Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-08-11
CHAPTER XX.

Our next job was to man the port braces and bring the ship to westerly course. But before we went to this work the boatswain and l stood for some minutes looking at the appear ance of the sky.
 The range of cloud, which had been but low-lying and apparently fugi- tive bank in the northwest at mid night, was now so far advanced as to project nearly over our heads; and what rendered it's aspect more sinister was the steely color of the sky, which it ruled with a line, here and there rugged, but for the most part singu- larly even, right from the confines of the northeastern to the limits of the southwestern horizon. All the central portion of this vast surface of cloud was of livid hue, which, by decep- ton of the eye made it appear con vex; and at frequent intervals d sharp shower of arrowy lightning whizzed from that portion of it farthest away from us; but as yet we could hear no thunder.
 The approaching tempest had taken all night to climb the horizon, but I was not to be deceived by it's slow progress into believing there was no wind in it. l knew from its appear ance that it would bring with it a tre- mendOus gale and that there would be nothing to do but to run before it. This would bring us we'll into the mid Atlantic and 1 wished we were more to the northward of the Bermudas. How ever, all we could do was to make the ship as snug as possible. 1 sent the boatswain below to look at those plugs he put in the holes bored by the carpen- ter.
 Having braced up the yards and steadied the helm, we could do no more; and, resolving to profit as much as possible from the interval of rest be- fore us, 1 directed Cornish to take the wheel, and ordered the steward to go forward and light the galley fire and boil some coffee for breakfast.
 then told Miss Robertson that there was nothing now to detain her on deck, and thanked her for the great services she had rendered us.
 How well 1 remembered her as she stood near the wheel, wearing my straw hat, her dress hitched up to allow free dom to her movements; her small hands with the delicate blue veins glowing through the white, clear skin, her yellow hair looped up, though with many a tress straying like an amber colored feather; her marble face, her lips pale with fatigue, her beautiful blue eyes fired ever with the same brave spirit, though dim with the weariness of long and painful watch ing, and the oppressive and numbing sense of ever-present danger!
 On no persuasion would I allow her to remain longer on deck and although she begged to stay I took her hand firmly and led her to her cabin door. She promised to lie down and try to sleep. 1 kissed her hand and held open the cabin door for her to enter, and then returned on deck.
 A most extraordinary and wonder ful sight salutSd mo when I reached the poop.
 The sun had risen behind the vast embankment of cloud, and it's glorious rays, the orb itself being invisible, pro- jectcd in a thousand lines of silver be- yond the margin of the bank to the right and overhead, jutting out in visi- ble threads, each as dehned as sum- beam in a dark room.
 Looking far away on the weather beam, and where the shadow on the sea was deepest. l fancied that I dis cerned a black object which might we'll be ship with her sails darkened by her distance from the sun.
 pointed it out to Cornish, who saw it too, and I then fetched the tele- scope.
 Judge ui my surprise and consterna tiOn when the outline of boat with her sail low down on the mast enter d the field of the glass! l cried out: ''Irs She long-boat!'