He is glad enough to take us and our good horses
safely across to Rotterdam; and, with the light, favouring breeze
that has been blowing steadily these last three days, he declares
we ought to make the anchorage there before nightfall. With the sea
as smooth as this, too, I am not afraid to adventure the horses;
which I should be were a gale to blow."
"Do they suffer from seasickness?" asked Tom.
"Ay, from the nausea of it," answered Lord Claud; "but the relief
that we can gain by sickness is impossible to them, and therefore
they must needs die if things be too bad with them. But if the
weather change not--and there looks no fear of that--we shall have
a swift and prosperous voyage; so now let us to supper, and I will
tell you more of what lies before us."
But as it turned out, there were too many other guests at the table
for private talk to be possible; and only when on board the good
sloop Marlborough did Tom hear anything of the details of the
projected expedition.
It was a clear, promising morning, a light breeze blowing from the
west, but the sea still and smooth, only dimpling with the puffs of
wind. Tom stood on board beside the horses, soothing their fears at
the strange sights and sounds about them, his own heart beating
somewhat high with excitement at the thought of putting to sea for
the first time.
Pages:
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188