Part 79 (1/2)
”If you sall bose be ill you can stay in bed to-day; but you vill be better up Vell, do you feel vairy seek?”
”No, we're all right,” said Vince; and soon after the two boys climbed on deck and had to shelter the across the deck in a sharp shower
It was a black-looking ed the surface of the sea, whose foaree, while the boys found no much more severe the storm was than they had supposed when below The men were all in their oilskins, very little canvas was spread, and they were right out in a heavy, chopping sea, with no sign of land on any hand
They had to stagger to the lee bulwarks and hold on, for the lugger every now and then indulged in a kick and plunge, while fro the deck fro of scare which had attacked the boys passed off, as they saw the matter-of-fact, composed manner in which the men stood at their various stations, while the captain was standing now beside the hel him fresh directions as to the course he was to steer, with the result that, as the lugger's head paid off a trifle, the motion became less violent, while her speed increased
”Aha!” shouted the captain, as he found them--”not seek yet? Vait till ve have ze _dejeuner_, and zen ve sall see”
”Oh, we've been to sea before,” said Vince rather contemptuously
”And you like ze sea, _n'est-ce pas_--is it not so?”
”Oh yes; we like the sea,” said Vince ”It is good,” said the captain, clapping hiinning, but bah! a boy--two boy like you brave _garcons_--vill not cry to go hoar of tree mast like zis, and you sall bose make you fortune ven I have done”
He nodded and turned away, leaving the boys to stand looking at each other aghast, and forgetting all about the state of the sea, till a big wave came over the bows and made them seek for shelter
They saw but little of the captain that day, except at ood-humoured and jocose with them in spite of the fact that the weather did not mend in the least Then the next day passed, and the next, with the wind not so violent, but the sea continued rough, and the constant misty rain kept theh, and chatted with the to obtain any inforreed with Mike that one of the to first So that evening, when they were sailing slowly in a north-easterly direction, after being driven here and there by contrary winds, they waited their opportunity, and upon the captain coan at once with,--
”Where are we going to first, captain?”
”Eh? you vant to know?” he said ”Vell, you sall In zere” The boys looked sharply in the direction pointed out but could see nothing for the misty rain which drifted slowly across the sea
”Where's in there?” said Mike
”You are not good sailore yet, _mon ami_, or you vould have study our course I vill tell you You look over ze most left, and you vill see ze land of ze fat, heavy Dutcherly
”Yais: you know ze name of ze river and ports?”
”Yes; A to one of those places?”
”Aha! ve sall see You no ask questions Soood boy and can be trust, you vill know everysings Perhaps ve go into ze Scheldt, perhaps ve o noveres Now you know”
He gave them a peculiar look and left the drizzle the boysbelow
”Mike,” said Vince, as soon as they were alone, ”got a pencil?”
”No”
”And there is neither pen nor ink”
”Nor yet paper”
”Then we're floored there,” said Vince impatiently