wondered what the skipper saw in it to make
such a bother; the second and third mates winked at one another
behind Arthur Price's back; and he, the chief mate, sulked.

"That's all, I suppose?" he asked the Captain when he got on the
bridge again at last.

"No," was the sharp answer. "It's not all. Speak the engine-room and
ask the chief how he's hitting it."

"All sweet," reported the mate as he hung up the speaking tube.

"That's right," said the Captain. "You always want to know that,
Mister Mate. And the lights?"

"All bright, sir," said the mate.

"Then you can go down and get something to eat," said the Captain.
"And see that the hand wheel's clear as you go."

It breezed up that night, and as the Burdock cleared the tail of
Cornwall, the heavy Atlantic water came aboard. She was a sound ship,
though, and Captain Price knew her as he knew the palms of his hands.
Screened behind the high weather-cloths, he drove her into it, while
the tall seas filled her forward main deck rail-deep and her bows
pounded away in a mast-high smother of spray. From the binnacle
amidships to the weather wing of the bridge was his dominion, while
the watch officer straddled down to leeward; both with eyes boring at
the darkness ahead and on either beam, where there came and went the
pin-point lights of ships.

Arthur Price relieved the bridge at midnight, but the Captain held
on.

"Ye see how she takes it?" he bawled down the wind to his son. "No
excuse for steaming wide; ye can drive her to a hair. Keep your eyes
on that light to port; we don't want anything bumping into us."

"You wouldn't ease her a bit, then?" shouted the mate, the wind
snatching his words.

"Ease her!" was the reply. "You'd have her edging into France. She'll
lie her course while we drive her."

When dawn came up the sea had mounted; the Bay was going to be true
to its name. Captain Price went to his chart-house at midnight, to
sleep on a settle; but by his orders the Burdock was kept to her
course and her gait, battering away at the gale contentedly.

After breakfast, he took another look round and then went below to
rest in his bunk, while the tell-tale swam in wild eccentrics above
his upturned face. After a while he dozed off to sleep, lulled by the
click of furnishings that rendered to the ship's roll, the drum of
the seas on her plates, and the swish of loose water across the deck.

He was roused by his steward. That menial laid a hand on h