Bab Bab 4 · STORM BEFALLS THE BARTHOLOMEW, AND SHE IS DRIVEN OFF HER

. STORM BEFALLS THE BARTHOLOMEW, AND SHE IS DRIVEN OFF HER

COURSE

Now swift sailed the Bartholomew for four weeks toward the north-west

with a fair wind, and all was well with ship and crew. Then the wind

died out on even of a day, so that the ship scarce made way at all,

though she rolled in a great swell of the sea, so great, that it seemed

to ridge all the main athwart. Moreover down in the west was a great

bank of cloud huddled up in haze, whereas for twenty days past the sky

had been clear, save for a few bright white clouds flying before the

wind. Now the shipmaster, a man right cunning in his craft, looked long

on sea and sky, and then turned and bade the mariners take in sail and be

right heedful. And when Walter asked him what he looked for, and

wherefore he spake not to him thereof, he said surlily: "Why should I

tell thee what any fool can see without telling, to wit that there is

weather to hand?"

So they abode what should befall, and Walter went to his room to sleep

away the uneasy while, for the night was now fallen; and he knew no more

till he was waked up by great hubbub and clamour of the shipmen, and the

whipping of ropes, and thunder of flapping sails, and the tossing and

weltering of the ship withal. But, being a very stout-hearted young man,

he lay still in his room, partly because he was a landsman, and had no

mind to tumble about amongst the shipmen and hinder them; and withal he

said to himself: What matter whether I go down to the bottom of the sea,

or come back to Langton, since either way my life or my death will take

away from me the fulfilment of desire? Yet soothly if there hath been a

shift of wind, that is not so ill; for then shall we be driven to other

lands, and so at the least our home-coming shall be delayed, and other

tidings may hap amidst of our tarrying. So let all be as it will.

So in a little while, in spite of the ship's wallowing and the tumult of

the wind and waves, he fell asleep again, and woke no more till it was

full daylight, and there was the shipmaster standing in the door of his

room, the sea-water all streaming from his wet-weather raiment. He said

to Walter: "Young master, the sele of the day to thee! For by good hap

we have gotten into another day. Now I shall tell thee that we have

striven to beat, so as not to be driven off our course, but all would not

avail, wherefore for these three hours we have been running before the

wind; but, fair sir, so big hath been the sea that but for our ship being

of the stoutest, and our men all yare, we had all grown exceeding wise

concerning the ground of the mid-main. Praise be to St. Nicholas and all

Hallows! for though ye shall presently look upon a new sea, and maybe a

new land to boot, yet is that better than looking on the ugly things down

below."

"Is all well with ship and crew then?" said Walter.

"Yea forsooth," said the shipmaster; "verily the Bartholomew is the

darling of Oak Woods; come up and look at it, how she is dealing with

wind and waves all free from fear."

So Walter did on his foul-weather raiment, and went up on to the quarter-

deck, and there indeed was a change of days; for the sea was dark and

tumbling mountain-high, and the white-horses were running down the

valleys thereof, and the clouds drave low over all, and bore a scud of

rain along with them; and though there was but a rag of sail on her, the

ship flew before the wind, rolling a great wash of water from bulwark to

bulwark.

Walter stood looking on it all awhile, holding on by a stay-rope, and

saying to himself that it was well that they were driving so fast toward

new things.

Then the shipmaster came up to him and clapped him on the shoulder and

said: "Well, shipmate, cheer up! and now come below again and eat some

meat, and drink a cup with me."

So Walter went down and ate and drank, and his heart was lighter than it

had been since he had heard of his father's death, and the feud awaiting

him at home, which forsooth he had deemed would stay his wanderings a

weary while, and therewithal his hopes. But now it seemed as if he needs

must wander, would he, would he not; and so it was that even this fed his

hope; so sore his heart clung to that desire of his to seek home to those

three that seemed to call him unto them.