it for
burial; and I looked up in the new light, and around me, to take in
that second gush of loneliness of which I told you. . . . It was
appalling. It swept in on me from the whole enormous circumference
of empty waters, and I fairly cowered from it over the corpse I had
been tending.

"I never had that sensation again, or in anything like that degree,
during the whole voyage; and I shall presently tell you why. But it
was Macnaughten who taught me my first deliverance. . . . I knelt
there, huddled, not daring to turn my face up for a second look and
expose my cowardice. I seemed to be drowning in the deep of deeps,
and fragments of the first chapter of Genesis swirled past me like
straws--_And the earth was without form and void. . . . And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God saw the
light, that it was good_--but here it was, and it was not good.
_And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters_--
but there was no firmament. _And God divided the waters . . . and
the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that
it was good_--oh, my God! _And God said, Let the waters under the
heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let dry land appear:
and it was so_--But it wasn't!

"Captain Macnaughten's voice spoke through this misery of mine quite
matter-of-factly and simply, dispersing it like so much morning mist.

"'Signal the other boats to pull close,' he commanded. 'Someone tell
me where the Bible and Prayer-Book were stowed. I saw them handed
down, with my own eyes.' Then to me: 'These things--packed as we
are . . . the sooner over, the better, and the less they'll prey on
anyone's mind.' He looked down. 'Jock would have liked it so, I
reckon.'

"The other two boats were called close. The summons was explained,
and the burial service decently read. 'It don't seem altogether a
lively beginning,' said he to me at the close--and the water was
scarce dry on his cheek that had run down suddenly as he read out
_I heard a voice from heaven, saying_--'But,' he added, 'it'll sober
'em down to what they'll have to face. . . . And now we'll sober 'em
up with some cheerfuller business no less practical.'

"The boats having gathered close for this ceremony, he commanded them
to stay so while the crews cooked breakfast. 'I saw the coffee
handed down into No. 1,' he announced. 'Fetch it out, you! . . .
And, after breakfast, I'll overhaul all thr