New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-03-30
CHAPTER XLVI.
sTRrGGLING EASTWARD.

Tho SIM seemed to grow hotter as he westered,
and tho sky northward took deeper liquid TINT;
Int gradually the breeze briskoued until, al
o'clock it was making loud hummlng aio1'' WIN
white clouds in the eye of IT coming up large ana
fall. snow-tinted in their brows, and prsmatlc
colors like bits of rainbow in their skirts; their
shadows gave new life TO the sea, that was now
running in narrow ridges OF az beautiful Olue as
tho heavens every azure summit flashing into FOAM
Rnt I was more concerned with the brig and with
keeping bright lookout for land ahead than Win
,birl;no of lie picture the ocean made, though
had eyes for shower of fyingfsh that spanked ont
% ,yrdward in a glttering fight, repeated hall
scors of times, and for cleaning green body that
might have passed for huge wedge OF emerald ana
that | reckoned to be a dolphin, which Kept pace
with us 70 windward in the wake of the tmld,
lovely little prey it chiveying.
There was rec-lOg abait the deck-house' ana
had It hove and made the speed tribe less IMAM
,iv knots This was better than 1 should have
boned from the bows and of the old hooker
and VET the breeze now blowing would have sent
the Stratbmore ahead at ten miles an hour. The
orlv sails the brig wanted the foretopgallant-
call and the 1ying lib; for she carried no royals,
her wards perhaps being thought square enough TO
enable her to do without them; yet, with all her
canvas as well set hauling taut could BRING H. the
wards lraced in, every cloth doing its work the
hull so light that it might have passed for floating
houoon the wafer smooth and the head-swell much
zoo gentle TO bother her, the Sarah Jane was barely
giving us six knots. Well, thought l to my
self if we're not taken out of her by some passing
shin our voyage to Australia bids far to be long
one. for if we can't do better than this under the
most favorable conditions which could betall YES
sell what's to happen Ii we meet with heau Wlhus OF
light, battling airs q. y, nj, 49,.
dam Island was in sight about point on the lee
how a looming bit of blue, with the running waters
trembling between IT and us f0nIieen OF IitecF "a
miles astern was the island we had left ike bit OF
amber in the western sunshine. We had another
three hours of daylight before us ana glad was TO
feel the wind freshenng yet, and the Duh BOWS lot
ward bursting with roaring hoI5c u, ti,I No. t
wafer for long before the darkness Tell the breeze
would have brought us well wlnln tHe scope Oh any
ewes that might be upon the land there, ana IL was
not likely TO draw no 50 hack but that boat could
see and fetch u.s. if we hove to, and waited bit.
All this while all the hands mad been lqll OF Pusl-
ness making ready the deck-hOuse for themselves
skinnng and cutting up the goats INTO JOINTS boil
inc the crabs and shellhsh in cdpfuls to make room
in the tubs for those when were lci1 unfotpkeuI
cleaning up the decks, washing blankets winch nad
been come at by the cook Tor caDin use. Inc
bo'sun kept Ift with me much OF the time ana there
was a hand Ia the forctop with the orig Telescope
working away with II at the growing and DipLten-
ing island, ready to report signal or boat II eyer
such thug should heavo INTO inc view OF MS
lenses little before q, when the men we're think
ing OF going to supper told the bosun We might as
well divide them into watches there ana then, ana
asked him to send them aft as ] wanted 10 say
something to them. His hoarse voice sounded, and
In tygOs and thTCcs the came along to past the
maiumast and stood In "a cluster fronting the cabin
door. If trouble don't sweeten humanity, can an
swer for ii that they make feOw-teeling sharp, and
find warm heart for man TO THINK 81 his com
rades i'm trouble with j could not look at those
seamen without kind OF longing 10 grasp every
ones hand. Rough they were, ana grny as the
deuce for YOU sec they'd had no leisure yet Tor
gash-down, and what with hunting Tor CRABS ana
shooting goats and clearing up the decks, ana 50
forth, their toll had been both dirty ana nara ana
had You found them as they then appeared, IN
shippDg-vard, cruising along an last End street
you'd have backed out OF their road, and passed on
wondering what earth the British merchant
sailor was coming to. But how well they had done
their duty how uncomplaningly they had accepted
the pryatOns Of shipwreck! What heart they had
maintained, what spirits what an honest sense OF
discipline! and could forget how they had taken
their rest in the cold, damp night air, upon the
rocks of that iron island, that Aunt Damars and
Florence might enjoy such poor privacy as the
wIetched hut had yielded themf Oh, my lads, let
us always think kindly of poor Jack. Rough and
reckless he may DO, with more faults than you have
time and patience TO count; but in my opinion he is
never so bad but that there's more good in him than
you'll find in scores of men who reckOned really
good ashore; and let ship-Owners and captains say
what they like TO the contrary, my belief is that
there's no ships fore casle a0at that does not hold
kinder hearts warmer feelings, more generous ma
lures, more manly and more unseihsh qualities az,
mixed up as they may be with curses and growlngs,
God knows too often richly justlhedl than you'd
end In the biggest building in Great Britain, choke
full of landsmen, from the noblenan down 10 the
chimncy-sweep.
my fads, said /, 'Pve ordered you to step aft to
INT Aouestou TO you. I've taken charge so far, be-
SaI,so q heads wanted and we're bound to make q
start. But don't want TO be skipper here without
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