Project Gutenberg's The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley, by Bertram Mitford

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Title: The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley

Author: Bertram Mitford

Release Date: May 28, 2010 [EBook #32569]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LUCK OF GERARD RIDGELEY ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

The Luck of Gerard Ridgeley, by Bertram Mitford.

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THE LUCK OF GERARD RIDGELEY, BY BERTRAM MITFORD.

CHAPTER ONE.

CROSSING THE DURBAN BAR.

The steamship _Amatikulu_ was drawing near the end of her voyage.

A fresh breeze was ploughing up the blue waves of the Indian Ocean,
hurling off their crests in white, foamy masses, casting showers of salt
spray upon the wet decks of the vessel as she plunged her nose into each
heaving, tossing billow, and leaped up again with a sudden jerk which
was more than lively, and calculated to produce the most distressful of
throes in the systems of her passengers. But these were well salted by
this time, for, as we have just stated, they were at the end of their
voyage.

This being so, it was pleasant work coasting along the Natal shore;
pleasant to gaze on the green slopes and luxuriant tropical foliage,
with here and there a planter's bungalow peeping out from the tall
canes; trebly pleasant, indeed, after a month of sea and sky-line,
unvaried by any sight or diversion save such as the ocean could afford;
for the _Amatikulu_ was not in the mail service, but owned by a private
firm, and, being advertised to "sail direct for Natal," had touched
nowhere save at Madeira, a week out from home.

"I reckon you two youngsters will be glad to stretch your legs ashore."

The two thus unceremoniously addressed, who had been leaning over the
taffrail intently watching the coastline, turned to the speaker, one
with an air of would-be offended dignity, the other with a good-humoured
laugh and a word of hearty assent.

Not less dissimilar in appearance than in their manner of receiving the
above greeting were these two. Both of the s