cunning in his craft, looked long on sea and sky, and then turned
and bade the mariners take in sail and be right heedful. And when
Walter asked him what he looked for, and wherefore he spake not to
him thereof, he said surlily: "Why should I tell thee what any fool
can see without telling, to wit that there is weather to hand?"

So they abode what should befall, and Walter went to his room to
sleep away the uneasy while, for the night was now fallen; and he
knew no more till he was waked up by great hubbub and clamour of the
shipmen, and the whipping of ropes, and thunder of flapping sails,
and the tossing and weltering of the ship withal. But, being a very
stout-hearted young man, he lay still in his room, partly because he
was a landsman, and had no mind to tumble about amongst the shipmen
and hinder them; and withal he said to himself: What matter whether
I go down to the bottom of the sea, or come back to Langton, since
either way my life or my death will take away from me the fulfilment
of desire? Yet soothly if there hath been a shift of wind, that is
not so ill; for then shall we be driven to other lands, and so at
the least our home-coming shall be delayed, and other tidings may
hap amidst of our tarrying. So let all be as it will.

So in a little while, in spite of the ship's wallowing and the
tumult of the wind and waves, he fell asleep again, and woke no more
till it was full daylight, and there was the shipmaster standing in
the door of his room, the sea-water all streaming from his wet-
weather raiment. He said to Walter: "Young master, the sele of the
day to thee! For by good hap we have gotten into another day. Now
I shall tell thee that we have striven to beat, so as not to be
driven off our course, but all would not avail, wherefore for these
three hours we have been running before the wind; but, fair sir, so