OFF TO SEA AGAIN.
The _Sea Gem_ had suffered greatly from the hurricane, but, by dint of
strenuous effort on the part of her agents, was now fairly seaworthy
again. The ravages of pestilence, however, had left her almost unmanned,
the only survivors being the second mate, the carpenter, and a couple of
American negro youths. The new captain, I learned from the
carpenter--who had taken me under his protection--had been retired for
some years, occupying a fairly well-paid post ashore in Havana. But
tempted by a lucrative offer from the agents, and greatly longing to
return home again, he had accepted the post of master of the _Sea Gem._
He had succeeded in collecting another crew to take the vessel home; but
they were, indeed, a motley crowd. Three Austrians, a Montenegrin, a
Swede, a Frenchman and two more negroes made up the complement forward,
all of whom spoke a barbarous dialect of Spanish among themselves,
although the Austrians also conversed indifferently in some Slav tongue
as well as in Italian. There was as yet no chief mate, but another
American negro had been secured for cook and steward.
No cargo being procurable, we were to proceed in ballast to Mobile for
cotton, and thence home. I had not yet lost hope of being able to escape
before sailing; and the carpenter, who seemed to be greatly amused by my
company, rather encouraged me in the idea. Strangely enough, nobody
seemed to trouble about me, and I foolishly sulked about all day, doing
nothing but brood over the possibility of getting away. At last a chance
presented itself. All the members of the new crew were taken ashore to
the consul's office to sign articles, and I, of course, went along. I
had still a good deal of money, and, as soon as I had signed, and been
ordered by the captain to go down to the boat and await his coming, I
demurely obeyed, and bolted in a contrary direction as soon as I had
turned the street corner. I was free. True, I had an uneasy feeling that
at any moment I might be arrested for desertion; but I refused to
entertain it, and hurried up town to the Hotel St. Isabel. Here I got a
shock. My old friend the billiard marker was gone, and the new man did
not look upon me at all favourably. My other acquaintances in the hotel,
too, appeared anxious to avoid me, as if they had been warned not to
give me harbourage there. So I wandered forth disconsolately, feeling as
if the place was quite strange to me. In the course of a long ramble I
fell in with a young American seaman who was outward bound, i. e. hard
up, but as full of fun as if he had just been paid off. We had a great
time together for a couple of days, getting as far away as Matanzas, and
using up my stock of dollars at an alarming rate. The third day we were
a bit weary of skylarking about, and decided to return to his
boarding-house and have a good night's rest. When we arrived there it
was past closing time, and the place was all dark and silent. It was a
big corner building, springing straight from the roadway, with flat
walls, up to a height of about fourteen feet, where a balcony ran right
round the building. To rouse the landlord was more than we dared; so,
after much scheming, we managed to find a light cart under a shed, which
we dragged from its place and up-ended under the balcony. My chum, who
was very tall, climbed up the shafts and scaled the balcony, then
lowered his long sash to me. I was speedily by his side, and together we
sought and found his room, which opened on to the balcony and was
luckily unoccupied. Feeling secure, our love of fun overcame weariness,
and after a boisterous pillow-fight we strolled out on to the balcony
again. Just then a sereno loitered round the corner and uplifted his
voice, "Ave Maria purissima, sin pecado concebida. Doce hora; noche
serena!" As the echoes died away, he caught sight of the cart standing
where it ought not, and proceeded to investigate. Moved by the same
spirit of mischief, we hurried to the chamber, and found a big jug of
water, which Zeke carefully poured upon the head of the muttering
vigilante. The effect was amazing. Raving like a lunatic, he assaulted
the great door with feet and spear-butt, making an uproar that speedily
aroused everybody within earshot. Our house hummed like a hive, and,
before many minutes, we heard the hurried tramp of feet along the
uncarpeted corridors, and the babel of many voices--the drenched
official's shrilly predominant. Presently they entered our room, to find
us just awaking from a sound sleep! and blinking at the lanterns like
owls. So deep had been our slumbers, that it was some time before Zeke
could explain how I came to be there; but the landlord, whom I
recognized as an old acquaintance, was quite easily satisfied about me.
Clearly we were not the offenders, and the search-party passed along,
leaving us to enjoy a frantic jig at the glorious disturbance we had
aroused. How the affair was settled I never heard, for the next day was
my last of liberty.
Zeke went down to the shipping-office to look for a ship in the morning,
leaving me to my own devices. After an hour's ramble up town, I began to
feel a miserable reaction, helped on doubtless by the fact that I had
shared my last dollar with my chum, and couldn't for the life of me see
where any more were coming from. Presently I turned into a cafe
and called for a cup of coffee (I had not learned to drink
anything stronger). While I sat moodily sipping it, a drunken,
disreputable-looking man of about forty, roused himself from one of the
tables, and, coming over to where I was, addressed me in broad Scotch.
With maudlin tears he assured me that he was the chief mate of the _Sea
Gem_, and that he must get on board that day, but how he did not know.
He dared not go out for fear of being arrested; would I take pity on
him, and see him on board? He must have been in a queer state of mind,
for I was but a boy of thirteen, and small for my age. My pride was
touched, and I readily assented, leading him carefully down to the
wharf, and engaging a boat for him. There I would have left him, but he
held on to me like a bear, swearing he would be lost and undone without
me, so I had to go off with him. When we got alongside, the second mate
appeared at the gangway, and lowered a bowline, which I slipped over the
helpless creature's head and under his arms. Thus he was hauled on board
like a sack of flour. Then the second mate sternly ordered me to come
up. I refused. But he quietly said, "Well, then, I must come and fetch
you." That was sufficient; I mounted the side, and said good-bye to
Havana.
That a rope's-ending awaited me, I felt sure; but instead of that, the
captain called me into his cabin, and gave me a most fatherly talking
to. His kindness made me feel bad, and I promised him forthwith to be a
good boy, and forget my vagabond, independent way of living ashore.
Patting me on the head, he dismissed me to make my peace with the second
mate, who was very angry with me indeed. He received my apologies in
silence, and, although never friendly, I had no cause to complain of his
treatment afterwards. Of the mate I saw nothing for two or three days,
for, although we left Havana the next morning, he was in such a woeful
condition, after his long debauch, that he could not leave his berth.
When he did appear he seemed to have forgotten who I was. His manner to
me was extremely brutal; in fact, he was a brute all round--although a
lively regard for his own skin made him careful how he treated the
curious crowd of "dagoes" forward. They were not at all a bad lot, and,
considering their limited vocabulary, got on fairly well with the work
of the ship. The little Frenchman, in particular, was like a bundle of
watch-springs. When he once comprehended an order, it was delightful to
see him execute it. But his desperate attempts to understand what was
said were quite pathetic. He spoke a mixture of Spanish and French,
which the others did not well understand; and at last he pitched upon me
as the only one he could hold anything like a conversation with, though
how we managed it I have now no idea.
Everybody liked the old man. He was so genial, so simple, that it was a
pleasure to see him. But I am afraid he would have had a bad time of it
with a crew of Britishers. They appreciate a tight hand, and are quick
to take advantage of anything like easy-going on the part of their
officers. This polyglot crowd, however, gave no trouble; and, in spite
of the bungling stupidity of the mate, who never seemed to get quite
clear of the after-effects of his big drunk, things went on oiled
wheels.
We were drawing near our port, when one afternoon, during a fine
wholesail breeze, there was a sudden gloom which rapidly overspread the
sky. Somebody was keeping a bad look-out, doubtless, for before any sail
could be reduced, a squall of wind and hail struck the vessel, throwing
her on her beam ends. It was so sudden that, although all halliards and
sheets were let fly at once, not a yard would come down, the ship lying
over at too great an angle. And above the roaring of the wind, and the
flapping of the flying canvas, the ominous rumble of the stone ballast
rattling down to leeward could be plainly heard. The deck was like the
wall of a house, and, when I saw the foaming sea rising up on the
leeside as high as the hatches, I felt sure she was turning bottom up.
By God's mercy, we had an old suit of sails bent, which the wind
stripped from the yards and stays like muslin. Great sheets of canvas
flitted away into the darkness to leeward, while the flying running-gear
cracked like volleys of musketry. Gradually as the pressure weakened she
righted, regaining as even a keel as the shifted ballast would allow,
and we were safe. But there were many pale faces besides mine, the old
captain especially looking terribly shaken up.
Every stitch of canvas that had been set when the squall burst was gone,
and, as the weather gradually settled into a strong gale, there was a
desperate night's work ahead. In our position, with a great deal of land
about, it was imperatively necessary to get sail set; but before that
could be done it had to be "bent," that is, secured to the yards. Such a
task as this tests the capabilities of a crew very well. In a
man-of-war, where they can send a man to every roband, and a couple to
each earring, the job is fairly easy; but in a merchant-ship it means
almost superhuman labour, from the scarcity of hands. I shall not
attempt to describe the process, which bristles with technical details,
that cannot be grasped without a corresponding idea of the conditions of
work aloft in bad weather. Suffice it to say that by midnight the two
lower topsails, foresail, and fore-topmast staysail were set, and the
hands, thoroughly exhausted, allowed to rest a while. It was my first
experience of bad weather at sea, and I thought regretfully of the ease
and comfort of my late life. But a kind of philosophic determination not
to cry over spilt milk, which has attended me all my life, came to my
rescue, and prevented me from being too miserable.
The poor old captain, however, was severely tried. Evidently his
fortitude and ability were less than he had imagined. He looked worn and
decrepit, a settled anxiety gave him a haggard appearance, and all hands
pitied him. The fine weather had entirely forsaken us, nothing but
fierce squalls and incessantly shifting winds prevailing until we made
Dog Island, at the entrance to Mobile Bay, under the lee of which we
came to an anchor. Our troubles were even then not over, for a gale
sprang up almost immediately, which raised so ugly a sea that the lively
vessel almost plunged bows under. All hands but the captain and myself
were aloft, furling the sails forward. I stood alone by the windlass,
ready to slack or make fast such running-gear as I was called upon to
look after, when, with a tremendous bound, the ship reared herself high
in air forrard, snapping the sorely-tried cable, the released links of
which flew aft over the windlass-barrel with a deafening crash and
shower of sparks. Everything was at once dropped aloft, the hands came
sliding down backstays at their best gait, and in less than five minutes
the other anchor was let go. Cable was veered away to ninety fathoms,
and fervent hopes expressed that she would hold, for night was almost
upon us, and our position was dangerous in the extreme. Happily the wind
hauled soon after, the sea became smooth, and we rode in comparative
comfort till noon next day, when a powerful tug came down and towed us
up among the shipping to a secure berth.
A fine fleet of ships lay here, all loading cotton for Liverpool. Nor,
in spite of the number of vessels, was there any delay in commencing our
cargo, for the next day, after mooring, a gang of stevedores came on
board and set to work, with characteristic American energy, to prepare
the hold. Our captain left us for Mobile City in the same steamer that
brought them, returning with the first load of cotton, but only to bid
us farewell. He called us all aft, and, with a quivering lip, informed
us that he did not feel equal to taking the ship home. Therefore he had
determined to make way for a better man, who would be with us in a few
days. He thanked all hands for the way they had treated him, and then,
shaking hands all round, got into the boat and was rowed away to an
upward-bound steamer, which lay alongside our nearest neighbour, the
_Mary Durkee_. A hearty cheer followed him, which, if it lacked the
simultaneous volume peculiar to Britons, was certainly no less sincere.
Then the cotton began to come in. The great loosely pressed bales,
weighing some six hundredweight each, were whipped on board like magic
by a single-purchase steam-winch on board the steamer, and tumbled into
the hold as fast as they came. Below, operations commenced by laying a
single tier of bales, side by side across the ship, on the levelled
ballast, leaving sufficient space in the middle of the tier to adjust a
jack-screw. Then, to a grunting chantey, the screw was extended to its
full length, and another bale inserted. The process was repeated until
at last long wooden levers were attached to the iron bars of the screw,
and the whole gang "tallied" on until the last possible bale was
squeezed into the tier, which was then almost as solid as a beam of
timber built into the ship. It was a point of honour among stevedores to
jam as many bales into a ship as she could possibly be made to contain,
and restraint was often needed to prevent the energetic workers from
seriously injuring vessels by the displacement of deck-planks,
stanchions, bulkheads, and even beams.
On deck there was much to do. A winter passage across the Atlantic was
before us. The vessel had been greatly neglected in Havana, and a great
deal of sail-making had to be done. The mate, having obtained a demijohn
of "bug-juice" from one of the cotton-steamers, was constantly drunk; so
that all the work devolved upon the austere second mate, who toiled
early and late to keep matters in hand. Owing to the docility of the
crew, this was possible; but he was greatly relieved when one fine
morning a tall, determined-looking man with a sallow face, heavy black
moustache, and nasal twang arrived on board, and announced himself as
"Captain Jones, come to take command." Within half an hour of his
arrival, he had been all over the ship, had interviewed every member of
the crew, and had repeated at least a dozen times that he was a "down
Easter," and proposed to "run this packet Yankee fashion." With an
intuition I have always had, I determined at once that he was carrying a
good cargo of liquor; and it was as well for the besotted chief mate
that this was so, for he would not otherwise have been so friendly with
him, I'm sure. His rounds completed, he retired to the "saloon,"
catching sight of me as he went, and appointing me cabin-boy on the
spot. My first duty was to call the mate into his presence. There and
then the two of them, seated _vis-a-vis_, began to drink themselves
speechless, while I stood in attendance, filling up their glasses until
they could no longer hold them. At last they rolled off their seats, and
lay across one another insensible. I retired and informed the steward,
who lifted his hands despairingly, exclaiming, "Fo' de good Lawd, dis
gwine ter be ole hell erfloat. One on 'em's bad nuff, but skipper en
mate bofe: wa' we gwine ter do _I_ doan know." But Captain Jones'
carouse only lasted a couple of days. At the expiration of that time he
"sobered up," and, though looking very demoralized, went about the ship
like a man that knew his business thoroughly and meant doing it.
Strangely enough, he allowed the mate to go on as he had been doing,
never interfering with him in any way.
When two-thirds of our cargo was in, Captain Jones went up to the city
again. During his absence the stevedores quitted work and left us for
the Christmas holidays. By Christmas Eve there was not a steamer left in
the bay, and an aching sense of discontent manifested itself all through
the fleet. Not to speak of any festive provision, there was an actual
dearth of fresh stores of any kind, as no vessels had been down for
several days. Boats came and went from ship to ship on the same errand,
seeking wherewithal to make a Christmas dinner; but there was no hope,
all were alike unprovided. Gloom sat on every face as the prospect of a
salt-junk dinner on Christmas Day grew more definite, and the language
used about the matter was altogether improper and unseasonable. But,
just as dusk was stealing in, a solitary schooner was sighted coming
into the bay from the river under a press of canvas, which, in spite of
the light breeze prevailing, drove her along at a good pace. It was
quite dark by the time she reached us, and much to our surprise dropped
her anchor close aboard of us. As soon as she swung to the wind the
voice of Captain Jones hailed us from her deck, crying, "Send a boat
aboard!" He had no sooner spoken than a perfect chorus arose about him:
the squealing of swine, the cackling of geese, and the shrill war-cry of
turkeys. Blessed discord! filling us with visions of feasting too
delightful for speech. There was no delay in getting the boat afloat,
all hands being full of eagerness to assist.
After receiving the skipper, the boat made a tour of the anchorage,
Captain Jones standing up as each ship was passed, and shouting the good
news at the top of his voice. Then returning to the schooner, the
boatmen laboured like Trojans to transfer the stock to our deck. Besides
the poultry and pigs, there was a huge pile of fresh beef, vegetables,
and enough drinkables to furnish a carouse for the combined crews of the
whole fleet. The transhipment was barely completed when customers began
to arrive. Soon we were the centre of a flotilla of boats, whose crews
lined our rails while the skippers examined the provisions. All the
lamps in the ship were lighted and hung about, and, a rostrum being
erected, Captain Jones began his auction. It was the strangest scene I
ever witnessed on board ship. Roars of laughter punctuated every remark
of the auctioneer, and, assisted by swiftly circulating bottles of
strong waters, the fun raged furiously until long past midnight. Then,
as the last of the visitors departed uproariously, our excited crowd
quickly calmed down, and quiet reigned until a late hour on Christmas
morning. Of the subsequent feast there is no need to speak. Sufficient
to say that it laid over all my experiences on board ship, for our
skipper, having cleared a goodly sum by his "cuteness" and enterprise,
could well afford to be generous; and he was.
Four or five days elapsed before our stevedores returned, and the work
of shipping cargo re-commenced. But once they got to work again no more
time was lost. A week more saw every crevice, wherein it was possible to
jam, by the most violent means, a bale of cotton, utilized, and even
then the skipper growled because the time of year made it impossible for
him to risk carrying a few bales on deck. At last the day came on which
Captain Jones was to make his last journey to town to clear the ship for
sea. Before he went, he called all hands aft and offered to buy such
clothing as they required for the homeward passage. Being almost
destitute of "dunnage," I ventured to put in my plea for a little, but
was grievously disappointed. He would not buy me a rag, telling me that
I was not a wage-earner but a passenger, and he couldn't afford to spend
money out of his own pocket. Two days after we weighed for home.
We had fairly good weather as we were swept through the tortuous Florida
Straits by the rush of the Gulf Stream, which, whether you will or not,
carries you to the north-east at the rate of a hundred miles in
twenty-four hours. But we were hardly clear of the land before a fierce
north-westerly gale came howling down upon us, and my sufferings
commenced in real earnest. For although I was supposed to be cabin-boy,
I had to be on deck almost as much as I was in the cabin. The mate
seemed to take a curious sort of pleasure in hazing me about, as if he
had some personal grudge against me, although I never could understand
why. I was so bitterly cold-footed that I stole a pair of the captain's
stockings--I had nothing but a pair of patent-leather shoes--for
footwear. They (the stockings) were very old, and I soon wore out the
feet, which I cut off at the ankles, sewed up the openings, and put
them on again. This ingenuity led to disaster, for springing up on the
after-house one day by the side of the captain, who was leaning against
it, he saw his initials on my leg. Investigation followed, in which I
pleaded my sufferings from cold and his refusal to get me anything to
wear in Mobile. My excuse was, of course, unacceptable, and, although he
did not beat me, I was forbidden the cabin precincts any more, and
compelled to go barefoot for the remainder of the passage.
I was now in the mate's watch, and that worthy treated me with studied
brutality. I scarcely ever came within reach of him but I got a kick--he
seldom struck me with his hands.
As we got farther to the eastward the weather grew worse and worse. Gale
succeeded gale with hardly a lull between, but our vessel being in such
fine trim, we were decidedly better off than as if she had been deep in
the water. At last, however, we fell in with a regular hurricane. Every
stitch of canvas was taken in but a storm-staysail, made of the heaviest
canvas woven, under which we lay-to until she gave a tremendous
weather-lurch, and, rolling to leeward with a vicious jerk, the
triangular patch of sail blew clean out of its bolt-ropes. From that
time we lay under bare poles for eighteen hours, during much of which I
sat on the poop beside the tiller, hauling back the slack of the
wheel-ropes, more dead than alive from the wet and cold. Never having
seen such a storm at sea before, I was dreadfully frightened, until I
saw how unconcernedly the sea-birds hovered about us. Then I reasoned
that if those tiny things were so secure, surely a big ship like ours
must be much more so. Unsound as my conclusion was, it comforted me, and
I had no more fear. A few days of light fine weather succeeded this
storm, during which everything was made ship-shape again aloft. The
captain was a prime seaman, and, having completely left off his
drinking, managed everything in first-rate style. But he never forgave
me for my theft, nor did he ever check the mate for his ill-usage of me.
One lovely afternoon, to the surprise of all hands, the order was given
to shorten sail. There was not a cloud in the sky, and a gentle
south-westerly breeze was wafting us along about four knots an hour.
But, as the work of furling the upper canvas proceeded, the rumour went
round that the "glass," as seamen always term the barometer, was falling
very fast. It may have been, but for twenty-four hours we lay under
lower topsails and courses, not a trace of change in the serene weather
prevailing. In the first watch of the next night there stole over the
sky a gloomy shade, which deepened until the heavens were black. Not
black as night, or black as ink, but as if a pall of black velvet had
been suspended over the sea, scarcely higher than the mastheads. The
wind died completely away. The water was smooth as oil, and so still
that not a creaking rope or rattling sheave disturbed the deathlike
silence. When the look-out man struck four bells, the sound seemed to
wound like a sword-cut, so sharp and unnatural was its clangour. This
state of things lasted for about three hours. Then, gradually, tiny
threads of light ran waveringly in every direction, as if the solemn
dome of darkness above was cracking, and revealing an immense glow above
it. The brilliant crevices widened, grew longer and more vivid, until
the whole firmament was aglow with flashes of intensest light, while all
our spars were outlined in lambent flame. This display lasted for about
an hour, then faded away; the gloom disappeared, and the deep blue sky,
studded with innumerable stars and unflecked by a single cloud, extended
from horizon to horizon. This beautiful weather lasted for another
twenty-four hours, and then a gentle westerly breeze sprang up, which
gradually freshened, until we were flying along homeward at tremendous
speed, carrying every stitch of canvas the ship could stagger under.
Meanwhile the mate's treatment of me got worse, until one night he dealt
me a savage kick, which hurled me off the poop on to the main deck,
where I lay insensible for some time. Although no bones were broken, I
had received such severe injury that I was unable to walk for two days.
During my confinement I made a desperate resolution, and, as soon as I
resumed work again, carried it into effect by boldly approaching my
merciless tyrant, and telling him that I was a consul's passenger, as he
very well knew. I promised him that if there was any law that could
reach him, I would endeavour to have him punished for his cruelty. And
now I said, "You can kill me if you like, I don't care." Much to my
surprise, he weakened at once, and for the remainder of the voyage I
was freed from his cowardly attacks.
The brave westerly wind that was hurling us homeward acted as usual.
That is to say, it strengthened until, slowly and reluctantly, sail was
reduced to the two lower topsails and reefed foresail. The ship was so
buoyant that the mountainous seas which surrounded her, and often rose
upon either side to such a height as to make it appear as if we were
racing through a deep green valley, never broke on board. But the
skilful, courageous steering required could only be performed by a few
selected members of the crew. Several men had to be suddenly relieved of
the task, for their nerve failed them at sight of the mighty green walls
soaring above their heads, and they were within an ace of letting her
broach-to. This terrible calamity, which has been the end of so many
fine ships, occurs when the vessel swings broadside on to a great sea,
which either smashes her up or rolls her over. In the most favourable
cases much damage is bound to follow. We saw one sorrowful instance of
it in a brig, which we flew by, helpless to aid. She was just sinking,
the doomed crew clinging to the weather rigging as if to put off their
inevitable fate for a few fleeting minutes. A huge sea rose between us,
hiding her from view, and when we soared on the crest of the next one,
she was gone like a foam flake.
Thus we ran until the colour of the water told us we were nearing the
land, and soon we saw through the flying spindrift the lonely outpost of
the Fastnet rock, with its sturdy lighthouse, which looked to me like
a beckoning finger. Then mist-wreaths and snow-squalls shut out
everything from view, except a barque, which, apparently going to
Liverpool like ourselves, kept steadily on about a mile in front of us.
So exactly did we keep in her wake that it looked as if we were
following her lead. The weather got thicker, but the gale was unabated,
and still we flew before it. Suddenly we were all startled by the report
of a gun, and out of the fog on the starboard bow loomed the figure of a
lightship with three ball-crowned masts. Our leader had disappeared. As
we passed the lightship she fired another gun, and a lift in the fog
showed the name on her side--_Coningbeg_. Still we kept on, all hands
watching the skipper's troubled face. But a sudden roar of "Breakers
right ahead!" sent all hands flying to the braces. Hard down went the
helm, and round came the ship on her heel, the spray from the heavy
following sea flying high over our topsail-yards, while the tender
vessel heeled over until the lee rail was under water. Not a moment too
soon, for the furious roar of the baffled breakers sounded deafeningly,
as their fleecy crests boiled and foamed under our lee only half a dozen
cables-length away. Slowly, slowly we clawed off that ugly reef. For
more than an hour the issue was in gravest doubt; then hope began to
revive as the good ship's weatherly qualities became manifest, and it
was plain to all that we were drawing clear. The breeze now began to
take off a bit, and more sail was made. Without any further incident, we
ran steadily up-channel to Point Lynas, where we got a pilot and a tug,
which by daylight brought us safely to an anchorage in the Mersey. We
only anchored for an hour or two, waiting for high water, when we were
coaxed into the Brunswick Dock, and made solidly fast on the side next
the street. As soon as ever I could do so unobserved, I slipped down a
fender lanyard and touched England with my feet, feeling a delightful
thrill as I did so. Why, I did not know, but the fact remains. A
homeless, friendless waif, with no prospects before me, no one to
welcome me, I rejoiced to be in England again, as if I, too, felt it
good to be at home.
[Illustration: A huge sea rose between us, hiding her from view, and
when we soared on the crest of the next one she was gone like a foam
flake.]