ected to a heavy
and singular weight of sea above."

Here the "Dimbula" shot down a hollow, lying almost on her side, and
righting at the bottom with a wrench and a spasm.

"In these cases--are you aware of this, steam?--the plating at the
bows, and particularly at the stern,--we would also mention the floors
beneath us,--helps _us_ to resist any tendency to spring." It was the
frames who were speaking in the solemn and awed voice which people use
when they have just come across something entirely new for the very
first time.

"I'm only a poor, puffy little flutterer," said the steam, "but I have
to stand a good deal of pressure in my business. It's all tremendously
interesting. Tell us some more. You fellows are _so_ strong."

"You'll see," said the bow plates proudly. "Ready behind there! Here's
the father and mother of waves coming! Sit tight, rivets all!" The
great sluicing comber thundered by, but through all the scuffle and
confusion the steam could hear the low, quick cries of the iron-work
as the various strains took them--cries like these: "Easy now, easy!
_Now_ push for all your strength! Hold out! Give a fraction! Hold up!
Pull in! Shove crossways! Mind the strain at the ends! Grip now! Bite
tight! Let the water get away from under, and there she goes."

The wave raced off into the darkness shouting, "Not bad that, if it's
your first run!" and the drenched and ducked ship throbbed to the beat
of the engines inside her. All three cylinders were wet and white with
the salt spray that had come down through the engine-room hatch; there
was white salt on the canvas-bound steam pipes, and even the bright
work below was speckled and soiled; but the cylinders had learned to
make the most of steam that was half water, and were pounding along
cheerfully.

"How's the noblest outcome of human ingenuity hitting it?" said the
steam, as he whirled through the engine room.

"Nothing for nothing in the world of woe," the cylinders answered,
as if they had been working for centuries, "and precious little for
seventy-five pounds head. We've made two knots this last hour and a
quarter! Rather humiliating for eight hundred horse-power, isn't it?"

"Well, it's better than drifting astern, at any rate. You seem rather
less--how shall I put it?--stiff in the back than you were."

"If you'd been hammered as we've been this night, you wouldn't be
stiff--ffreff--ff--either. Theoreti--retti--retti--cally, of course,
rigidity