The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1864-04-22
Stlisfellarreolrs... !.
The CRUISE 0FTHE TWO DEAO0NS
a TALE IN rroIlr CHAPTERS.
(CosctupKD.)
CHAPTER VII.

A rARADoxIcAL CHAPrrR; IN WHICH rue TWO
DEAcoHs, THOUGH AT sEA, BECUME CLEARER
IN THEIR VIEWS THAN EvER BEFORE. .sH
T. At one O'Clock in the morning Fire Island
light lay on the port quarter Of the Esmeralda. /.
and was rapidly going astcrn. Deacon Allen
was again at tho wheel, and Mr.. Reeve kept the
watch with him. vrF rsg Isl .ffh lo .
The sea tonight was on dro with phosphorus.
The uater-line Of the sloop was drawn in oily
flame. Under tho counter-about the rudder,
where the back-water Joined its two streams
every hubble and curl seemed o jet Of nicroscop-
10 fireworks celebrating some submarine Indo-
pendencc-day Of the animaloules. Mr.. R.cve
went forward, and leaning over the low bul.
warks. half wondered that ho heard on explo.
sion from that leaping blaze which tho bows
threw off as they cleft the sea, and listened for
at least faint crackle from the tiny tinder
sparks that rolled to the TOP OF the black water,
and ran away, in endless changes Of figure and
brightness, TO the stern. ,J, i......a ..
The wind was still abcam, but had freshenel
up considerably since midnight when the other
watch turned in. By advice Of the Deacon the
topsail had been hauled down, and single reef
taken in tho m,insail. With this precaution
the sloop lay over to lceward quite as much rs
was pleasant for on amateur sailor; and II re-
quired considerable increase in their angle Of
bifurcation to keep the pautaloons like Mr..
Peayey's upright in state Of motion. 81. r
The sky was full Of low, shapeless. heavy
clouds-here and thero broken in patches, so
that the stars looked through them as through
the deep walls Of ragged camera-but with
the general appearance Of intending, sooner
or later, to come together and tumble bodily
into tho seq. Already, tar ahead, they had full.
filled the first part OF this intention, and en-
tirely closed over the distance into which the
Deacon was steering with dense black ceiling,
whose broken abutments rested on the sea at
either side. Still the breeze freshened as the
sloop approached their darkness. rJ Bod.
MIR. Reeve LETT his pyrotechnio entertainment
while II was In full blaze, and staggered aft,
holding on by the bulwarks.
'she heels good deal, Deacon. Sha'n't
take another rcefl' 70. b ....
'Wa'al, dunno; she rolls some, naturally,
bein' in the trough; s'pose you-try easin' off
the sheet jest leetlo instid.
Z Mr.. Reeve followed the Deacon's advice.
DO you think we're going to have storm,
Deacon Allen p said he. '1'
'Wa'al. we may get tech o osuthin stronger.
when we get under that thick scud forred. But
guess 'twon't be much, nohow. Ye oushter
a he'd more ballast In afore ye started, to carry
all the sail 80 spread, though. How much hsp
ye goti' gH.rE. Fs iha. ''.""
About twenty tons.' 'H
Thirty wouldn't hs' been might tcw much.
Ef It keeps fresh'nin' this way, wo'll hcv to
take another reef afore long. Have you looked
at the barometer latelyi' .u...
no. I'll 60 and do 1t now
Mr.. Reeve crcpt down the companion-way
softly, 30 as not to disturb the three slcepers,
and found that the mercury had fallen an inch
since he looked last As he was ascending again
Mr.. Hodge thrust his head from the berth and
said. In loud whisper, .
Arc We guing to have q storm. Reeve!' ..
As the gentleman addressed was at that mo-
ment engaged In choking down the samc Ques-
tion, hc felt the vcxation natural to human ma
turc at the man who resuscitatcdit. a..'
Storm! No, you goose Go to sleep till
you're wanted y "." '''' ......' Z.
Il think I'll dress myself and 60 on deck. I
don't care to stay in my berth with such q wind
blowing s.fat .u- ...I 10. t.f....t.
It was hardly matter of option with Mr..
Hodge, rs he lay on tho windward side, and for
the last half hour had been gallantly holding
himself In bed by the screw Of his bull's.eyc,
under the delusion that he was enjoying his nap
II was well that he came on deck. for during
the next fhesn minutes Mr.. Reeve had another
reef to take In the mainsail. and would have
found the job somewhat difficult without him.
Still the wind frcshcned still the sky grew
blacker. thicker, and moro demonstrativc OF tho
intention to tumble. The Esmerdld lay down
TO her gunwales; and every now and then tho
comb ola wave broke over her from windwsrd,
and on It's sliding away in search OF the soup
pers vet the Deacon and his two fellows in the
watch through and through. Still the Deacon
stecred grimly on into the darkness, as II 1t was
some thcologic. mystery which he eourted rath
or than dreaded /; and still Mr.. Hodge and Mr.
Reeve kept silence-partly because the Deacon
did, partly lest any attempt at conversation
should lead ono Of them. unawarc., in the pres
ence Of the other. to ask the Deacon il there was
any danger. 1som b .o ..r. .r..f 81.
An hour after Mr.. Hodge came above. Mr..
Peavey and Deacon Townsend wcro also on
deck. II was now nearly two o'clock. lo' .a...
well, Descons BOTH said Mr. Peavey. whose
calm self.estecm prccludcd any feeling Of shame
at being caught in the question, do you think
there's any dangeri' WA
But for the wind two sighs of great relief
could have been heard escaping from the breasts
Of tho two other junior partners At the sound
OF this question asked BY some one else than
themselves.
/ .wa'al. not jest YETI said Deacon Allen. So
bcrly. ss.5aa diiw il u .l-l.alr n.-
J ,Tbere msbbe bymby. said Deacon Townsend.
simultaneously. 1l ~ - igtl.T
Tho E,meralda seemed toay. Scarcely any
thing Of the water around her Was visible ex.
cent The great white orests Of the waves. which.
like ghosts Of the drowned, kept fitting hithsr
and thither In the air. rather than rising and
sslliug on tho bosom Of an unseen sea Yet iu
her,e,f, and without reference to outside way
marks. the little sloop had the feeling Of swift
,,ot;on. and a. they heard the taut sheet strain