Beadle's Dime Novels No. 94: The Mad Skipper — page 55: what you’re looking at

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

: ADEIFT. 57 shorily, and we will get an explanation of this. strange pro- Ceeding when we get on board.” aa dan’ t see what ‘ explanatory’ can be made !” cried Ben ; “if we were on a lee shore, now, I could understand the mat- ter, but blast me if I can, under present sarcumstances. P’r’aps, hows'ever, as you say, our best plan is to pull ahead, which We can do easy enough, seeing as we have the wind in our favor.” “Ay, ay, pull ahead,” ordered the second mate; and _ seiz- ing their oars, the crew were soon urging the light vessel through the water, with long, powerful strokes. Now and then, as they tugged and strained, they threw glances over their shoulders, in the hope of catching a view of the ship; but they were disappointed every time; and as the movement of turning the head very far around while pulling at a heavy oar, is somewhat painful, they soon stoppcd it, studying the countenance ef the second mate, which was a faithful barometer of the state of affairs. Its gloomy, downcast expression, not once relieved by a hopeful gleam, Plainly told them that the ship had not yet hove-to ; and.as their situation, with the water up to their ankles—for it was breaking over both gunwales—and with their arms aching from their long-continued exertions, was very uncomfortable, old Ben proposed that they should stop pulling, for the double purpose of resting and bailing the boat. The dusky officer consented, and, springing to their feet, the men glanced toward the receding, ship, which was now almost out of sight, and could only be seen at intervals, when it was lifted upon the crest of a sea. All around, the great ¥* seas, rising, fulling and clashing, were illumined by a dim, yellowish light, that gave to them an aspect peculiarly wierd and dismal. The edges of the waves, when they caught the beams of the moon, seemed girt with numbers of long, sharp- pointed spears, linked together by electric wires; while the incessant hum of the vast. ocean sounded like the voices of millions of evil spirits at war with.each other, far down in. its Watery depths. . “T’m afraid there isa’t much hope, lads, of our getting aboard that craft agai,” said old Ben, “ We may as well look the fact in the fue first as. last.” * comiciooks.conn