Australian Tales - Setis

emarked.
“Is there, sir? well, you can see how much it is respected,” replied the
captain, with a grim chuckle; then he shouted to the crew, “Haul the
chain box over to port: and stop those pigs from crowding up to the
hawse holes.”
The dinner bell soon afterwards rang, so I went below and seated
myself at the bottom of the table. Next to the advantage of being out of
danger altogether, is perhaps the happy unconsciousness of its proximity;
that is to say, when one is powerless to avert it. Thus I silently reasoned,
as I glanced along the table at the double row of gentlemen eating ox-tail
soup. I could not discern the merest tinge of anxiety on a single face; and
the extended angles of each mouth were expressive of gastronomic joy,
for the soup was rich. It was evident that the fear of death or personal
damage, was remote from the minds of those happy diners; and that the
pleasures of the present time were not marred by apprehensions of future
famine, or any other troublesome contingency. Probably not one of them
had even the slightest foreboding, that in a few short hours he would be
as helpless and undignified as a swaddling infant; that he would be —
but I am anticipating my story.
Soon after the cloth was removed I went on deck, and remounted the
bridge. The captain was standing on the starboard paddle-box, gazing
alternately at the gathering storm and at his struggling vessel, while his
face bore evidence of intense anxiety, though not alarm or trepidation,
for he was a thorough sailor. I did not speak to him, though I longed to
put a question or two to him, and I wished he would speak to me. I
usually try to observe a prudent reticence in seasons of peril on
shipboard; and it would be well if all passengers would adopt that course.
I have seen a captain perplexed with silly questions at times when his
mind was anxiously engaged on some important duty, and I have heard
him miscalled “a surly man” for giving sharp answers to the thoughtless
querist. Presently the captain stepped down from the paddle-box, and
laconically remarked, as he nodded his head towards the southwest,
“There's dirt there.”
“There is a heavy storm gathering,” I replied, “but I hope we may fetch
abreast of Broken Bay (which was about twelve miles distant) before it
comes on.”
“No such luck for us to-day, sir,” said the captain. “It will be down
upon us in twenty minutes; don't you see how fast that long, bolsterlooking
cloud is rolling along? That is not scudding before a gentle
zephyr, I can tell you.” Then he called to the chief mate. “Send that
foretopsailyard on deck, and house the topmast. Bear a hand about it.”
In rather less than half an hour I hastened below, to escape the heavy
rain which began to descend, accompanied with a violent squall of wind,
and thunder and lightning. Some of the passengers were still seated at the