Page:Cornelia Meigs--The island of Appledore.djvu/84

68 and could have slept where we stood, but the wind was still up and it wasn’t easy going yet. It was my watch and I was dropping with sleepiness and weariness, but so I had been  many times before and it was part of being a  good sailor to be able to keep awake. I stood peering and peering into the dark, my eyes  trying to go shut, but my whole will set to keep  them open. All of a sudden, as I stood there looking, I saw a full-rigged ship dead ahead  of us, every sail spread out to the wind, her  bow-wave slanting sharp out on each side from  her cut-water, her wake showing clear in a  white line of foam. She was so near I could see the men moving on her decks, could see  her open hatchways and the flag flying from  her main truck. We were right in line to ram her amidships; it seemed we couldn’t miss her  except by a miracle. I roared to the man at the wheel, “Port your helm, port your helm,  put her hard over,” and the schooner came  about with a rush that almost capsized her. The captain ran up on deck, the men turned out of their bunks and came swarming up from  below, all wanting to know what the matter  was. I told them about the ship and turned to point her out—but she wasn’t there! The