I was not seriously injured, and, so far from regretting that we
had not been victorious in the encounter, we were pleased at being
the means of restoring the captive bird to its noble mate.
Chapter XXX. An Orcadian Voyage.
Shortly after midnight, when I lay comfortably in my bunk, I was
awakened by hearing the anchor scraping and thumping against the
schooner's bow; then there was a hauling of ropes on deck and a
creaking of timbers as the sails were run up, and I fell to sleep
again before we had got out beyond the shelter of the coast.
When I got up in the morning and went on deck, the island of Hoy
lay far to windward like a bank of mist upon the sea. We were far
out on the broad Pentland Firth, plunging about on the rough water,
with our mainsail double-reefed, and the flying jib pulling away
like to split itself in the wind. I enjoyed it all for a time; but
when I went below to help Jerry to get ready some breakfast for the
skipper, the smell of the coffee and the frying bacon overcame me,
and I was forced to go back to my bunk, where I remained for the
rest of the day helplessly seasick.
The next morning, feeling better, I went up to get a breath of
fresh air, and found that we were hemmed in by a thick white mist
that crept round us, and rendered it difficult for Jerry, who was
on the lookout at the bow, to determine our course.
Pages:
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237