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AssoonasIhadtheCurlewswungrounduponhercourseagainInoticedsomethingpeculiar:wewerenotgoingasfastaswehadbeen.Ourfavorablewindhadalmostentirelydisappeared.
This,atfirst,wedidnotworryabout,thinkingthatatanymomentitmightspringupagain.
Butthewholedaywentby;thentwodays;thenaweek,—tendays,andthewindgrewnostronger.
TheCurlewjustdawdledalongatthespeedofatoddlingbabe.
InowsawthattheDoctorwasbecominguneasy.
Hekeptgettingouthissextant(aninstrumentwhichtellsyouwhatpartoftheoceanyouarein)andmakingcalculations.
Hewasforeverlookingathismapsandmeasuringdistancesonthem.
Thefaredgeofthesea,allaroundus,heexaminedwithhistelescopeahundredtimesaday.
"ButDoctor,"IsaidwhenIfoundhimoneafternoonmumblingtohimselfaboutthemistyappearanceofthesky,"itwouldn'tmattersomuchwouldit,ifwedidtakealittlelongeroverthetrip?
We'vegotplentytoeatonboardnow;andthePurpleBird-of-Paradisewillknowthatwehavebeendelayedbysomethingthatwecouldn'thelp."
"Yes,Isupposeso,"hesaidthoughtfully."ButIhatetokeepherwaiting.
AtthisseasonoftheyearshegenerallygoestothePeruvianmountains—forherhealth.
Andbesides,thegoodweathersheprophesiedislikelytoendanydaynowanddelayusstillfurther.
Ifwecouldonlykeepmovingatevenafairspeed,Iwouldn'tmind.
It'sthishangingaround,almostdeadstill,thatgetsmerestless—Ah,herecomesawind—Notverystrong—butmaybeit'llgrow."
AgentlebreezefromtheNortheastcamesingingthroughtheropes;andwesmileduphopefullyattheCurlew'sleaningmasts.
"We'veonlygotanotherhundredandfiftymilestomake,tosightthecoastofBrazil,"saidtheDoctor."Ifthatwindwouldjuststaywithus,steady,forafulldaywe'dseeland."
Butsuddenlythewindchanged,swungtotheEast,thenbacktotheNortheast—thentotheNorth.
Itcameinfitfulgusts,asthoughithadn'tmadeupitsmindwhichwaytoblow;andIwaskeptbusyatthewheel,swingingtheCurlewthiswayandthattokeeptherightsideofit.
PresentlyweheardPolynesia,whowasintheriggingkeepingalook-outforlandorpassingships,screechdowntous,
"Badweathercoming.Thatjumpywindisanuglysign.Andlook!
—overthereintheEast—seethatblackline,lowdown?
Ifthatisn'tastormI'maland-lubber.
Thegalesroundherearefierce,whentheydoblow—tearyourcanvasoutlikepaper.
Youtakethewheel,Doctor:it'llneedastrongarmifit'sarealstorm.I'llgowakeBumpoandChee-Chee.Thislooksbadtome.
We'dbestgetallthesaildownrightaway,tillweseehowstrongshe'sgoingtoblow."
Indeedthewholeskywasnowbeginningtotakeonaverythreateninglook.
Theblacklinetotheeastwardgrewblackerasitcamenearerandnearer.
Alow,rumbly,whisperingnoisewentmoaningoverthesea.
Thewaterwhichhadbeensoblueandsmilingturnedtoaruffleduglygray.
Andacrossthedarkeningsky,shredsofcloudsweptliketatteredwitchesflyingfromthestorm.
ImustconfessIwasfrightened.YouseeIhadonlysofarseentheseainfriendlymoods:sometimesquietandlazy;sometimeslaughing,venturesomeandreckless;sometimesbroodingandpoetic,whenmoonbeamsturnedherripplesintosilverthreadsanddreamingsnowynight-cloudspiledupfairy-castlesinthesky.
ButasyetIhadnotknown,orevenguessedat,theterriblestrengthoftheSea'swildanger.
Whenthatstormfinallystruckusweleanedrightoverflatlyonourside,asthoughsomein-visiblegianthadslappedthepoorCurlewonthecheek.
Afterthatthingshappenedsothickandsofastthatwhatwiththewindthatstoppedyourbreath,thedriving,blindingwater,thedeafeningnoiseandtherest,Ihaven'taveryclearideaofhowourshipwreckcameabout.
Irememberseeingthesails,whichwewerenowtryingtorollupuponthedeck,tornoutofourhandsbythewindandgooverboardlikeapennyballoon—verynearlycarryingChee-Cheewiththem.
AndIhaveadimrecollectionofPolynesiascreechingsomewhereforoneofustogodownstairsandclosetheport-holes.
Inspiteofourmastsbeingbareofsailwewerenowscuddingalongtothesouthwardatagreatpace.
Buteveryonceinawhilehugegray-blackwaveswouldarisefromundertheship'ssidelikenightmaremonsters,swellandclimb,thencrashdownuponus,pressingusintothesea;andthepoorCurlewwouldcometoastandstill,halfunderwater,likeagasping,drowningpig.
WhileIwasclamberingalongtowardsthewheeltoseetheDoctor,clinginglikealeechwithhandsandlegstotherailslestIbeblownoverboard,oneofthesetremendousseastoreloosemyhold,filledmythroatwithwaterandsweptmelikeacorkthefulllengthofthedeck.
Myheadstruckadoorwithanawfulbang.AndthenIfainted.
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