Beadle's Dime Novels No. 87: On the Deep — page 84: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

86 ON THE DEEP. age. Though I may say, without comprehension, that. I’m not wholly devoid of the ‘ promising spark’, yet ’m not much of a philosopher except where women’s consarned. The dictionary, hows’ever, is my principal ‘ forty.’ ” The midshipman grinned. “Perhaps you are enough of a philosopher,” said he, “ to tell me whether or not we'll succeed in capturing the. boats to-night.” “ Phrenologically considered,’ auaiell Block, striking an attitude, “I don’t think we will. Its now as. dark as pitch, and I think we're going to have a heavy. gale. It’s. my opinion that the boats will get swamped.” : Even as he spoke, the whistling of the blast was heard among the shrouds, 'and the ship suddenly keeled over to lar- board. The pipe to furl sails was given, and was soon fol- lowed by the order to strike to’'gallant yards and masts... The men flew to their stations with the, activity of, squirrels, and, in a short time, the vessel was ready. to. meet the full fury of the storm., Howling, roaring, and shrieking, it came at. last, driving her through the water with terrific velocity, and whirling clouds of spray over her bulwarks. Her timbers groaned like human beings in mortal agony, her three masts swaying to and fro, creaked forth their compleints to the blast, while the seas, rising higher and higher every moment, came crashing and roaring over her weather-rail. The gale continued to rage with, great violence until day- light, when, the wind hauling round to the north’ard,,, it abated sufficiently to enable the ;ship to carry whole topsails. Midshipmen were then sent aloft with glasses, to look for the ‘boats ; but, after scrutinizing the sea in all directions, they re- ported nothing in sight. ‘Ay, ay, the boats have been swamped bayond a doubt,” said the captain, addressing - his. first lieutenant. “ They -couldn’t have lived in such a sea as tha of last night, We may as well put the ship upon her course.” This was done, and, as the gale continued to xorg the vessel was soon bowling along under additional sail. Before noon the wind had subsided to a moderate breeze, and the clouds having broken, the rays. of the sun glittered brightly upon the crests of the heaving waves. Then the two comiclbooks.conmn