The String of Pearls (1850), p. 712

tain said, it appears we are to have one. Well, well, I have weathered many a storm on land, and now I must put up with one at sea."
At this moment, there was a tremendous bustle upon deck, and some orders were issued that were quite unintelligible to Todd, There was, however, a great flapping of canvas, and a rattling of chains.
The Lively William was weathering the South Foreland, and just going to do battle with half a gale of wind in the Channel.
Up to this point, Todd had, with something approaching to resignation, put up with the disagreeables about him ; and upon the principle of the song which states that—

"When a man travels, he mustn't look queer,
If he meets a few rubs that he does not meet here,"

he regarded his position with philosophy; but now there came over him a dreadful sensation. A cold clammy dew burst out upon his face—all strength fled from his limbs, and with a deep groan, Todd began to feel the real horror of sea sickness. Nothing can be like sea sickness but death, and nothing can be like death but seasickness. Todd had never suffered from that calamity before; and now that it came upon him, in all its aggravated horrors, he could not believe that it was a mere passing indisposition, but concluded that he must have been poisoned by the captain of the ship, and that his last hour was come.
And now Todd would fain have made a noise, and called for help. He would have liked to fire one of his pistols in the face of that captain, provided he could but have got him to the side of his berth; but he had not strength left to utter a word above a whisper; and as for moving his hand to his pockets to get out his fire-arms, he could not so much as lift a finger.
All Todd could do was to go on, and to get each moment worse and worse with that awful sensation of sickness, which resembles the sickness of the soul at parting from its mortal house, to which it had clung so long.
The wind howled upon the deck and through the cordage of the vessel—the spray dashed over her bulwarks, and each moment the storm increased in fury.

CHAPTER CLXVIII.
TODD GETS A WORLD OF MARITIME EXPERIENCE.

The idea that he was poisoned grew upon Todd each moment, and to such a man, it was truly terrific to think that he should come to so fearful an end.
"Help! Help!" he groaned; but after all, it was only a groan and not a cry—not that that mattered, for if he had had the lungs often men all concentrated in his own person, and had so been able to cry out with a superhuman voice, it would have been most completely lost amid the roar of the wind, and the wild dashing of the waves.
The storm was certainly increasing.
"Oh, this sickness! "groaned Todd. "Oh, dear—oh, dear!"
At the moment that he was so bad that, in his want of experience of what sea sickness really was, he thought every moment would be his last, he heard some one coming down into the cabin, and one of the crew rolled rather than walked into it.
''Help!" said Todd; "oh, help!"
" You, go to the d—!" said the man. "The captain is washed overboard, and we are all going to the bottom, so I am one who likes to take a little spirits with him to qualify the water that one may be obliged to swallow. That's it. Steady, craft, steady."
Practised as this man no doubt was in the art of keeping his footing upon an undulating surface, the pitching of the ship was so tremendous, that even he

712

THE STRING OF PEARLS.

tain said, it appears we are to have one. Well, well, I have weathered many a
storm on land, and now I must put up with one at sea."

At this moment, there was a tremendous bustle upon deck, and some orders
were issued that were quite unintelligible to Todd, There was, however, a great
flapping of canvas, and a rattling of chains.

The Lively William was weathering the South Foreland, and just going to do
battle with half a gale of wind in the Channel.

Up to this point, Todd had, with something approaching to resignation, put
up with the disagreeables about him ; and upon the principle of the song which
states that —

" When a noan travel*, ke mustn't leok queer,
If he meets a few rubs that he does not meet here,"

he regarded his position with philosophy ; but now there came over him a
dreadful sensation. A cold clammy dew burst out upon his face — all strength
fled from his limbs, and with a deep groan, Todd began to feel the real horror
of sea sickness.

Nothing can be like sea sickness but death, and nothing can be like death but
seasickness. Todd had never suffered from that calamity before ; and now that
it came upon him, in all its aggravated horrors, he could not believe that it was
a mere passing indisposition, but concluded that he must have been poisoned by
the captain of the ship, p.nd that his last hour was come.

And now Todd would fain have made a noise, and called for help. He would
have liked to fire one of his pistols in the face of that captain, provided he could
but have got him to the side of his berth ; but he had not strength left to utter a
word above a whisper ; and as for moving his hand to his pockets to get out his
fire-arms, he could not so much as lift a finger.

All Todd could do was to go on, and to get each moment worse and worse
with that awful sensation of sickness, which resembles the sickness of the soul
at parting from its mortal house, to which it had clung so long.

The wind howled upon the deck and through the cordage of the vessel — the
spray dashed over her bulwarks, and each moment the storm increased in
furv.

CHAPTER CLXV1II.

TODD GETS A WORLD OF MARITIME EXPERIENCE.

The idea that he was poisoned grew upon Tobd each moment, and to such a
man, it was truly terrific to think that he should come to so fearful an end.

" Help ! Help I" he groaned ; but after all, it was only a groan and not a
cry— not that that mattered, for if he had had the lungs often men all concen-
trated in his own person, and had so been able to cry out with a superhuman
voice, it would have been most completely lost amid the roar of the wind, and
the wild dashing of the waves.

The storm was certainly increasing.

a ° v' th ' S sickness ! " g ro aned Todd. " Oh, dear— oh, dear !"

At the moment that he was so bad that, in his want of experience of what sea
sickness really was, he thought every moment would be his last, he heard some
one coming down into the cabin, and one of the crew rolled rather than walked
into it.

''Help!" said Todd; "oh, help!"

" You , g 0 .^ the d-1 !' said the man. "The captain is washed overboard, and
we are all going to the bottom, so I am one who likes to take a little spirits with
him to qualify the water ihat one may be obliged to swallow. That's it. Steady,
cratt, steady. •

an^fol 58 th r S M 11 n ° d ° ubt ™ as in ^ art of keeping his footing upon
an undulating surface, the pitching of the ship was so tremendous, that even he