Wakulla | Page 9

warmth
which was to make Mr. Elmer well again.
Although Mark was very ill all this time, Ruth was as bright and well
as though she were on land. This was very mortifying to her brother;
but "Captain Li," who went in to see him every day, comforted him by
telling him of old sailors he had known who were always sea-sick for
the first few days of every voyage they undertook.
The schooner was off Cape Hatteras before Mark felt able to leave his
berth. At last, one evening when the sea was very quiet, "Captain Li"
said, "Come, Mark, I want you to turn out and go on deck to see the last
of Hatteras Light. You know Cape Hatteras is one of the worst capes
along our entire Atlantic coast, and is probably the one most dreaded
by sailors. When coming home from the West Indies, they sing an old
song which begins:
"'Now if the Bermudas let you pass, Then look for Cape Hatteras.'"
Slowly dressing, with the captain's aid, Mark, feeling very weak, but
free from the horrible sickness from which he had suffered so long,
managed to get out on deck. He was astonished at the change that one
week's sailing southward had made in the general appearance of things.
When he was last on deck, it and the rigging were covered with snow
and ice. Now not a particle of either was to be seen, and the air was
mild and pleasant. A new moon hung low in the western sky, and over
the smooth sea the schooner was rippling along merrily, under every
stitch of canvas that she could spread.

Mark received a warm welcome from his father, mother, and Ruth, who
were all on deck, but had not expected to see him there that evening.
"Quick, Mark! Look! Hatteras is 'most gone," said Ruth, pointing, as
she spoke, to a little twinkle of light so far astern that it seemed to rest
on the very waters. Half an hour later the captain said, "Now let's go
below, where it is warmer; and if you care to hear it, I will spin you a
yarn of Hatteras Light."
"Yes, indeed," said Ruth and Mark together.
"By all means; a story is just the thing," said Mr. and Mrs. Elmer, also
together, at which they all laughed, hooked little fingers, and wished.
When they had made themselves comfortable in the cabin, Mark being
allowed to occupy the lounge on account of his recent illness, the
captain began as follows:
"Ten years ago this winter I made my first voyage of any length,
though before that I had made some short runs on a little coaster
between New York and down-East ports. Getting tired of this, and
wanting to see something more of the world, I shipped in New York,
early in December, on board the very prettiest craft I ever set eyes on,
for a voyage to the West Indies. She was the hundred-ton
schooner-yacht Mirage, and her owner had determined to try and make
her pay him something during the winter by running her as a fruiter.
She carried a crew of five men, besides the captain, mate, and
steward--all young and able seamen. I was the youngest and least
experienced, but was large for my age, and passed muster with the rest.
"We had a pleasant run down to Havana, passing Moro Castle and
dropping anchor on the seventh day out from New York, but found
some trouble there in getting a cargo for the home voyage. The delay
worried our skipper considerably, for he had calculated on being home
with his wife and baby at Christmas; but we of the crew enjoyed the
city, and I for one got leave to go ashore whenever I could, and made
the most of my opportunity to see the sights.

"We had laid there about ten days, when one morning, as the old man
came up the after companion-way from the cabin, a big gray rat rushed
out on deck ahead of him, scampered to the side, and plumped
overboard. We all saw it in the water, swimming for the quay, which
was but a short distance from us, and, quick as a thought, the skipper
had jumped back into the cabin for his pistol, and before the beast had
got more than half-way he had fired several shots at it. The bullets
struck all around the rat, but didn't hit it, and we saw him disappear
through a crevice between the stones of the quay.
"Our captain was a very superstitious man, and this incident troubled
him, for I heard him say to the mate that he never knew any ship to
have good luck when once the rats began to leave her.
"Soon