Page:Blackwood's Magazine volume 137.djvu/760

754 the day went on, in the bay, sheltered on three sides, scarcely a breath of air was stirring. But nevertheless a growing ground-swell came rolling round the bold headland to the westward. The sky had clouded over; there was oppression in the air; the leaden-coloured rollers seemed sullenly smoothed down by oil; and the mate made the remark that the glass was tumbling.

"There has been wild weather in the Atlantic – there can be no doubt of that; and the question is, whether we will not have a storm on the coast here."

As for the captain, casting all his cares upon Providence, he smoked and drank on imperturbably.

The passengers had come on board: the Cuchullin had got up her steam, and was slewing her head round to the sea-channel, when the mate sang out to slacken speed. A boat was seen putting out from the shore, and a signal-flag was being waved in front of the public-house.

"Now who may that be?" muttered Winstanley to himself. "It never rains but it pours, and here comes another ruffian to prove the possible aggravation of the least tolerable calamities."

For a man was seated in the stern-sheets as the boatmen strained to the oars.

Winstanley prided himself on his quick perceptions, and it struck him at once that the new-comer was a gentleman. Then the stranger's luggage was presumptive evidence in that direction, since it consisted of a couple of neat portmanteaus, a gun-case, and a handbag in Russian leather. The handbag bore the golden initial letters "J. V."; and the gun-case, as the shrewd reader may have supposed, was superscribed at length as belonging to John Venables, Esq.

Jack was not gouty – far from it. On the contrary, he was in the highest health and spirits; and he swung himself up the side ladder with the grace of a young Antinous. His first words were a polite apology to the captain for delaying him, which the captain acknowledged by inarticulate mutterings and a stare from his whisky-sodden eyes.

As for Winstanley, he was from the first attracted to the stranger. Here, according to outward appearances, was a man with whom he might possibly have common ideas and sympathies. So the pair made friends over the dinner-table, and, had it not been for the interruptions of the irrepressible Yankee, would practically have monopolised the conversation. For the minister was overawed by consciousness of ignorance of the subjects the others discussed in a kind of easy freemasonry; and the sheep-farmer, like naturally modest men, was always in extremes, and either painfully shy or brilliantly audacious.

It was just as well for Mr Winstanley that he had found a companion he fancied, for it seemed likely that the voyage might be indefinitely prolonged. The night had settled down in a fog, denser and damper than that of the previous one; and ten hours after they started the steamer was going half-speed over a heavy ground-swell in impenetrable darkness. Slowing the engines had been the result of a compromise, when the skipper in a moment of drunken depression had lent an ear to the warnings of his inexperienced mate. But when the youth, in increasing uneasiness, urged lying off altogether till day should dawn, his superior had lost temper and decided to go boldly ahead.

"It's but kittle steering here,"