41 Lure O Gold 1904

"
The
"
Tai-Fung
I had said about Fishley and the two other gold-thieves,
or was only humoring me as he would any poor creature
whose mind was affected by the loss of his fortune. I
had counted all along upon the Doctor s friendship and
good-will. Was I about to lose them when it came to
the pinch? Just at that moment there seemed to be
nobody in the ship who really sympathized with me,
after all.
In a gloomy, depressed mood I walked away
to the steward s room, where I sat for an hour or two,
trying to fix my mind upon a story in a magazine, but
tormented out of all appreciation for the tale because
of the blasts and swashes with which the storm was
punishing the old Modesto for her temerity in venturing
out upon the open sea so poorly equipped for buffeting
wind and wave.
As the gale cut in over the white wave-tips and the
ship heeled over under the tremendous pressure, a
sound would go up as of a wail amid all the roaring and
humming. Then there would be a great shock, as a wall
of water would heave itself against the side, together
with a tremendous shiver and a sound of rattling stays.
In the intervals between blasts, the rain fell in great
pelting swirls.
So far as any independent
motion was concerned
[135]