After many futile efforts the steward's
patience gave way; but certain members of the crew had
impressed him with the conviction that the hurricane that
was being encountered and the disasters that had befallen us
were sent as a judgment on _him_ for the blasphemous
language he was accustomed to use at all times, whenever the
slightest thing crossed his devilish nature. He put his
hands on the table, his eyes were upturned, and with a
softness of speech he slowly uttered, "Jesus wept--and so He
might!" Of course he would have preferred a string of oaths
as a relief to his pent-up anger. On the following night the
hurricane still raged, and it was thought that something was
wrong with the maintop-gallant sail. It looked as though it
were blowing adrift. A hand was sent aloft to secure it, but
when half-way up the top-mast rigging, he got on to the
top-mast back stay, and slid down on deck. He was speechless
for some time after reaching the deck. At last he jerkingly
articulated that there was nothing wrong with the sail, but
that which was believed to be sail was really some ferocious
living thing.
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