The herald., 1897-08-22
Copyright, 1897. by Bacheller Syndicate.
SYNOPSIS

SYNOPSIS.
The ship "Narcissus" is lying in Bonn
bay harbor, ready to sail for England
C9aptain Allistoun Is commander. and and
second mates respectively. The other
characters of this tale. with the excep-
tion of Podmore, the cook, a most pious
individual are sailors, and the prin-
cipal ones connected with the narra-
tive are; Sullivan. an old seaman OF a
type now rarely met with-silent and a
philosopher; Donkin, new hand, Il worth
less fellow who knows his rights and Is
only too ready to teach others theirs;
James Wait (Jimmy), West India A. ne.
In strength but afflicted with a terrible
cough; Craik, nicknamed Belfast; Wa
maibo, a Russian Finn. Archie; Charley; +;
and Knowles. lame sailor.
PART II.
Next morning. at daylight, the MAR
cissus" went to sea. A slight haze
blurred the horizon. Outside the har-
Dor the measureless expanse of smooth
water lay sparkling like floor of jew
els. and as empty as the SKY. Heading
south the "Narcssus' seemed to stand
resplendent and still upon the restless
sea, under the moving sun. Flakes of
foam swept past her sides; the water
struck her with flashing blows; the
land glided away, slowly fading; few
birds screamed on motionless wings
over the swaying mastheads. But soon
the land disappeared. the birds went
away: and to the west the pointed sail
of an Arab dhow running for Bombay
rose triangular and upright above the
sharp edge of the horizon. fingered, and
vanished like an illusion: then the
ships wake. long and straight. stretch
ed itself out through a day of immense
solitude. The setting sun. burning on
the level Of the water, famed crimson
below the blackness of heavy rain
clouds The sunset squall. coming up
from behind. dissolved itself into the
short deluge of a Kissing shower. 1t
left the ship glistening from trucks to
waterline, and with darkened sails. She
ran easily before a fair monsoon, with
her decks cleared for the night; and,
moving along with her, was heard the
sustained and monotonous swishing of
the waves, mingled with the low whis-
pers of men mustered aft for the set
ting of watches; the short plaint of
some block aloft or, now and then, a
loud sigh of wind.
The passage had begun; and the ship,
a fragment detached from the earth,
went on lonely and swift like a small
planet. Round her the abysses of sky
and sea met in an unattainable from
tier. A great circular solitude moved
with her, ever changing and ever the
same, always monotonous and always
imposing. Now and then another wan
dering white speck. burdened with life,
appeared far off-disappeared; intent
on it's own destiny. The sun looked up
on her all day, and every morning rose
with a burning, round stare of undy-
ing curiosity She had her own future;
she was alive with the lives of those
beings who trod her decks; like that
earth which had given her up to the
sea, she had an intolerable load of re-
grets and hopes. On her lived timid
truth and audacious lies; and, like the
EARTH she was unconscious, fair to see
and condemned by men to an ignoble
fate. The august loneliness of her path
lent dignity to the sordid inspiration of
her pilgrimage. The days raced after
one another, brilliant and quick like
the flashes of a lighthouse, and the
nights. eventful and short resembled
f1eeting dreams.
The men had shaken into their places,
and the half-hourly voice of the bells
ruled their life of unceasing care. Night
and day the head and shoulders of a
seaman could be seen aft by the wheel,
outlined high against sunshine or star
light, very steady above the stir of re-
volving spokes. Captain Allistoun,
grave. and with an old red muffler
round his throat, all day long pervaded
the poop. At night, many times he rose
out of the darkness of the companion,
such as a phantom above a grave. and
stood watchful and mute under the
stars, his night-Shirt fluttering like a flag
then, without a sound. sank down
again. He was born on the shores of
the Pentland Firth. In his youth he at
tanned the rank of harpooner in Peter
head whalers. When he spoke of that
time his restless blue eyes became still