bail water, so git below and set to bailin'!"
"Not me!" Collie shot back. "I will help you secure the sails up here!"
"Git below!" old Quin shouted from the rail. "That be a direct order!"
"I've had me fill of them bailin' buckets," Collie said. "I'll work topside, like a real sailor, same as you."
As he struggled to keep his balance, Collie inched his way forward across the rocking deck.
One huge wave after another surged and smashed against the ship. The pilot strained at the wheel, turning the ship hard to starboard to meet wave after wave, head-on. As the ship rolled to the side, both Abner and Bart grabbed for the shrouds. Old Quin dropped the buckets and wrapped both his arms around the rail. Collie, perplexed, stopped still in the middle of the deck.
The ship lurched to the side, then it lunged forward. With blinding strength, a tremendous wave smashed across the deck.
And Collie was gone.
Grace's voice rose in a shrieking scream. But her cries were lost in the howl of the wind and the crash of the sea.
"Below! You, Ashok!"
Abner and Bart and Quin all bellowed together.
"Git yerse'f below! Now!"
By late afternoon, the crash of the waves had quieted to heaving billows. By dusk, the sea was nothing more than rolling surges. By nightfall, a fair wind filled the sails of the Ocean Steed, and the ship cut swiftly through the water.
Grace sank down onto a barrel flipped upside down next to the rail and stared overboard at the black water. She shivered uncontrollably in her soaked clothes. Collie Steele lay down there in the deep darkness. Swept away right in front of her eyes, he was. One moment he stood in the middle of the deck, and the next moment he was gone.
"It could have been me," Grace whispered.
"Sure, and it could. Could be you tomorrow," said old Quin, who had come up behind her. He looked from the choppy water up to the sails that strained in the wind. "Could be me.Could be any one of us. Or all of us."
Old Quin stood next to Grace and stared out over the sea.For a long time, he said nothing.
"Nature fights agin' us at the very same time it helps us, don't y'see," he said at last. "We never kin know when it will grab hold of a ship and have its way with us."
Grace turned and looked up at Quin's deeply furrowed face, weathered and brown. He always wore a cap pulled down tight over his mop of bushy gray curls. Quin continued to stare out to the endless expanse of ocean.
"Do you believe in God?" Grace asked in a quiet voice.
"I believes in ever'thin'," Quin said. "An' I believes in nothin'. That way I won't be disappointed."
Grace finally found the strength to make her way down the ladder. Where Collie's hammock had hung beside hers was now a gaping, empty space.
The next morning, Captain Hallam summoned the entire crew to the main deck. The men stood in unaccustomed orderly rows. They pulled off their hats—except for Grace who left her red rumal wrapped around her head. With uncommon discomfort, the captain stood before the silent men.
Grace, up at the front, heard the navigator, Marcus Slade, whisper to Captain Hallam, "You must say something, sir."
" 'They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep,' " Captain Hallam intoned. "Our mate . . .ah . . ."
"Collie Steele, sir," Marcus Slade hissed. "His name was Collie Steele!"
"Our mate, Collie Steele—" Captain Hallam said. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I am not a religious man."
Mister Slade handed the captain an opened Bible. With the men's eyes hard on him, Captain Hallam read, " 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want; He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a
"Not me!" Collie shot back. "I will help you secure the sails up here!"
"Git below!" old Quin shouted from the rail. "That be a direct order!"
"I've had me fill of them bailin' buckets," Collie said. "I'll work topside, like a real sailor, same as you."
As he struggled to keep his balance, Collie inched his way forward across the rocking deck.
One huge wave after another surged and smashed against the ship. The pilot strained at the wheel, turning the ship hard to starboard to meet wave after wave, head-on. As the ship rolled to the side, both Abner and Bart grabbed for the shrouds. Old Quin dropped the buckets and wrapped both his arms around the rail. Collie, perplexed, stopped still in the middle of the deck.
The ship lurched to the side, then it lunged forward. With blinding strength, a tremendous wave smashed across the deck.
And Collie was gone.
Grace's voice rose in a shrieking scream. But her cries were lost in the howl of the wind and the crash of the sea.
"Below! You, Ashok!"
Abner and Bart and Quin all bellowed together.
"Git yerse'f below! Now!"
By late afternoon, the crash of the waves had quieted to heaving billows. By dusk, the sea was nothing more than rolling surges. By nightfall, a fair wind filled the sails of the Ocean Steed, and the ship cut swiftly through the water.
Grace sank down onto a barrel flipped upside down next to the rail and stared overboard at the black water. She shivered uncontrollably in her soaked clothes. Collie Steele lay down there in the deep darkness. Swept away right in front of her eyes, he was. One moment he stood in the middle of the deck, and the next moment he was gone.
"It could have been me," Grace whispered.
"Sure, and it could. Could be you tomorrow," said old Quin, who had come up behind her. He looked from the choppy water up to the sails that strained in the wind. "Could be me.Could be any one of us. Or all of us."
Old Quin stood next to Grace and stared out over the sea.For a long time, he said nothing.
"Nature fights agin' us at the very same time it helps us, don't y'see," he said at last. "We never kin know when it will grab hold of a ship and have its way with us."
Grace turned and looked up at Quin's deeply furrowed face, weathered and brown. He always wore a cap pulled down tight over his mop of bushy gray curls. Quin continued to stare out to the endless expanse of ocean.
"Do you believe in God?" Grace asked in a quiet voice.
"I believes in ever'thin'," Quin said. "An' I believes in nothin'. That way I won't be disappointed."
Grace finally found the strength to make her way down the ladder. Where Collie's hammock had hung beside hers was now a gaping, empty space.
The next morning, Captain Hallam summoned the entire crew to the main deck. The men stood in unaccustomed orderly rows. They pulled off their hats—except for Grace who left her red rumal wrapped around her head. With uncommon discomfort, the captain stood before the silent men.
Grace, up at the front, heard the navigator, Marcus Slade, whisper to Captain Hallam, "You must say something, sir."
" 'They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these see the works of the Lord and his wonders in the deep,' " Captain Hallam intoned. "Our mate . . .ah . . ."
"Collie Steele, sir," Marcus Slade hissed. "His name was Collie Steele!"
"Our mate, Collie Steele—" Captain Hallam said. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I am not a religious man."
Mister Slade handed the captain an opened Bible. With the men's eyes hard on him, Captain Hallam read, " 'The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want; He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a
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