I went to my state-room. I felt worse on the way.
The ship seemed to have lost all her steadiness.
I cannot describe the night that followed. The ship creaked, and seemed just about to roll over after every lurch. Sometimes she went up. I was so dizzy, it seemed to me that she went up almost to the moon. Then she came down. She always came down. It seemed to me she must be going down to the bottom of the sea.
In the morning, the steward came.
“It ’as been a ’eavy blow, ruther.”
“A heavy blow!” said I. “Did you ever know any thing like it in your life? Do you think we shall ever see land again?”
“Nothin’ alarmin’,” said the steward.
A dreadful day followed. I did not leave my room. I wished I had never left home. I felt like the Frenchman who said, “I would kees ze land, if I could only see any land to kees.”
The next day I was better, only there was a light feeling in my head.
I went up on deck. The sun was shining. The wind blew, but the air was very refreshing.