United States or Luxembourg ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
By the time that Bob came on deck again, at seven-bells, to prepare breakfast, I had my hands full. The sea was fast getting up, and I began to tremble for my spars and gear. The glass had fallen rather suddenly, and altogether there seemed to be every prospect of a regular summer gale.
With our low hull, we must have presented the appearance of a snow-white pyramid, gliding, unsupported, over the surface of the ocean. On the morning of the fourth day, as I came upon deck at seven-bells to relieve Bob, whilst he looked after breakfast, the old fellow said, "Here, Harry, your eyes are younger than mine; what d'ye make this out to be away here broad upon our starboard-bow?"
When I went on deck at seven-bells, in answer to Bob's call, on the morning but one succeeding the day of our departure from the island, I found that the wind had dropped almost to a dead calm, the Lily making no more than about three knots, and that there was a heavy sultry feeling in the air, quite different from the usual freshness of the sea breeze.
By the time I had got my spinnaker set she was abreast of us, about half a mile outside and consequently to leeward. But now she was unable to draw away from us an inch, so great was our speed through the smooth water; and when Bob came on deck at "seven-bells," she still lay as nearly as possible in the same position with regard to us as when he went below.
I wouldn't call ye when I first made 'em out, as it only wanted half an hour to seven-bells, and I knowed you'd feel a bit tired after yesterday. But ain't it a wonderful sight?" As he spoke he pointed away to a little on our starboard-bow, and stooping down in order to see under the foot of the spinnaker, I there beheld what was indeed to me a wonderful sight.
Two big ships blew up during the night." He cut a hunk of bread and spread it thickly with marmalade. "We must have knocked seven-bells out of 'em. And we didn't lose a single Battleship." "Must have lost a Battle-cruiser or two, though," said the Engineer Lieutenant, sitting with his head between his hands and his forefingers propping open his eyelids.
The remainder of his messmates sat up with excitement. "What time?" "When till?" "What about a boat?" The head of the Officer of the Watch appeared through the open skylight overhead. "Wake up, you Weary Willies. There's a boat to the beach at seven-bells." "Come along, chaps," snorted the Major of Marines. "Allons nous shifter let us shift."
As soon as breakfast was over and the things cleared away, I got an observation for the longitude, and then went below to have a nap, desiring Bob to call me at seven-bells, that I might take a meridian altitude. He did so, and as soon as I came on deck with my sextant, he said, "Look there, Harry, what d'ye think of that?
At seven-bells I called Bob, who set about the preparations for breakfast, and great were our mutual congratulations over that meal at the now thoroughly-established fact that, fast as the Albatross undoubtedly was, she was no match for the little Water Lily in ordinary weather.
Bob then went below and turned in, first giving me strict injunctions to call him at "seven-bells," that he might turn out and prepare breakfast, for it now appeared that he intended to unite the functions of chief-mate and cook and steward, on the voyage we had just started upon so auspiciously.
Word Of The Day