United States or Philippines ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"No, sir," replied Tom, laughing. "I went into a store to order one, and they wouldn't trust me." "Wouldn't trust you, Tom!" exclaimed the captain. "Show me the place, and I'll smash in their deadlights." "I don't know as I blame them. I was a stranger to them." "But, Tom, you mustn't go home without a uniform. Come with me, and you shall be fitted out at once. I'm proud of you, Tom.
Farther forward he could hear the voice of Billings, singing cheerfully to himself in the galley; and, filtering through the galley hatch and open deadlights, the voice of Forsythe, uttering angry commands to some one on deck. He had no personal design upon Billings, nor at present upon Forsythe, so he searched the armroom.
There was no more firing... He tossed aside the empty weapon, made sure of Popinot's on his hip, approached one of the deadlights, placed a chair, climbed upon it, and with infinite pains managed to wriggle and squirm head and shoulders through the opening.
"For the love of Gawd," he groaned, wiping the blood from his eyes, "are they goin' to beach her in this gale?" The galley was lighted by two large deadlights, one each side, too small to crawl through, but large enough for a man's head. Murphy reached his head through one of them and looked aft. They had surrounded the wheel, and their war-cries were audible.
Set in the cabin's walls were four deadlights, windows of biconvex glass that enabled the man at the helm to see in every direction. The cabin was dark; but my eyes soon grew accustomed to its darkness and I saw the pilot, a muscular man whose hands rested on the pegs of the wheel. Outside, the sea was brightly lit by the beacon shining behind the cabin at the other end of the platform.
It was very fortunate for him indeed that the Sybarite happened to have been built for pleasure yachting, with deadlights uncommonly large for the sake of air and light, else he would have been obliged to run the risk of opening the door to the saloon and fighting his way out and up to the deck. As it was, the business was difficult enough.
This operation, simple enough in itself and being immediately undertaken by the whole three, was easily accomplished. The screws fastening the bolts by which the external plates of the deadlights were solidly pinned, readily yielded to the pressure of a powerful wrench.
Harkye, harkye, brother, d ned hard to engage with three at a time, one upon my bow, one upon my quarter, and one right a-head, rubbing and drubbing, lying athwart hawse, raking fore and aft, battering and grappling, and lashing and clashing adds heart, brother; crash went the bolt-sprit down came the round-top up with the deadlights I saw nothing but the stars at noon, lost the helm of my seven senses, and down I broached upon my broadside."
"Have I clapped deadlights on my optics, or am I gone plumb locoed?" bellowed the amazed captain, as he saw the little craft dancing lightly on the sunny waters. "You are certainly not mistaken in supposing that is your boat. I'd know her among a thousand," Rob assured him. "Are you quite certain that she was not here last night, captain?"
I was mad 'way through; instead of playing any joke on Paul Downes and his friends, they had played me a most scurvy trick. But it was only comedy as yet comedy for them, at least. I was pretty sure that they had fixed me in the cabin, not only for the night, but until somebody passing in a boat would see me signalling from the tiny deadlights.
Word Of The Day