The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-31

justify tie length of days run, that the
ship is sagging downhiII; but how these
upe and downs come about has not yet
been settled authoritstively.
No. II is following sea, said Frithfof;
land with following sea you viii not get
good steeFage way"
The sea was as smooth as duck-pond.
except for regular oily swell. As l
looked over the side 70 see where IL might
be following us from. the sun rose in per-
iectly clear sky and struck the water with
It's light so sharply that il seemed as
though the sea should clang like burn
ished gong. The wake of the screw and
the little white streak cut by the log-iine
hanging over the stern were the only
marks on the water as far as the eye could
reach.
Keller rolled out Of his chair and went
aft TO get pineapple from the ripening
stock that we're hung inside the after avn
ing
"Frithiof, the log-line has got tired of
swimming. It's coming home" he
drawled.
"What9" said Frithiof, his voice jump
ing several octayes.
looming home" Keller repeated, lean
ing over the stern ran to his side and
saw the log-line. which till then had been
drawn tense over the stern railing, slacken
and loop. Frithiof called up the speaking
tube TO the bridge, and the bridge an
swered: Eyes, nine knots an hour. you old
idiot" Then Erithiof spoke again, and
the answer was, what do you want of the
skipper?f' and Frithiof beloved, Call
him up"
By this time Zuylsnd, Keller and myself
had caught something of Frithiof's excite
ment, for any emotion on shipboard is
most contagious The captain ran out of
his cabin, spoke to Frithiof, looked at the
log-line, jumped on the bridge, and in
minute we felt the steamer swing round as
Frithiof turned her.
'Going back to Cape Town 2" said Keller.
Frithiof did not answer, but tore away
at the wheel. Then he beckoned us three
TO help, and we held the wheel down till
the Rathmines answered it, and We found
ourselves looking into the white of our
own wake, with the still oily sea tearing
past our bows, though we were not going
more than hall steam ahead.
The captain stretched out his arm from
the bridge and shouted. A minute later l
would have given great deal to have
shouted too. for one-haif of the sea seemed
to shoulder itself above the other half, and
came on in the shape of hill. There was
neither crest, comb nor curl-oyer to it;
nothing but blue water with little waves
chasing each other about the tanks. I
saw il stream past and on level with
the Rsthmines' bow-plates before
the steamer made up her MIND
to rise, and | argued that this would be
the last Of all voyages for me. Then we
rose for ever and ever and ever, till heard
Keller saying in my ear: 'The bowels of
the deep. good Lord - and the Rathmines
stood poised, her screw racing and drum
ming on the slope of a hollow that
stretched downward for q good half mile.
We went down that hollow nose under
for the most part, and the air smelt wet
and muddy like an emptied aquarium
There vas a second hill to climb; saw
that much; but the water came aboard
and carried me aft till ii damned me
against the smoking-room door, and be-
fore could catch breath or clear my eyes
again we were rolling to and fro in torn
water with the scuppers pouring like caves
In a thunderstorm.
There were three waves" said Keller
''and the stoke-hold's flooded"
The hremen were on deck waiting, ap-
parently, TO be drowned. The engineer
came and dragged them below, and the
crew, gasping. began to work the clumsy
board of Grade pump. That showed moth
ing serious, and when / understood that
the Rathmlnes was really on the water
and not beneath it, l asked what had hap
pened.
''The captain says it was a .blow-up
under the sea- volcano" said Keller.
LII hasn't warmed anything" L said. /
was feeling bitterly cold, and cold was
almost unknown in those waters. i went
below to change my clothes, and when
came up everything was wiped out in
ciinging white fog.
Are there going to be any more sur
prises?" said Keller TO the captain.
81 don't know. Be thankful you're
alive, gentlemen. That's q tidal wave
thrown up by volcano. Probably the
bottom of the sea has been lifted a few feet
somewhere or other. l can't quite under
stand thin cold spell. Our sea thermom-
eter says the water is A degrees, and 1t
should be IS degrees at least"
Its ahominable, said Keller, SILVER
ing. "But hadn't you better attend to the
fog horn? 1t seems to me that / heard
something"
Heard! Good heavens :" said the cap
tain from the bridge. II should think
you did" He pulled the string of our fog
horn, which was weak one. It sputtered
and choked, because the stoke hold was
full of water and the fires were half
drowned, and at last gave out a moan. Ii
was answered from the fog by one of the.
most appalling steam syrens that have
ever heard. Keller turned as white as I
did, for the fog, the cold fog, was upon US.
and any man may be forgiven for fearing
the death he cannot see.