The pilot: a tale of the sea. By J. Fenimore Cooper.

:544:a0'm~T i'l P!IOT
T. giuns xvere cleared of their Iumt }et andf
looslened. The bulk-heads w-tere knlockel down.
tand( the eablin retlieved of:its furniturte, ( tand e
gun-deck exhtibited one unbroken line of formidable
eannlton, arranged in all the order of a naval battery
ready to cngag;Ae b. A tltfs'were throw)n open,:and( thle (ldcks,stre ed with ptikes, cuttlasss, i Xstols, and all the various weapons fotr boarding.
In short, the yards were slung, and every other
airrangement'was made with a readiness and dilexterity that Nwere actually wonderfult t houhgl all was
petfltitlned amid aSn appearance of disorder and
contfiusion that renldetred the ship i) aiiotthei Babel
durtnitng the continuance of the I)i(reparations. In a
very t fe minutes evert y hingi was coilnplleted, anl
even the voices of the men-ceased to be leartl an
swering t ttheir' names, as t hey were mustterdt a
their stations, by t heil' rlespeetive officeerts. (ira
duaitt tihe shipl) becamWe as quiet as thte gtrave', ato''Ilhen e'ven U Criffllth on his conmtan(let Aifund it
lnece(ssary to speak, their voiecs weie calmerl andt
-th}t tolnes tmort mtild than usual. l1hbe course of
tbhe vessel vwas chalnged to ant obli(que line fi-rom
that inl hich t}hel enemly was apl)ro chit ng
tholsgh the appearance of flighlt was to h)e studi0ttusly avoided( to the last nomecnt. Wheln notling
ftrtleir reinained to be dlonet every eyj be can.e(
fixed on tthe enoi'mous l le of swelling ttanva
tlat was rising in lott d over e lo ud, fi aboei th
fog, atd wh(v.ich iwas tmanifestly moving, like ( driv
ingt vapoliur', swiftly to tie tnorith. Presemntlyt the
dulli smoky boundllay of the mist which r'ested( on
the water, was puts}}ed aside in vast vtolumes, andtl
the long tajpei' spails that. proIcted from tlle bo -
spr'it ifi tihe stitant(e ship, issued fiont the obscut
i't y, and e'e tt quickly bllowved by the whole ef
the ettnoitmouls finabric, to which tbhey were metret