Beadle's Dime Novels No. 94: The Mad Skipper — page 59: what you’re looking at

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

_ They had not proceeded far, however, when the dusky offi- eer, bending eagerly forward in the stern-sheets, stated that he could no longer see the sail, as it was now hidden by the fog. “If we head exactly as we are going,” said Ben Williams, “we can not fail of reachin’ the old craft. It is unfortunate, our not having amy compass in the boat to take the bearin’s of the vessel.” “ Ay, ay!” exclaimed Frank, “ for the current may drift. us a long distance out of the right track.” “Dat so,” remarked the mate, “ but IL tink by cruising about a little, we find de ship, for all dat. Any rate, fog never last very long time off Cape Horn.” “ You are mistaken there, mate,” said Ben, “ for in my time I’ve seen calm weather and a fog in these latitudes for a whole _ week.” As it is not easy to converse while pulling at a heavy oar, no further remark was made until the boat had been kept upon its: Course for several hours, when the second mate or- dered his crew to stop pulling. ; “Tink we must have got somewhere near where de ship lie, if wé not pass her, by dis time,” he continued, The men rose to their feet, and glanced round them, but they were unable to pierce the thick curtain of fog whichnow covered the sea. Neither could they hear any of the noises usually made on shipboard, and which might have enabled them to guess the locality of the vessel. <A silence, interrupted only by the occasional swashing of the; tossed boat’s gunwale, or the screaming of a solitary sea-bird, governed the vast realm of waters: “Tt’s sartainly very strange,” remarked old. Ben, as the men exchanged an xieus glances; ‘“ p’r’aps, hows’ever, the eraft isn’t very far off, and if we sing out we may make ourselves heard. Accordingly, all hands gave several prolonged and simul- taneous shouts; buf they listened in vain for a response. “It’s no: use,” said the mate ; “ take de oars aguin, and per- haps we find de ship by pulling about.” “ And we're just as likely to get further from her than we dre now,” said Ben; “hows’ever, I s’ pose it’s the best that we can do.” COmicoooksscom