he cabins. Once it seemed to me that the whole
of the labouring fabric that cased our trumpery fortunes stood on end
and in this undignified posture hopped a mighty hop. Twice I know I shot
out of my berth to join the adventurous trunks on the floor. A hundred
times the crash of the wave on the ship's side was followed by the roar
of the water, as it swept the decks and raved round the deckhouses. In a
lull I heard the flying feet of a man, a shout, and a far-away chorus of
lost spirits singing somebody's requiem.

_May 24_ (Queen's Birthday).--If ever you meet an American, be good to
him. This day the ship was dressed with flags from stem to stern, and
chiefest of the bunting was the Union-Jack. They had given no word of
warning to the English, who were proportionately pleased. At dinner up
rose an ex-Commissioner of the Lucknow Division (on my honour,
Anglo-India extends to the ends of the earth!) and gave us the health of
Her Majesty and the President. It was afterwards that the trouble began.
A small American penned half a dozen English into a corner and lectured
them soundly on--their want of patriotism!

"What sort of Queen's Birthday do you call this?" he thundered. "What
did you drink our President's health for? What's the President to you on
this day of all others? Well, suppose you _are_ in the minority, all the
more reason for standing by your country. Don't talk to me. You
Britishers made a mess of it--a mighty bungle of the whole thing. I'm an
American of the Americans; but if no one can propose Her Majesty's
health better than by just throwing it at your heads, I'm going to
try."

Then and there he delivered a remarkably neat little oration--pat, well
put together, and clearly delivered. So it came to pass that the Queen's
health was best honoured by an American. We English were dazed. I
wondered how many Englishmen not trained to addressing their fellows
would have spoken half so fluently as the gentleman from 'Frisco.

"Well, you see," said one of us feebly, "she's our Queen, anyhow,
and--and--she's been ours for fifty years, and not one of us here has
seen England for seven years, and we can't enthuse over the matter.
We've lived to be hauled over the coals for want of patriotism by an
American! We'll be more careful next time."

And the conversation drifted naturally into the question of the
government of men--English, Japanese (we have several travelled Japanese
aboard), and Americans throwing th