Page:On to Pekin.djvu/140

118 behind the dense clouds, the wind came up with a rush, whistling through the windows and ports of the ship and banging many an unlatched door. Some of the soldiers were not looking for such a gust; and one lost his hat overboard, and another a precious bundle of newspapers obtained in Nagasaki at the cost of three Mexican dollars.

"We are up against it fer kapes!" cried Dan Casey, as he vainly tried to keep his feet. "Sure, an' I'm goin' below to kape from fallin' all over meself!" And he lost no time in literally sliding out of sight, for to keep erect on the companionway was impossible.

Some of the soldiers were at mess when the storm came up; and, as pea soup happened to be on the bill of fare, my readers can imagine how the contents of the tin soup plates were slopped around, much to the ire of the owners of the soup and the anger of those who happened to get the boiling hot liquid over them.

Nuggy Polk and Jerry Nickerson had just finished their repast when the first heavy blow struck the transport, sending the craft almost on her beams' end. Both had eaten heartily of a great variety of food, for