The Last Entry

lings kept the men quiet. But on the following day the bad pork was served out again. Captain Glew refused to hear the boatsw

ust have known was charged with one of the deadl

and that they'd hooked better salmon out of cans. I'm responsible for the stores. I knew what I was about when I ordered them. Surely you know Humph Lyons, t

or selling condemned Admiralty stores as good food

ptain Glew. 'A man can't be r

end. I remember a skipper saying to me: "It's all very well to say, 'Honour thy father and thy mother,' but I knew a man who all his life did his fired best to honour his f

ud a laugh that Captain Glew walked awa

y this time Mr. Vanderholt was perfectly recovered, and had ceased to apologize to Captain Glew for being sea-sick. He smoked his long pipe. He stalked the deck arm-in-arm with his dau

agree with me, sir, when I say that you're looking ten yea

stroked his beard, and grinned till

ng lady held a novel. Mr. Vanderholt smoked his immense and richly-coloured pipe. Captain Glew passed them in short to-and-fro look-out excursions; and forward the little ship carried a busy face, with seamen at work on the hun

rich distance, as though they were rays of starlight, twisting, burning, dying. She had been too far off to signal, nor d

casion when this question of reporting had arisen between him and Glew. 'I am not insured

irical smile, as though he should say

reply, 'I should like him to know that all was well wi

answer. 'Anything blown along by canvas will not

rying to read a novel, the other finding his tobacco delicious in the open air. Presently, directin

horrible life! See how hard those men are kept at work all day; and

more abominable in a general way the whole precious weath

amusements?' inqu

themselves, Glew?' c

look-out walk, stood up b

g, sir,' an

xpression that entered Captain Gle

ent to pay, dollars for the girls at the end of the voyage, and they behold the wonders of the world at the cost of the ship-owner

sir,' said

ake two men, and nail them face to face on a sea-chest, with long s

castle recollections, which perhaps caused him to regret tha

issing like snakes all over everything that was metal aloft, and every crash of thunder was like the splitting of the heavens by God's own hand in wrath. I took a peep down the forecastle, and in the midst of this tremend

ang out a fellow aloft, on

Glew, with the sharp o

cried down the seama

our number, Glew-for George's sake,' sai

he sailor on the top-gallant yar

id Mr. Vanderholt; 'such as he should

don,

ion!' exclaim

Vanderholt, 'though it worships a Madonn

s bound to that shrine,' said

and W's difficult. I have out-generationed that trouble of the foreigner. But why is it that the Cockne

certain young lady, and I said: "Do you observe that she drops her H's?"

le. Mr. Vanderholt, expelling a

de, and said: "Did you ever 'ear of that fine riddle in rhyme supposed to have been written by Lord

in 'eaven; 'twas m

" says he, "what is it?" "I give it

' inquired Miss Vanderholt, watching the sh

bay, and amongst it was cholera. I can still hear, in that dead calm

at sea. As the corpse goes along in the car, it might like to know what sort of a following it had, how the people who'd been thought friends

will read in a room full of

o is a genius and famous should provide by his will for a quiet

the rail to knock out the ashes of his pipe into the sea. Miss

little barque, dingy with long travel. Her copper was green. Her figure-head was a romantic imagination. It represented a nymph, with her black hair fairly concealing her shape, extending her arms in a posture of ecstasy at a large gilt star that was fixed within a foot or two of her hands. Her canvas shone like satin, and at her mizzen-peak end langu

gure through a binocular glass, Mr. Vanderholt perceived that the rest of its garb consisted of a white shirt, a silk handkerchief, tied in a sail

ide him stood another man, remarkable for nothing but a long goatlike beard, and a blue c

w. 'In all your going a-fishing did you ever see the like

as arrested by a hail

ure in breeches. 'The schooner

ndon, on a cruise.

rk! Eighty days out! Jute and linseed! We

e of a bantam-cock, delirious with

derholt, turning to his daughte

answered Violet, 'it does not

ion with Mr. Vanderholt

of moist, and some lump, to help you along to

the yacht. The Mowbray carried three good boats, and the boat amidships was the long-boat; this was promptly got over the side. They broke out a cask of moist sugar and

gled in the water, and the trembl

lcome, father?' said Miss Va

anderholt, 'whether they welcome us or not; and yonder figur

an, sir,' sa

Mr. Vanderholt. 'The Wife's Hope!

flame as she swayed. Tender, blue fingers of shadow, like an outstretched hand in front of the sun, overran her sails, and

ide, to whisper encouraging words to her, to thank her for the noble, swe

g that company was coming, had ordered a ladder to be thrown over the side,

ou for?' she cried, the strain in

ns-a peculiar drunken, rounding fall of the arm and dr

ipper, 'and make fast a whip to the yard-a

ain, with her large fine eyes and delicate features, though sunburnt to deformity. She was a tall woman, with a lofty, commanding air, which was not to be neutralized by anything

. Vanderholt, lifting his hat; 'and, madam, if you are in command of this

the other, showing a white set of teeth in a co

t, again lifting his hat, whilst his eye

said Captain Lind; and Miss Vanderholt notice

Vanderholt, continuing to grin with all his might, whilst he looke

for that sugar?'

ations, captain. There is enough, mayb

d when I have seen that cask safely inboards, w

ing Glew, said that he and Miss Vanderholt woul

lew!' he roared. 'Tweed, whilst we're bel

he Mowbray to

ray from the forecastle-head. A rough lot they looked-rougher even than the Mowbray's crew, by virtue, no doubt, of their apparel, which was showing very much like the end of a long voyage. They carried sheath-knives on their hips, straw hats or Scotch caps on their heads; their naked breasts disclosed the wool upon them through rents in the flying wide dungaree shirt. And a woman had command of these fellows, had hel

Captain Lind, calling to th

ork; and I tell you, mister,' said she, turning to Mr. Vanderholt, 'that I have missed the suga

my schooner,' answe

ear to ear; 'whilst we're at tea below, you'll see that this gentleman has some refreshment. He

tasselled seaman who was app

s cabin, yet comfortable and breezy with the panting of the heel of a windsail, as the swing of the barque swelled the mouth of the tube

Prunes to give you some lump sugar.

and the soles of his naked feet glimmered

lady taking command of a

disclosed a head of rich brown hair,

f, 'I'm not what is called in your country a lady. I'm just a plain Amurrican woman. Of course

foreign-Vanderholt; bu

t Amurrica. They're coming fast, and when they settle they call themselves Amurricans. I can tell you, sir, ther

tly entertained by the singular figure this strange, fine, original woma

in nearly everything of consequence. We gave you steam,' said the lady, coolly making way for the negro boy, w

d continued to talk and suck while she poured out the milkless

ness and speed weren't known to the world. We offer you the double topsail. You'll take twenty years to consider it,' sh

eat Britain to study navigation, and take charge of ships, after the example you are setting, there are a great many husbands wh

ipper, who seemed to find something suspicious in Mr. Vanderholt's answer. 'Who flew t

ance behind his beard, respectf

ins like yourself in your cou

the master of a ship, and I always went to sea with him, and could discharge his duties as well as he, and sometimes better. He died, and left me a childless widow. But I was not poor. What with my

eference to dollars and interest engaged

n't then living in that city-I happened to pick up the New York

ind returned, holding an old newspaper. She seated herself, and, popping another lump of sugar into her mo

cate, will, it is announced, take the command of the yacht Emerald. This lady is, it is said, not the first of her sex who has been in command of a v

any more than there is in yourn; but I was determined to let 'm know I was fit to command a ship, and I presented myself, and received some handsome complimen

laimed Mr. Vanderholt. 'Yo

on to a noble pursuit which would carry them leagues clear of the troubles of home, put money in their pockets, enable them to see the world and life, and help them,' said she, putting a

ran his eyes over her figure, and looked at her face with a countenance of earnest res

he captain went on. 'You'd find no bad husband going to se

is the art of seamanship, and the figure stretching her hand t

ain Lind. 'It was my notion. Quite a pome, ain't

f I did not say it, it was in my mind to speak it, "There is in that ba

shed the sugar-bowl away, that she m

of your sailors?' a

them lumps into my mouth. Don't you ever be afraid of any man, miss. Why man bosses woman's jest a question of muscle. My crew soon learnt the art of jumping to the music of my voice. I'm a little shrill-don't reckon that I si

bin, and, after a short absence, returned with a box of cigars

comes to it,' said she, helping herself to

side him was Mr. Prunes. The first dog-watch had begun; it had seemed, however, to Mr. Tweed that it was all dog-watch with the crew of the Wife's Hope; they only appeared to lounge a little more now that one of them had struck eight times on the forecastle bell. The sun was still h

Tweed. 'It's like having the Wight aboard to see her. Boun

with a laugh that struck

ay here? Well, yer might have done worse,' he added, with a look aloft. 'Doomed if I could keep my face when I saw

gned more for a lark than for a berth. They told me that the Wife's Hope was in want of a chief mate. She was in Calcutta, and I hadn't been long out of 'orspital. I knew she was commanded by a woman, and reckoned upon b

nds all about the man?uvri

t! It's yachting for nice discernment. I never knew any master keep his weather-eye lifting as this female do. She can smell what's coming along. She's reefed down when the sky

, if it couldn't be seen,' said Tweed.

his cap, and caressing the tassel, whilst his eyes met in a squint of earnestnes

it?' said

en said in a low, confidential voice,

sort of mate which asho

nd it drove the other ch

g young, and that the sea hasn't robbed me of all that I owe to my mother, who was the handsomest woman in Shadwell, I kept dark about my 'ome, a

r the truth, if I w

ng twinkled in M

he, 'under an error. There's no call now to correct

coming on deck. The captain sang out in a shrill, bantam-like v

going aboard their schoone

ked Captain Glew for his latitude and longitude. This she received, and entered upon a

mile out, and the

than the Flying Dutchman. It will be far more interesting to me to talk about than an apparitio

d to the Mowbray. Just before sunset a breeze came right along the red, shortening shaft of glory, as though it blew out of the sun. Both ve