Page:The land of enchantment (1907, Cassell).djvu/93

 them aboard my ship. We ain’t chartered for to carry waterspouts. Ben, my lad, are you a-keeping cool?’”

“‘As a cucumber,’ says I.

“‘Then,’ says he, ‘oblige me by firing the cannon; you'll find her loaded, and don’t miss the spouts, or it’s all U.P.’

“‘Ay, ay, sir,’ says I, and, undoing my lashings, made a bolt forrud. It was dangerous work, but I managed to keep my pins, found the cannon, and, crouching behind the bulwarks, waited for the lightning. It showed the waterspouts just ahead. I whistled once for the captain to port the ’el-em. This brought the spouts into a straight line; then, when another flash came, I sighted the gun, and touched her off for all she was worth. The shot went slap through the three waterspouts one after the other, and down they came a-tumbling harmlessly into the sea. We were saved.”

“Didn't the captain think you very clever?” asked Charlie, with an eye to details.

“Well, Master Charles,” replied the modest Ben, “‘ that’s hardly for me to say; besides, we were so surrounded. with dangers we'd little time to be a-passing compliments. In dodging the spouts the ship’s head had paid off, and now the masts, which had been a-working loose, suddenly snapped, and went by the board, taking with them all the standing rigging, so there we were, a helpless wreck.

“‘My word!’ says the skipper. ‘We shan’t be long afloat, and so I puts it to you, as between man and man, hadn’t we better quit?’

“‘Sir, says I, after turning things over in my mind, ‘I’ve an idea which may or may not work, and so I won't deceive you.’

“‘Then out with it, my lad,’ says he.

“‘Well, says I, ‘there’s a barrel of petroleum on the deck. Let’s try a-pouring oil on the troubled waters.’