Page 311 - A Knight of the White Cross

rock, while a shower of spray flew over her. Half blinded and deafened,
Gervaise crawled into the cabin, closed the door, and lay down there;

whatever happened, there was nothing he could do. He was soon conscious
that the spar and sail were doing their work, for the boat still lay head to

wind. The noise overhead and around was deafening; above the howl of the
wind could be heard the creaking of the timbers, and the boat seemed to
shiver as each fresh gust struck her.

In half an hour he looked out again. There was, as yet, but little sea; the

force of the wind seemed to flatten the water, and the instant a wave lifted
its head it was cut off as if by a knife, and carried away in spray. The boat
herself was moving rapidly through the water, dragging the spar behind her,

and Gervaise almost trembled at the thought of the speed at which she
would have flown along had it not been for the restraint of the floating

anchor. Gradually the sea got up, but the light craft rode easily over it, and
Gervaise, after commending his safety to God, lay down, and was soon fast
asleep. In spite of the motion of the vessel, he slept soundly for many

hours. When he awoke he opened the cabin door and looked out. A
tremendous sea was running, but he thought the wind, although so strong

that he could scarce lift his head above the shelter of the bulwark, was less
violent than it had been when it first broke upon him. He saw to his
satisfaction that the felucca breasted the waves lightly, and that although

enveloped in spray she took no green water over the bows.

The spar and sail acted not only as a floating anchor, but as a breakwater,
and the white crested waves, which came on as if they would break upon
the boat, seemed robbed of half their violence by the obstruction to their

course, and passed under the felucca without breaking. For forty-eight
hours the gale continued; at the end of that time it ceased almost as

suddenly as it had begun. The sun shone brightly out, the clouds cleared
entirely away. It was some hours before the sea went down sufficiently for
Gervaise to attempt to get the spar on deck again. It was a heavy task,

taxing his strength to the utmost, but after a deal of labour it was got on
board, and then raised to its position at the masthead; the sail was shaken

out, and the felucca again put on her course.