FIRE.
"To-morrow we shall be home," said Elwood Brandon, addressing his
companion, although at the time he was looking out on the moon-lit sea,
in the direction of California.
"Yes; if nothing unexpected happens," replied his cousin, who was
pushing and drawing a large Newfoundland dog that lay at his feet.
"And what can happen?" asked his cousin, turning abruptly toward him.
"A hundred things. Suppose the boiler should blow up, we run on a rock,
take fire, or get struck by a squall----"
"Or be carried away in a balloon," was the impatient exclamation. "One
is just as likely to happen as the other."
"Hardly--heigh-ho!"
Howard at that moment had twined his feet around the neck of Terror, the
Newfoundland, and the mischievous dog, springing suddenly to his feet,
brought his master from his seat to the deck, which, as a matter of
course, made both of the cousins laugh.
"He did that on purpose," said Howard, recovering his position.
"Of course he did. You have been pestering him for the last half-hour,
and he is getting tired of it; but I may say, Howard, I shall hardly be
able to sleep to-night, I am so anxious to see father and mother."
"So am I; a few years makes such a difference in us, while I can't
detect the least change in them."
"Except a few more gray hairs, or perhaps an additional wrinkle or two.
What's the matter with Tim?"
"Tim! O nothing, he seems to be meditating and smoking. Fact is that is
about all he has done since he has been with us."
"It's been a grand time for Tim, and I have no doubt he has enjoyed the
trip to and from California as much as either of us."
The subject of these remarks was seated a few feet away, his arms
folded, while he was looking with a vague, dreamy expression out upon
the great Pacific, stretching so many thousand miles beyond them,
rolling far off in each direction, until sky and ocean blended in great
gloom.
"Maybe he is looking for Asia," laughed Elwood in an undertone.
"More likely he is hoping to get a glimpse of Ireland, for he would be
as likely to look in that direction as any other. I say, Tim!"
The Irishman did not heed the call until he was addressed the second
time in a louder tone than before, when he suddenly raised his head.
"Whisht! what is it?"
"What are you thinking about?"
"Nothin', I was dreaming."
"Dreaming! what about?"
"Begorrah but that was a qua'r dream, was that same one."
"Let's hear it."
"But it's onplaiasnt."
"Never mind, out with it."
"Well, thin, if I must tell yees, I was thinking that this owld staamer
was all on fire, and all of us passengers was jumping around in the
wather, pulling each other down, away miles into the sea, till we was
gone so long there wasn't a chance iver to git up agin."
A strange fear thrilled both of the boys at the mention of this, and
they looked at each other a moment in silence.
"What put that into your head, Tim?"
"And it's just the question I was axing meself, for I never draamed of
such a thing in my life before, and it's mighty qua'r that I should take
a notion to do it now."
"It ain't worth talking about," said Elwood, showing an anxiety to
change the subject.
"Be yees going to bed to-night?"
"I don't feel a bit sleepy," replied Elwood. "I'd just as soon sit up
half the night as not."
"And so would I; it must be after eleven o'clock, isn't it?"
"It's near 'levin," replied Tim. "I'm not able to examine me watch; and
if I was, I couldn't tell very well, as it hasn't run for a few months."
Howard took out his watch, but the moonlight was too faint for him to
distinguish the hands, and the three were content to let the precise
time remain a matter of conjecture.
"Tim, how close are we to land?" asked Elwood.
"I should say about the same distance that the land is from us, and
begorrah that's the best information I can give yees."
"I could see the mountains very plainly when the sun was setting," said
Howard, "and it cannot be many miles away."
"What sort of a country is it off here?" pursued Elwood, pointing in the
direction of the land.
"It is wild and rocky, and there are plenty of Indians and wild animals
there."
"How do you know?" asked Elwood, in some amazement.
"I have taken the trouble to learn all about California that I could
before coming."
"I believe they have _gold_ there?" said Elwood, in rather a bantering
vein.
"Tim can tell you more about that than I can, as he came to California
to hunt gold."
"How is that, Tim?"
"Begorrah, but he shpakes the truth. I wint up among the mountains to
hunt gowld."
"And what luck had you?"
"Luck, is it?" repeated the Irishman, with an expression of ludicrous
disgust. "Luck, does ye call it, to have your head cracked and your
shins smashed by the copper-skins, chawed up by the b'ars, froze to
death in the mountains, drowned in the rivers--that run into the top of
yer shanty when yer sound asleep--your feet gnawed off by wolverines, as
they call--and--but whisht! don't talk to me of luck, and all the time
ye never gets a sight of a particle of gowld."
The boys laughed, Howard said:
"But your luck is not every one's, Tim; there have been plenty who have
made fortunes at the business."
"Yis, but they wasn't Tim O'Rooneys. He's not the man that was born to
be rich!"
"You're better satisfied where you are."
"Yis, thank God, that I've such a good home, and an ongrateful dog would
I baa if I should ask more."
"But, Elwood, it's getting late, and this night air begins to feel
chilly. It can't be far from midnight."
"I am willing; where's Terror? Ah! here he is; old fellow, come along
and keep faithful watch over your friends."
"Boys," said Tim O'Rooney, with a strange, husky intonation, "you
remember my dream about this steamer burning?"
"Yes; what of it?"
"It is coming thrue!"
_He spoke the truth!_