having been captured by you, and thefact that I have to assert myself to prove it to our friends may makeyou think it is as you say. It is your fault that this is so. I preferto be impartial and not give myself all the extra trouble to act as Ifeel, entirely free and glad to dance or enjoy the society of otheryoung men besides yourself."

  Tom made no reply, but sat staring gloomily out over the water. Pollysent him a side glance and thought to herself: "There, that frankstatement ought to hold him for a time, at least!"

  The two felt that their tete-a-tete had best end before it terminated inthe usual disagreement regarding love. The sky became mottled withbeautiful drifting clouds which formed slowly into the long, scalyappearance of what is known as a "mackerel sky." The smoothness of thesea had become a choppy, complaining surface of murmuring wavelets. Thecolor reflected from the brooding sky had turned the glassy waters intoa grey ominous sheet.

  Almost within the shaft of light coming from the saloon lights, Pollyand Tom came face to face with the Captain. He saluted and said: "Betterget ready for a turn to-night. I've just been warning Mr. Dalken, but heseems to think I am borrowing trouble. If you listen to me, you will tieyourselves in bed in order to spare yourselves being rolled outunceremoniously before dawn."

  Polly laughed and thanked the amiable Captain, and Tom stood for amoment after the officer had left them, and stared out at the sullensea.

  "It looks perfectly calm," remarked Tom.

  "Looks often belie the true condition underneath," returned Polly,precociously. Tom looked at her and laughed appreciatively.

  In the saloon the young people were trying some of the new popular songsof New York. But their efforts met with little success, and Tominterrupted them with his comments.

  "Don't tease the storm to descend any sooner by this wailing. TheCaptain says we shall all be satisfied with enough groaning andscreaming from the sea and sky long before morning."

  The Captain's warning fell unheeded, however, except by Polly who feltintuitively that the change she had seen creeping over the sky andsurface of the sea foreboded no good. Therefore, she persuaded Eleanor,that night, to place ready at hand her booties and a heavy ulster. Shedid the same.

  "But why the ulster, Polly?" asked Eleanor in amazement.

  "Because, should we have a terrific blow as oft times happens in thesetropical latitudes, it will be well worth going up on the deck. And wewill need a heavy storm-proof coat to keep us dry."

  It was past eleven o'clock when the party on the yacht broke up andevery one said good-night to every one. It was not yet twelve when Pollyadvised Eleanor to keep her booties and wraps at hand in case she wantedto don them in a hurry, and it was only a few minutes past twelve when,both girls, having jumped into bed, heard a strange soughing of the windand immediately following that, the confused shouts of the Captain andhis mates to the sailors on board. Both girls felt the rise of the seaby the way the yacht dipped and careened as if at the mercy of thestorm.

  "There! The Captain was right when he warned us of this," murmuredPolly, turning about in order to get out of her bed.

  The shouting and excitement on deck continued and Eleanor decided itmight be interesting for her to follow Polly's example and dresshurriedly in order to investigate the cause of all the commotion. Beforeshe could reach out to take her stockings and shoes, however, she wasthrown violently against the wall at the back of her bed. Polly, too,was tumbled willy nilly up against the wash stand.

  "Well! I neve----!" began Eleanor, but she never completed her exclamationof dismay. Such a roar and rumble from all sides, and such shouting andshrieking, drove all ideas from her active brain.

  The shouts came from the officers outside, the shrieks from Elizabethwho occupied the neighboring cabin.

  Hail, great volumes of water, and bits of debris were hurtled againstthe glass in the portholes, and at the same time the awful rolling andtossing of the vessel added dismay to braver hearts than that of thespoiled darling of a foolish mother in New York.

  The storm drove the yacht straight southward, which was fortunate; alsoit was a fortunate matter that the Captain had foreseen this change inweather and had prepared for it in time. What he had not expected, andan unusual experience it was, was the cloud-burst which followed theadvance signals of the hurricane.

  Polly and Eleanor had managed to get into their heavy storm coats andshoes, and were prepared to leave their room and watch events when thesound of a heavy metal grating against the door of the corridor whichopened into the living room of the yacht, made them exchange glances.

  "That sounds as if we were prisoners. It must have been the iron barthat the Captain said they used when there was danger of the heavy seasbreaking the doors open," said Polly.

  "All the more reason why I should wish to be out and get the benefit ofsuch a storm," ventured Eleanor.

  "And all the more reason why I shall hold you indoors," instantlyretorted Polly.

  Eleanor laughed. "Yet you were the one to suggest that I get out my coatand shoes, to be ready to hurry out and watch the storm should it comeour way."

  "I had no idea that we were bound to run head first into a hurricane, ora tidal wave! _I_ meant a simple, little old-fashioned gale."

  Suddenly the White Crest lay over on her beam ends and both girls slidhelplessly down against the wall where they clutched at the smooth door,trying to hold to something firm and trustworthy. The sound of thescreeching, howling wind now rose to a deafening shriek which preventedany one from hearing a word spoken, even though the speaker was close toone's ear.

  By sheer means of strength and purpose Polly managed to drag herself upto a level with the round porthole, in order to get a look outside. Shesteadied herself in this slanting position while holding fast to thebrass hinges and knob of the heavy-framed glass.

  "Oh, Nolla! It is magnificent! The waves are a mass of boiling, seethingphosphorescence which actually light the whole sea! If you can holdfast, try to stand up and see."

  By dint of clinging to Polly's legs and then holding fast to her waist,Eleanor managed to stand beside her friend just long enough to take onelook at the fearsome sight of the ocean.

  With a hushed cry of dismay Eleanor let go her hold and in anotherminute she was rolled over and over upon the floor with no means ofending the game of bowls until she had clutched the leg of her bed.

  "Oh, Polly! I wish I had never looked! I'm sure we shall not be able tocombat such a storm," wailed Eleanor.

  "Don't you go and follow Elizabeth Dalken's example of fear and criesfor help," came from Polly who still clung to the window and watchedwith fascinated eyes. But even her powers of endurance gave way as amonster wave, crested with such bluish, iridescent light as would havedaunted the bravest nerve, rushed up against the plaything which Mr.Dalken believed to be proof against all the elements.

  It struck the craft with a thundering blow and at once it seemed as ifpandemonium was loose. Elizabeth yelled and screamed, other voices couldbe heard shouting and screaming at the top of good powerful seamen'slungs, and
the pounding of water on the deck and against the door madeboth girls shiver with apprehension. Polly had let go her grasp on thebrass knob when the unexpected flood of water came up against thewindow, consequently she was shunted over against the wall besideEleanor.

  Half a dozen great seas went over the craft while Polly and Eleanorcrouched against the wall in utter despair of thinking of a way to hushthe nerve-racking screams from Elizabeth. When the storm seemed to reachits height, and the girls felt that they would be lost unless somethinghappened quick, there came a sudden and awesome lull.

  "Oh, thank goodness, it is over!" sighed Eleanor getting to her feet,and making an effort to reach the door of her room.

  "Let's get out and join the others, Nolla, because I have heard thatsuch sudden lulls are merely harbingers of something worse," advisedPolly.

  "There can be nothing worse than what we've just passed through," saidEleanor, with a hysterical sound in her tones.

  "Oh, yes, there can! Hurry into Mrs. Courtney's room," said Polly,pushing her friend quickly out of the room and over to the door of theroom where they expected to find their friend.

  The room was vacant. The girls stared at each other, and Polly thoughtshe heard voices in Elizabeth Dalken's room. She managed to reach it,open it, and then, before she could say a word, the lull was broken.

  Both girls were tossed like cockle shells into the room where Mrs.Courtney was trying to soothe Elizabeth Dalken's nervous hysteria. Atthe same time such a frightful sound of pounding waters on the deck andsides and top of the yacht drove apprehension deeper into their souls.Even courageous Mrs. Courtney showed her sense of fear.

  "What is that noise?" whispered Eleanor in a weak voice.

  "I don't know, dear," replied Mrs. Courtney, "but it sounds like a cloudburst. The moment it is over we shall be all right."

  And this is what it turned out to be. A hurricane from off shore,suddenly sweeping up gigantic clouds of water by its sheer force ofvelocity across the waves, and then suddenly emptying its sac of waterover the defenseless craft which bravely defied the storms, endeavoredto sink it.

  With the pouring out of its last vial of wrath the hurricane subsided,and in half an hour all was quiet without: all but the shouting andrushing of the sailors as they ran to and fro on their duties. With thefour in one small room, Elizabeth felt safer and was soon quieted. Thenwhen the vessel seemed to resume its untroubled course, she settled downand fell asleep. Mrs. Courtney and the two girls who had been hurtledinto the room, left her and closed the door softly as they went out.

  "I am going to go out and see what can be seen," ventured Polly, butMrs. Courtney dissuaded her.

  "You may be in the way of the carrying out of the Captain's orders,Polly. Better remain satisfied with going to the saloon. I expect tofind all the others there before us."

  Thence the three made their way, and true to predictions, the grown-upswere assembled there talking over the narrow escape they had just had.

  "What time is it?" asked Eleanor of Tom Latimer.

  "It must be near dawn," added Polly, anxiously.

  "Well, it isn't," replied Tom, as he took out his watch. "I had not yettaken off my coat and vest when this storm came upon us. I rushed out ofmy room at the first blow and offered my services to the Captain, but hehad prepared, thank God! We wouldn't be talking over events now had henot understood the forecast of the weather."

  Tom showed the two girls his watch and to their surprise they realizedthat all had happened in less than twenty minutes. It was but just oneo'clock.

  "Then we ought to get back to bed and coax our beauty sleep to sootheour nerves," laughed Mrs. Courtney.

  "So we shall, as soon as Shink sends in our hot malted milk. He claimsit will soothe any nerves--the way he can concoct it. I ordered him toprepare a cauldronful for the crew, too, as they needed calming morethan any one I ever saw. Not from fear or nerves, but from doing thework of ten times their number in order to keep us afloat." Mr. Dalkenseemed seriously thoughtful for a moment after he spoke, then he added:

  "I am the only one here who realizes the close call we had. The Captainwith his preventive measures before the storm broke, and the readyobedience of his crew, saved us this night. Not only did we run foul ofone of the fiercest hurricanes that sweep over the sea at this latitude,but we also managed to get under the deluge that broke when thehurricane began to lose power and let go its hold on the great mass ofwater it managed to hold aloft during its swift circling about our poorlittle craft.

  "Thank God for that Swedish lad! Had it not been for his powerful musclein the moment of extremity, we would now be without a Captain. It allhappened so suddenly that no one had time to think. The sudden cloudburst, or water spout, fell just as Captain Blake started to cross thedeck, and the volume of water would have carried him overboard but forthat young giant. Instead of thinking he acted. He threw an arm aboutthe brass bar and caught hold of the Captain's arm as he was washed pasthim. With a grip like steel the rescuer managed to work his way, handover hand clutching to the water-washed rail, until he had reachedsafety.

  "Well, such is the life of a sea-faring man!" concluded Mr. Dalken, ashe sat and thought of the past danger.