Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-08-05
I'Did you heave 1t in your watch, Mr.

He had como on deck to relieve me at four.
 Let's heave the elog," I exclaimed, 'I shall be better satisfied"
 I gave the glass to Stevens, and while arranging the log-ship, looked over the side, and said:
 By Jove, she's walking and no mistaker'
 'I allow that we're going ten." said the man at the wheel.
 ''I give her thirteen good" saidL
 ''Call it fifteen, and you'll not be far out" observed the boatswain.
 The carpenter cooked his evil eye at the water, but hazarded no conjecture.
 ''She can sail--if she can't do noth- ing else," was all he said.
 I flung the log-ship overheard.
 ''Turn!" cried out.
 l saw the knots fibbing out like string of beads. The reel roared in the boatswain's hands, and when Stevens roared ''Stop!' I caught the line and allowed it to jam me against the rail, as though the weight of it, dragged through the water at the phenomenal speed at which we were supposed to be going, would haul me overheard.
 What's that knot there, MT. StevensP'' I called out. Bear a hand; the line is cutting my fingers in halves!'
 He put down the sand-glass and laid hold of the line where tho knot was, and began to count.
 "Fifteen!" he roared.
 looked at Stevens triumphantly, as though l should say, what do you think of that?"
 II told you you wur wrong, MT. Royle," said the boatswain. tits all fifteen. By jingo! it ain't sailing, it's engine-drivin'.
 The true speed of the Grosvenor was about nine and half knots not more; and whether the carpenter should believe the report of the log or not was nothing to me.
 ''Log it fifteen on the slate, boson, and keep the log going every hour" ] said, and went below again.
 l saw, as was now my custom al every meal, that the steward took good breakfast to the Robertsons' cab in, and then sat down with Stevens tc the morning repast.
 l took this opportunity of suggesting that if the wind held, and the vessel maintained her present rate of speed, we might hope to be in the Gulf ot Mexico in fortnight.
 "How do you make that out? It was three weeks yesterday"
 "And it might have been 8 month," l answered.
 But few days of this kind of sail ing, let me tell you, MT. Stevens, make a great difference m one's calcula. tions."
 "How fur off is the Gulf of MexicoP'' he asked.
 About a couple of thousand miles,"
 "Oh, a couple of thousand miles Well, an what reckoning do you get out O thatP''
 Suppose you put the ships pace down at thirteen knots an hour?'
 "I thoughtyo made it fifteen?" he queried, looking at me suspiciously
 "Yes, but don't suppose we shall keep that up. For the sake of argu ment call it thirteen"
 "WellP" cramming his mouth as he spoke.
 Stop bit," I exclaimed; 'I want to show you something"
 1 entered the captains cabin, pro- cured a chart of the North and South Atlantic, including the Eastern Ameri- can coast, and spread it upon the table.
 "The two thousand miles I have right off the Mississippi. See here"
 He rose and stopped over the chart.
 "The short cut to the Gulf," l pointing with my pencil, ''is through the Florida channel, clean through the Bahamas, where the navi. gation is very ugly"
 .GT 500 1p
 Il wouldn't trust myself there with out pilot on any consideration, and, of course," said I, looking at him, i've don't want a pilot"
 '1 should rayther think we don't" he answered, scowling at the chart.
 ''So," went on, ito keep clear of ships and boats, which are sure to board us if we get among these islands should steer round the Caribees, do you seeP-well away from them, and up through the Caribbean Sea, into the Gulf. Doyou follow me?"
 ''Yes, yes-I see."
 ''Now, MT. Stevens" said I, very gravely, '1 want to do my duty to the crew and put them and myself in the way of getting ashore and clear of from all bad consequences.
 The scoundrel tried to meet my eyes, but could not, and he listened to me gazing the while on the chart.
 But don't think should succeed if l got among those islands blocking up the entrance of the Gulf; and as to the Gulf itself, you may take your oath it's full of ships, some of which will pick you up before you reach the shore, while others are pretty certain to come across the vessel you have abandoned, and then-look outr'
 He swallowed some coffee hastily, stared at the chart, and said, in suriy voice: ''What are you driving atP''
 '1nstead of our abandoning the ship in the Gulf of Mexico" said, my opinion is that, in order to assure our safety, and lessen the chance of detec- 5ion, we ought to abandon her clear of these islands, to the nor ard of them, off this coast here-Florida, pointing to the chart.
 ''You thing soP'' he said, doubtfully, after long pause. : T am certain of it We ought to and upon some uninhabited part of 'he coast, travel along it northward until we reach town, and there rep- resent ourselves as shipwrecked sailors.