Roving Jack, The Pirate Hunter — page 130: what you’re looking at

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150 ROVING JACK, THE PIRATE HUNTER. ts Nn eS ee Necessity is the mother of invention, and although Simon Smut had not been, in his early days, remarkable for any great genius, yet the troublous times he had passed through had done much to quicken his wit. Simon exerted all his muscles, and overturned the boat, Then, with his hands, he scooped the loose sand away on one side, so that there was a kind of cavern formed, having the boat for its roof, Simon crept in, and was sheltered from the rays of the sun, though he panted for breath, As the day advanced, the sky began to assume a gloomy weird appearance, Huge blocks of clouds, dark and threatening, were piled up along the horizon, behind which arose a substratum of yellowish-looking vapour, as though a London fog had gone out to sea. Overhead and towards the south the sky was of a dull, fierce, red colour, There was no wind perceptible, though the cloud- bank came nearer and nearer, But presently a dull, continuous noise was heard> like the distant roaring of a mighty steam-engine. The wayes on the horizon ‘began to be capped with white-crested foam. Then came a slight wind—more—still more— wind and clouds came on together, Hach successive gust was stronger than the last, as the gale gathered strength. “There is a storm coming, and no mistake,” muttered Simon; as he watched the coming tem- pest, As he spoke, the sulphurous vapour, that under- lined the chain of dark clouds, suddenly glared with light. The electric spark quivered through the air, throwing the heavy cloud-bank beneath into strong and staitling relief, giving them the appearance of monster rocks, cliffs, and castles. Then over the vast ocean came the distant sullen roar of the grand thunder, For a moment the wind hushed itself, anda dead calm reigned around the little island, Afar off rolled along, in one foamy line, a huge tidal wave, that seemed to be rushing onward in swift haste to swallow up the island, and the deso- late human being on it. Like the black angel of death is swept along, ter- rible in its strength and power, turning the ocean into a perfect maelstrom of seething, foamy bil- lows, Flocks of sea-birds came shrieking and whirling through the air as they fled from the coming gale, A cloud of mingled sand and spray flew upwards till Simon was completely blinded, and was com- pelled to crouch down in his shelter to ayoid the violence of the blast, In a few minutes he was wet through to the skin, Sr nn BY AH The heavy spray and the “rain beat into his little hovel in torrents. In fact, had there not been danger of his being carried out to sea, Simon would have sooner with- stood the violence of the storm. The lightning flashed, the thunder rattled, the waves roared, the wind howled. _ The combined elements kept up such a turmoil about poor Simon’s ear, that he almost fancied the day of doom was come. He tried to repeat a prayer he had heard on the only occasion he went to a Sunday school, In vain, He could neither remember the words nor the substance of the petition. He thought the wind was growing less violent, and ventured to put his head out of his hut. The sea was running literally in waves mountains high, for their crests even oyer-topped the rising ground on which he had taken refuge, But what was that sight that greeted his eyes—a sight that suggested some renewed hopes of safety ? Hopes that, alas! were doomed soon to be dashed to pieces, A sail la gail !? he shouted, fancying almost that he was at the mast-head, His feeble voice was lost in the roar of the storm; and the ship drifted on. | Her masts were seen to topple over one after another; bodies. were seen dashing about in the midst of the tangled web of canvas that floated by the ship’s side, Loud cries for help were heard ; cries that Simon was unable to answer, though he had in his heart a desire to succour those who were so nde: dis- tressed, At the top of the bursting waves of the eternal - ocean leaps the frail and yielding bark, The hearts of its crew are congealed as to ice by the feelings of awe and terror inspired by their intense fear. The racing. waves come rurning up the sandy beach, and on them are spars, casks, splinters of timbers, and corpses. Simon threw himself on his knees, and gazed earnestly, as though his own life depended on the safety of those doomed souls, The stern seamen on board take off their hats their jackets, and their shoes, as they prepare for a struggle with the terrible element which had brought them to such a perilous position, The fierce blast whirls their long locks over their faces, and compels them to fix their feet firmly to the slippery rigging, The storm raves around them, and their hearts are filled with all the deep, solemn feelings of men whose last hour is at hand, They feel the majesty of the wild glare and the fierce rush of the light- ning, as it proclaims the omnipotence of the great Deity whose word rules the elements, Crash! crash ! crash | icbooks: