That the man was new to the coast was evident, and my consolation was
that he would be very soon sick of it and pretty well frightened before
he even got on shore, for the weather was freshening rapidly, a fact
of which he appeared to take no heed. Not so the boat-boys, who were
anxious to be off. At last we started, and I soon had my revenge. As
we drew near the shore the rollers became higher and higher, and I
perceived that my gentleman clutched the gunwale of the boat very
tightly, and when the first wave that showed signs of breaking overtook
us, he grew very white in the face until it had passed.

The next one or two breakers were small, much to his relief I could see,
though he said nothing. Before he had well recovered his equanimity,
however, a tremendous wave approached us somewhat suddenly. Appalled by
its threatening aspect, he sprang from his seat and seized the arm of
the patrao, who roughly shook him off.

"My God!" he cried, "we are swamped!" and for the moment it really
looked like it; but the patrao, with a dexterous sweep of his long oar,
turned the boat's head toward the roller. It broke just as it reached
us, and gave us the benefit of its crest, which came in over the
topsides of the boat as it passed by, and deluged every one of us.

I laughed, although it was no laughing matter, at the plight the
liquidator was now in. He was changed in a moment from the spruce and
natty personage into a miserable and draggled being. From every part of
him the salt water was streaming, and the curl was completely taken out
of his whiskers. He could not speak from terror, which the boat-boys
soon saw, for none are quicker than negroes to detect signs of fear
in those whom they are accustomed to consider superior to themselves.
Familiar with the surf, and full of mischievous fun, they began to shout
and gesticulate with the settled purpose of making matters appear worse
than they were, and of enjoying the white man's discomfiture,--all but
the patrao, who was an old hand, and on whom depended the safety of
us all. He kept a steady lookout seaward, and stood upright and firm,
grasping his oar with both hands. With him it was a point of honour to
bring the white men intrusted to his care safely through the surf.

We waited for more than half an hour, bow on, meeting each roller as it
came to us; and by the end of that time the unfortunate liquidator had
evidently given up all hope of ever reaching the shore. Lucki