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The wind came off cold and cheerless, in fitful gusts, from the shore, and moaned and howled through the rigging; the rain beat on our decks; and broken cross-seas tumbled and danced round us like imps of evil, eager to prevent our escaping from their malign influence. Thus wore on the night.
When the lifeboat escaped from the turmoil of cross-seas that raged over the sands and got into deep water, all difficulties and dangers were past, and she was able to lay her course for Greyton harbour. "Let's have another swig o' that cold tea," said Bob Massey, resuming his rightful post at the helm. "It has done me a power o' good.
The wind held pretty steady, and the Van der Werf made nothing of the cross-seas, being a beamy craft and fit for any weather in a sea-way. Jacka conned her very careful, and decided there was no use in driving her; extra sail would only fling up more water without improving her speed. So he jogged along steady, keeping her full and by, and letting her take the seas the best way she liked them.
The 19th of June was fine, but on the morning of the 20th another gale was blowing, accompanied by cross-seas that tumbled about and shook things up with great confusion. Just as I was thinking about taking in sail the jibstay broke at the masthead, and fell, jib and all, into the sea.
"The gale blew out by night, but we lay in smotherin' cross-seas that made the auld Kite chatter from stem to stern. I slowed to thirty-four, I mind no, thirty-seven. There was a long swell the morn, an' the Grotkau was headin' into it west awa'. "'She'll win to Rio yet, tail-shaft or no tail-shaft, says Bell. "'Last night shook her, I said. 'She'll jar it off yet, mark my word.
She came on like a cork that is rushed down a gutter by a shower, only giving a roll and going yard-arm under as cross-seas hit her. At last she stopped. "Touched," said one of the men. But she rose again and lumbered yet a few yards forward. Then she beat herself heavily, and the next sea doubled clean over her. "We can't do nothin', chaps. The coble winnot get two yards till she's over."
The Karluk, with her narrow beam, was lithe and active as a great cat in those waves. It took not only strength, but watchfulness and experience to hold the course in the welter of cross-seas. Lund, whose recognition of voices was perfect, moved amidships as soon as Carlsen and Peggy Simms came aft.
"There there throw her off three points That's it," he added, as the tug floundered on her new course, a course no longer into, but across, the waves, which now began to come from everywhere, buffeting the tug, keel and bow, rail and pilot-house crazy cross-seas, fighting among themselves, slashing, crashing, falling over one another.
Talcott played also on the flute, far better than I did myself; and we frequently made a trio, producing very respectable sea-music better, indeed, than Neptune often got for his smiles. In this manner, then, we travelled our long road, sometimes contending with head-winds and cross-seas, sometimes becalmed, and sometimes slipping along at a rate that rendered everybody contented and happy.
And I said to myself, 'It's little Frank! Now what do you suppose he came to me for? What do you suppose it means? It means somethin', I know that." "Means that you weren't sleeping well, probably," I answered. "Jim, here, will dream of cross-seas and the Point Rip to-night, I have no doubt." Jim promptly declared that if he thought that likely he shouldn't mind so much.
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