Part 9 (1/2)
”If ere certain of e in this direction I should say so, but before exerting our strength we must see from which quarter the ill next blow It may be in our teeth, and all our labour will have been in vain”
To one; Des in the other Tom took the first watch, as he had an idea that the weather would change before ht
”You need not sit up, Billy,” he said ”If you are wanted I'll call you Tim will tend the main halyards and keep a look-out forward”
Billy, as always ready for a _caulk_, lay down in the stern sheets
Ti snatches of Irish songs and whistling Tohted the binnacle lamp, by which he saw that the boat's head was turned now to one, now to another point of the coh no sailing vessel could near theht, and often and often he fancied he heard the sound of one in the distance Hour after hour passed by; he looked at his watch, which had fortunately kept good tiood look out for any sudden squall ”Which way it may come it is impossible to say, but I think very likely fro,” he observed
Bird was of the sa, sir,” he said, as To soed to keep awake, and a to Pat Casey's yarns, which were so extraordinary that Desh he did not think fit to say so
The middle watch passed away much as the first had done Now and then a whale or so in the water, but nothing could be seen, the sound travelling over the sreat distance
”We will let the first watch have their sleep out,” said Desh you, Pat, can lie down”
”Shure, it's only et along very ithout any rest, so with your leave I'll sit up and keep Jerry company,” answered the Irishman
Scarcely an hour after this, Des near the tiller, with his hand placed mechanically on it, when he felt it suddenlysound, the boat heeled slowly over Tom, who even in his sleep felt the o thein the land of drealected to loay on the main halyards Once aroused, he quickly obeyed the order, and the boat happily righted Fortunately, the stores being well stowed, nothing shi+fted, or it one hard with them Tom's first act was to look at the compass The wind, as he had expected, was fro the boat close on the starboard tack, heading away to the southward of west
”I was afraid so,” exclaimed Tom ”However, ill try e can do
Perhaps it will shi+ft again to its old quarter; but if it holds as it now does, we shall have a dead beat to Yokohaet there We will give it a fair trial, however, in case the wind should change”
Daylight soon cao to breakfast Should the wind continue as it is for a couple of hours, ill then bear up at once and run for Guan to us that thatboiled their kettle, they took their first breakfast on board the boat
”Follow ood one,” said Billy ”If it coo overboard, it is as well to save as much as possible”
The men, at all events, were inclined to follow the ot out his chart and pricked off their course and present position
”With this e shall soon sight the Bonins, so that we shall not have lost much time We shall, I hope, make Bailey Islands before dark; after that our course must be south by east, which will carry us clear of several rocks and reefs to the ard, and I hope that if we have a good breeze we ht one of the more northern of the Ladrones in the course of a week or ten days, and Guam is about three hundred reed to To arrived, and the wind blowing as strongly and steadily as ever, the helm was put up, and the boat was steered on the proposed course
Although the Bonins were seen, night cahted Bailey Islands; and To on them in the dark, steered more to the eastward than he otherould have done
Before the first watch was set he addressed his coilant look out ahead, both day and night ”We have not the advantage, recollect, of a large vessel, when a rock or reef may be seen from the , the first inti ourselves on the top of a coral rock We must be always ready, at a et out the oars should the wind fail us By that ers we ot is an old one and may be inaccurate, so that it would be unwise to trust completely to it”
”Very important remarks, and I hope the men in my watch will reh the as fair, they ran on all night, under the main-sail, foresail, and mizzen, in case they should suddenly have to haul up to avoid any danger upon which they ht ill set the square sail, and make up for lost tian to fall, and by daybreak it was again perfectly cals up next time from the southward, are we to run north?” asked Billy