The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-04-25

slices of cold chicken, looked very
nice; yet somehow l had no appe
tite. There was general smell Of
tar about everything. Then the shir
gave sudden lurches that made il
u matter of uncertainty whether
one was going to put his fork tC
his mouth or into his eye. The
tumblers and wineglasses, stuck in
rack over the table, kept clink.
ing and clinking; and the cabir
lamp, suspended by four gilt chains
from the ceiling, swayed to and frc
crazily. Now the floor seemed tC
rise, and now it seemed to sink
under ones feet like feather-bed
There were not more than doz.
en- passengers on board, including
ourselves; all of these, excepting q
bald-headed old gentleman,--a re.
tired sea-captain,- n,-disappeared
into their state-rooms at an early
hour of the evening.
After supper was cleared away
my father and the elderly gentle
man, whose name was Captain
Truck, played at checkers; and !
amused myself for while by
watching the trouble they had in
keeping the men in the proper
places. Just at the most exciting
point of the game, the ship would
careen, and down would go the
white checkers pell-mell among
the black. Then my father laugh
ed, but Captain Truck would grow
very angry, and vow that he
would have won it in a move or
two more, if the confounded old
chicken-coop-that's what he call
ed the ship-hadn't lurched.
"I-I think L will go to bed now,
please" said, laying my hand on
fathers knee, and feeling exceed
ingly queer.
1t was high time, for the Typhoon
was plunging about in the most
fashion. 1 was speedily
tucked away in the upper berth,
where l felt trife more easy at
first. My clothes were placed on a
narrow shelf at my feet, and it was
a great comfort to me to know that
my pistol was so handy, for L made
no doubt we should fall in with Pi-
rates before many hours. This is
the last thing l remember with
any distinctness. AT midnight, as
1 was afterwards told, we were
struck by a gale which never left
US until we came in sight of the
Massachusetts coast.
For days and days 1 had no sem
sible idea of what was going on
around me. That we were being
hurled somewhere upside-down,
and that L didn't like it, was about
all knew. 1 have, indeed, vague
impression that my father used to
climb up to the berth and call me
his "Ancient Mariner" bidding me
cheer up. But the Ancient Mari
ner was far from cheering up, if I
recollect rightly; and I don't be-
lieve that venerable navigator
would have cared much if it had
been announced to him, through a
speaking-trumpet, that "a low,
black, suspicious craft, with raking
masts, was rapidly bearing down
upon US"
In fact, one morning, I thought
that such was the case, for bang!
went the cannon l had noticed in
the bow of the ship when we came
on board, and which had suggested
to me the idea about pirates.
Bang! went the gun again in few
seconds. l made a feeble effort to
get at my trousers-pocket! But
the Typhoon was only saluting
Cape Cod,-the first land sighted
by vessels approaching the coast
from a southerly direction.
The vessel had ceased to roll, and
my sea-sickness passed away as
rapidly as it came. / was all right
now, "only little shaky in my
timbers and a little blue about the
gills," as Captain Truck remarked
to my mother, who, like myself,
had been confined to the stateroom
during the passage.
AT Cape Cod the wind parted
company with us without saying
so much as "Excuse me;" so we
were nearly two days in making
the run which in favorable wealth.
er is usually accomplished in seven
hours. That's what the pilot said
] was able to go about the ship
now, and / lost no time in cultiva.
ting the acquaintance OF the sail.
or with the green-haired lady on
his arm. 1 found him in the fore.
castle,-a sort of cellar in the front
part of the vessel. He was an
agreeable sailor, as had expected
and we became the best of friends