Adventure and adventurers > Hudson Bay, or, Everyday life in the wilds of North America

A STEADY BREEZE.
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thicker and darker; and just where they met the sea
there was seen a bright streak of white, which rapidly
grew broader and brighter, until we could perceive that
it was the sea lashed into a seething foam by the gale
which was sweeping over it.
“ Mind your helm !” shouted the captain.
“ Ay, ay, sir!” sang out the man at the wheel. And
in another moment the squall burnt upon us with all its
fury, laying the huge vessel over on its side as if it had
been a feather on the wave, and causing her to fly
through the black water like a dolphin.
In a few minutes the first violence of the squall
passed away, and was succeeded by a steady breeze,
which bore us merrily along over the swelling billows.
“ A stiff one, that,” said the captain, turning to the
doctor, who, with imperturbable nonchalance, was stand¬
ing near him, holding on to a stancheon with one hand,
while the other reposed in his breeches pocket.
“ I hope it will last,” replied the doctor. “ If it does,
we’ll not be long of reaching the blue water you long
so much for.”
Young Wiseacre, who during the squall had been
clutching the weather-shrouds with the tenacity of a
drowning man, opened his eyes very wide on hearing
this, to him, insane wish, and said to me in an under¬
tone, “ I say, do you think the doctor is quite right in
his mind ?”
“ I have no doubt of it,” replied I. “ Why do you
ask ?”
“ Because I heard him say to the captain, he wished
that this would last.”