The Vultures

andy and discolored. Far away to the east, where the green-gray and the dirty gray merge into one, a windmill spinning in the breeze-Holland. Near at

is sandbank in the North Sea. It is tended once in three weeks. The lamp is filled; the wick is trimmed; the screen, which

any rocks which have earned for themselves a dreaded name in maritime story. For they never relinquish anything that touches them. They are soft and gentle in their embrace; they slowly suck in the ship that comes within their grasp. Their story is a long, grim tale of disaster. Their treasure is vast and stored beneath a weight, hal

ast word on leaving the Signal House. "If ye wait a month, never mo

stead of a fog, one of those May gales that sweep

s and her side-lights set aft. Captain Petersen was a cautious man, and came on with the leadsman working like a clock. He was a man who moved slowly. And at sea,

t he rang the engine-room bell. The steamer, hardly moving before, stopped dead, its bluff nose turned to the wind and the rustling waves. Then Captain Petersen held up his hand to the first mate, who was on the high forecastle, and the anchor splashed over. The Olaf was anchored at the head of a submarine bay. She had shoal water all roun

wind still blew hard. There was no depth of water, however, to make a sea big enough to affect large vessels. The Olaf rode easily enough, an

oilskins. His blue eyes laughed in the shadow of the black sou'wester tied down over his

g out into the rain and spray, "whether

e," said Cap

reshold of life; but experience tells that gayety is an inward sun which shines through all the changes and chances of a journey which has assuredly more bad weather than good. The gayest are not those who can be pointed out as the happiest. Indeed, the happiest are those who appear to have nothing to make them ha

n't dragged our anchors and nobody has seen us, and that exceedingly amusin

k the rain from the b

our necks within

an old man so free from care. How he laughs! How he enjoys his dinner and his wine! The wine runs down a man's throat none t

turning his gloomy eyes towards his companion. "A prince does

Prince Martin, momentarily

roke into

at English boat. Come on to the fore-yard. We can

until this gale is over," grumbled Petersen,

, that man-a sense of

n Petersen paused to hoist hims

Martin, looking th

a wo

r was lost in the roar of

tself together for that last effort which usually denotes the end of a gale. Then Captain Petersen pointed his steady hand almo

d like a whale's back. He disappeared into the haze nearer the land, and presently emerged again astern of the Olaf, a black nozzle of iron and an intermittent fan of spray. He was crashing into the seas at full speed-a very different kind of sai

on the deeply laden little vessel from the height of their dry and steady deck. They watched the men working quickly almost under water on the low forecas

. The steamer had no name visible, a sail hanging carelessly over the stern completely hid name and port o

y and get to us!" he said, pessimistically, and went forward to give the necessary orders. He knew his business, too, this Northern sailor, and when, after a long

Olaf and shook hands with Captain Petersen. He did not

finished drying the salt water from his face with

I wasn't coming," h

knew yo

wn sake?" suggested the

ne good to see a man,"

me you're

t is

sured him slowl

," he said, doubtfully. Then he tu

thing!" he observ

open up in this weather. We can turn to and get our running tackle bent. It'll moderate before the

whenever your Hi

n gave a g

ft at the rigging with that contempt for foreign tackle

board in the afternoon to bend the running tackle "ship-shape and Br

into his boat. In confirmation of this statement the odor of fried onions was b

ly small use of that. Music and seamanship are two arts daily practised in harmony by men who have no common language. For a man is a se

ost noiselessly under the shadow of her large companion. Captain Cable's crew worked quickly and quietly, and by nine o'clock tha

he day the transshipping went on. Cases of all sizes and all weights were slung out of the capacious hatches of the one to sink into the dark hold of the other vessel, and there was no mishap. Throug

'll not meet again. I have had dealings with many that I've never seen aga

ll," said Martin

he newspapers may be likely to pay for a word or two. Often enough I've read things in the newspaper that

ith his gay laugh, "and k

in three days' time-barrin' fogs. And I'll tell him I left you well. Good-bye, Petersen; y

and clattered out of the ca

med lonelier and more silent than ever; for when a strong man quits