a prairie bison, the ship's bow pointed now upward
toward the sky, now downward into the depths.
Responsive to the shrieking blast the phosphorescent
waves reared their crests on high, clashed one against
another, and breaking into foam shot brilliant streams
of spray into the black air, like flashes of light from
a luminous snowdrift. Fearing to be driven to de-
struction before the wind, the steamer's bow was
pointed athwart the waves, and there in the teeth of
the storm the utmost eflbrts were made to prevent
her being caught and overturned in the trough of the
sea.
Returning to my berth, and bracing myself and holding on, I lay listening to the creaking timbers and straining joints, to the thud and rattle of the waters against the ship's planks, to the crashing of glass and crockery, and the clatter and bang of loose furniture and baggage, sent hither and thither by every lurch of the struggling ship, to the shouts of sailors, and the mingled moans and blasphemies of passengers ; watching through the slow hours for day, listening for some break in the beating machinery which should leave us at the mercy of the waves, wondering if ever I should see the firm and beauteous earth again.
Dawn brought only increased fury to the storm. No tables could be set that day ; indeed, there was little thought of eating, for long before the tempest had spent itself the ship was despaired of, and such passengers as were out of bed were beaten about like footballs. All loose canvas was torn to shreds, and boats were splintered and sent flying from their fas- tenings Clothes went adrift without their owners, and half-dressed men and women staggered about in dismay and confusion. Heavy seas were shipped in rapid succession ; the wind and waves swept over the deck in a hurricane, and to add to our distress the ship, though comparatively new, had parted her seams, and was leaking badly, so that all the
