The herald., 1897-09-19

gan to murmur sleepily Of home to the
ears Of men.
That night, while the ship rushed
foaming to the northward before a
freshening gale. the boatswain un-
bosomed himself to the petty officers
berth: THE chap was nothing but trou-
ble," he said, from the moment he
came aboard-d'ye remember-that
night In Bombay? Been bullying all
that softy crowd-cheeked the old man
we had to go fooling all over a half
drowned ship to save him. Well nigh
a mutiny all for him-and now the mate
abused me like a pickpocket for forget
ting to dab lump of grease on them
planks. So I did. but you ought to have
known better, too, than to leave a nail
sticking up-hey. Chips?'
And you ought to have known bet
ter than to chuck all my tools overheard
for i'm, like a skeary greenhorn," re-
torted the moody carpenter.
A week afterward the "Narcissus"
entered the chops Of the Channel.
Under white wings she SKINNED low
over the blue sea like a great tired bird
speeding to its nest. The clouds raced
with her mastheads; they rose astern
enormous and white. scared to the zen
ith, flew past. and falling down the
wide curve Of the sky seemed to dash
headlong into the seattle clouds swift
er than the ship, more free, but with
out home. The coast to welcome her
stepped out of space into the sunshine.
The lofty headlands trod masterfully
into the sea; the wide bays smiled in
the light: the shadows of homeless
clouds ran along the sunny plains, leaped
over valleys, without a check darted up
the hills rolled down the slopes, and the
sunshine pursued them with patches of
running brightness. On dark cliffs
white lighthouses shone like pillars Of
light. The Channel glittered like blue
mantle shot with gold and starred by
the silver of the Gaping seas. The
"Narcissus" rushed past the headlands
and the bays. Outward-bound vessels
crossed her track, lying over. and their
masts stripped for a slogging fight with
the hard sou'wester. And inshore a
string Of smoking steamboats, waddled.
hugging the coast, like migrating and
amphibious monsters, distrustful Of the
open waters
The "Narcissus." heeling over to off,
shore gusts. rounded the South Fore
land, passed through the Downs. and,
in tow. entered the river. A low cloud
hung before her-a great opalescent and
tremulous cloud. that seemed to rise
from the steaming brows Of millions OF
men. Long drifts of smoky vapors soil
ed 1t with livid trails; 1t throbbed to
the beat Of millions of hearts, and from
1t came an immense and lamentable
rumor-the rumor Of millions Of lips
praying, cursing, signing. jeering-the
undying rumor Of folly, regret, and hope
exhaled by the crowds Of the anxious
earth. The "Narcissus" entered the
cloud: the shadows deepened; on all
sides there was the clang of iron. the
sound of mighty blows. shrieks. yells.
Black barges drifted stealthily on the
murky stream. A mad tumble OF be-
grimed walls loomed UP vaguely In the
smoke. bewildering and mournful. like
a vision Of disaster. The tugs. painting
furiously. backed and filled In the
stream. to hold the ahip steady at the
dock-gates: from her bows two lines
went through the air whistling. and
struck at the land vicioualy. like pair
Of snakes. A bridge brohs IN two be-
fore her, as II by enchantment; big ny
drauiic capstans began to turn AL by
themselves, ~ though animated ~ =