Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/150



ous wheels  that  beat  them  into  foam,  wheels  strivhig with the  contending  flood,  on  one  side  deep  in  water and on  the  other  vainly  grasping  at  the  rushing  tide below. The jerkings  now  and  then  of  the  ship betokened a  risings  sea. Cio;ars and  sentiment  were abandoned, for  here  was  the  beginning  of  a  long  unrest. Neither sighings,  nor  the  quickening  heart-beat  of hope,  neither  the  memories  of  loved  ones  left  behhid, nor the  brilliant  aspirations  of  the  future,  nor  even the solemn  thought  of  thus  being  brought  into  the more immediate  presence  of  my  maker  could  prevent the rising  within  my  bosom  of  sensations  foreign  to meditation. I tried  to  appear  indifferent ;  as  the  evil increased I  attempted  even  to  smile,  but  it  was  a ghastly  business.

As the  wind  grew  boisterous,  and  the  motion  of the  vessel  more  palpably  uneven,  all  on  board,  save the favored  few  who  had  neither  conscience  nor stomach, sousfht  retirement. Some thouo-ht  to  brave down the  unbidden  rising  within  by  moving  briskly about and  nibbling  a  cracker  instead  of  eating  supper and going  to  bed. "You can  walk  it  off,"  they  said, "do not  give  up  to  it." I noticed,  now  and  then,  that these would  suddenly  disappear,  and  when  next  seen ill their  determined  perambulations,  they  looked  paler and not  altogether  happy. Some sat  down  to  table and with  affected  nonchalance  and  flourish  of  knife and fork  ,and  pronounced  orders  for  food,  courageously began to  eat;  but  soon  a  cloud  overspread  their faatures, a  careworn  expression  as  of  some  internal trouble, until  at  last  sickness  overcoming  sensitive- ness, one person  after  another  would  rise  hastily from the  table,  clasp  one  hand  on  his  mouth  and  the other on  his  waistcoat,  dart  for  the  door,  make  for the guards,  and  there  unbosom  his  burdened  breast to the  fishes. Indeed, my  own  food  was  as  restless within me  as  was  Poseidon  in  the  bowels  of  his father Cronos.

Few remained  on  deck  that  night  to    witness  the