"The skipper an' the mate was still larfing very hearty when we heard a
dreadful 'owl from the bridge, an' one o' the chaps suddenly leaves the
wheel, jumps on to the deck, and bolts below as though he was mad.
T'other one follows 'm a'most d'reckly, and the second mate caught hold
o' the wheel as he left it, and called out something we couldn't catch
to the skipper.
"'What the d----'s the matter?' yells the skipper.
"The mate pointed to starboard, but as 'is 'and was shaking so that one
minute it was pointing to the sky an' the next to the bottom o' the sea,
it wasn't much of a guide to us. Even when he got it steady we couldn't
see anything, till all of a sudden, about two miles off, something like
a telegraph pole stuck up out of the water for a few seconds, and then
ducked down again and made straight for the ship.
"Sam was the fust to speak, and, without wasting time stuttering or
stammering, he said he'd go down and see about that bit o' bread, an' he
went afore the skipper or the mate could stop 'im.
"In less than 'arf a minute there was only the three officers an' me on
deck. The second mate was holding the wheel, the skipper was holding his
breath, and the first mate was holding me. It was one o' the most
exciting times I ever had.
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