Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-07-25

in the power of any captain sailed |
with to iniure me, and perhaps ruin |
my prospects. Every thing in seafar-
ing life depends upon reports and tes-
timonials; and in these days, when de-
mand for officers is utterly dispropor-
tionate to the immense supply, owners
are only too willing to listen to objec-
tons, and take any skipper's, word as
an excuse to decline your services or get
rid of you.
Neither the Captain nor Mr.. Duckling
appeared ON deck again. The pilot
came up and looked about him, but
took no notice of me, although was
In plain sight, and after looking about
for few minutes returned below.
Fingered for three-quarters of an hour
on deck, during which time the slight
breeze died entirely out and most
perfect calm fell. Perhaps the moon
would bring a breeze with her as she
rose at twenty minutas past nine, SO
filed another pipe to await her COM
ing.
As / struck a match, the stewart
came halfway up the poop-ladder to
tell me that the spirits were on the
table.
"Did the captain send your" I
7 asked.
mo, SIR" he answered. st thought
I'd let you know, as they'll be cleared
away after nine, and my orders are not
to serve them again when once they're
slowed away for the night. That's the
captains rule"
s.All right" said L Another time I
should have gone below and had my
| glass of grog; but considered it my
| best policy to keep clear of Coxon until
the temper that had been excited by
my unfortunate production of the ships
biscuit was cooled down.
l took some turns along the deck,
and shortly after nine one of the lamps
in the cuddy was extinguished, and on
looking through the skylight found
that the three men had left the table.
The crew had evidently turned in, for
L heard no voices; and now that the
talking which had been going on in the
cuddy no longer vexed the ear with
roagh accents, a profound silence and
peace came down upon the ship.
At last up rose the moon. She made
her coming apparent by -paling the
stars in the southern sky, then by pro-
iecting a white mist of light over the
horizon. Anon her upper limb, red as
fire, jetted upward, and the full orb,
vast and feverish as the setting sun,
|
solemnly, lifting with her black mist
that belted her like a circle of smoke;
this vanished, and by degrees, .percep-
tible to the eye, her color changed; the
red chastened into pearl, her disk grew
smaller and soon she was well above
the horizon, shining with most clear
and silvery splendor, and making the
sea beneath her lustrous with mild
light. But not a breath of air followed
her coming. The heavens were CLOUD
less and the sea wonderfully calm. J
might keep watch all night, and still
have nothing to report; so, hooking
the ashes out of my pipe, ,,escendec
the poop-ladder and entered my cabin
,|-~< CHAPTER I'LL
Ihad slung a cot, although there wa
good mahogany bunk in the cabin
| No sensible person would sleep in
bunk at sea when he could swing in
hammock or cot. Suppose the bunk i
athwart ship; when the vessel goe
about you must shift your pillow; AM
very often she will go about in you
I that when you wake you find your fee
! are in the air, all the blood in you
body in your head. -~<s-a.---,..,.. .--,~
: The watch on deck had orders to ca
e the captain if change of wind came
: also 1 knew that the pilot would be ur
q shifting about, off and on through tn
: night; so I turned in properly an
slept soundly until two; when wakin
r up 1 drew on my small clothes an
: went on deck, where found Ducklin
b housing about in the moonshine in
pair of yellow flannel drawers, he hay
d ing, like myself, come up to see if an
/, wind was stirring. He looked like ne
d kind of monkey in his tight white ri
d and immense head of hair. mo WING
= no windr' he muttered, in sleep
b grumble, and then went below with
Is run, nearly tunbling, in fact, hea
g over heels down the companion-ladde
). returned to my cabin, and when
y next awoke found my cot Violent
) swinging. thought for the momel
a that we were under way and in a heay
is sea, but on looking over saw M
:. Duckling, who exclaimed: "Out wit
II you, Mr.. Royle! There's a good breez
from the east ards. Look alive ar
d call the boatswain to pipe all hands. ;
d Hearing this / was wide awake
d once, and in few minutes was ma
t. ing my way to the boatswain's cabi
:, a deck-house on the port side again
the forecastle. He and the carpent
70 were fast asleep in hunks placed OF
|. over the other. I laid hold of Il
h boatswain's leg and shook it He 8
y up.7piIh hands, sirp" ~ ! ~
s ayes; look sharp. bosun."
d He was about to speak. but stoppt
ID short and said: "Aye, aye, sir;" wher
1T upon hurried aft. ->~r~.>.-+"- - ''.>.sa'
Of 1t was twenty minutes past five
10 the clock in the cuddy. The sun h;
" been risen half an hour, and was {
g; ready warming the decks: But the
II was a fine breeze; which brought rip
~ fresh morning smells from the lal
lg with it, and made the water run
w little leaps of foam against the ship
~ side. -. -. -+-%>~~~|sS'--].r'ssz1~-
IL Captain Coxon and the pilot we
= both on the poop, and as l came I
)p the former called out: S'~~sHa~-~-Rss
ut n sis the boatswain awake yetP'
Y, sGYes sir - I answered.. and div