Fred Fearnot's New Ranch Part 2

"I can't tell you. He makes funny remarks and queer noises."

Evelyn laughed and said:

"Yes, he expresses opinions about old Father Neptune that I think he really ought to be ashamed of."

"Don't you get seasick?"

"Not unless the water is rough and the waves come rolling high, and then I have to retire to my stateroom for at least twenty-four hours; then I'm all right for the rest of the voyage, even if it extends all around the world."

As they were rounding Sandy Hook a great many of the pa.s.sengers sought the seclusion of their staterooms and cabins, for the waves were rolling very actively.

Evelyn and the two Creole girls, whose name was Elon, remained on deck longer than any of the lady pa.s.sengers on board.

By and by Evelyn and the younger of the two Elon sisters retired to their rooms.

The elder one laughed and said to Fred:

"Mr. Fearnot, we two seem to be on quite good terms with the old man of the sea."

"Yes," returned Fred. "When I made up my mind to go South by water I began to make preparations to remain on good terms with Father Neptune.

"Why, how in the world did you manage to do that?"

"Why, don't you know a remedy for seasickness, or a pallative, at least?"

"Why, no, indeed. What is it? I have never heard of any except lemons."

"Well, lemons are very good, and will be effective if you tackle them twenty-four hours or more before beginning the voyage. I have a bottle of acid phosphate in my room, and a teaspoonful in half a gla.s.s of water soon equips one in such a manner that he can resist the effects of the motion of the ship."

"Oh, my! will you give me a drink of it? I'm not at all seasick, but if the water gets any rougher I will be."

"Certainly," and Fred went to his room and soon returned with a gla.s.s with about two teaspoonfuls of acid phosphate in it. He went to the water cooler, filled the gla.s.s with cold water and presented it to the young lady.

"Drink about half of it," said he, "and in twenty or thirty minutes drink the other half."

She took the gla.s.s, tipped it up and drained every drop of its contents.

"By George," said he, "you took a good dose."

"Oh, I'm used to drinking phosphates; but never heard of it as an antidote for seasickness before. Have you had a drink of it?"

"Oh, yes; I've had two drinks since I left the wharf."

He took the gla.s.s to his room, and when he came out he tendered his arms to the girl and went promenading up and down the deck.

Her father went to her and asked her if she felt any seasickness.

"No, father," said she, "not the least bit. This gentleman is Mr.

Fearnot, the famous athlete."

"Well, well, well! I'm glad to meet you, Mr. Fearnot. I heard of you several times when you were in New Orleans. What's become of your friend Olcott?"

"Oh, he's on board, and so is his sister Evelyn."

"Well, I'd like to meet him and his sister," said the old gentleman.

"Father," said his daughter, "she is just the sweetest and prettiest girl you ever saw in your life. I met her when we first came on board, but as the sea was a little too rough for her she had to retire to her room, and I hardly think that we will have the pleasure of seeing her again before tomorrow. Mr. Olcott, her brother, Mr. Fearnot tells me, is an awful victim to seasickness, and that he says and does funny things while old Neptune has a grip on him."

Then she suddenly asked her father how her mother was.

"Oh, she is in her room actually groaning and making believe that she is going to die."

"Oh, she does that every time she sails," and the girl laughed merrily.

Mr. Elon remained with her and Fred for at least a half hour. Then he drew a package of cigars from his pocket said tendered one to Fred.

"Thank you, sir; but I never smoke."

"Well you will excuse me, then, if I indulge."

"Certainly, sir; certainly." So he retired to the further side of the deck and lit a cigar by using a match made in Sweden which the fiercest wind cannot extinguish.

Then he began puffing furiously.

The girl squeezed Fred's arm and said:

"Just watch him. You'll see him slipping back to his room pretty soon.

He's no sailor."

"Well," said Fred, "you seem to be a pretty good mariner."

"Yes; if you have any suspicions that I will retreat, just stick to me."

"All right, I'll keep an eye on you, for you are beautiful to look at, if you will pardon the liberty of expression."

"Mr. Fearnot, did you ever see a girl who didn't like such expressions?"

"Yes, I saw one once when she was struggling with an attack of mal de mer, and she had to yield to its effect in the presence of all the crowd, for there was no place for retreat for her. We were returning from Coney Island. The young man who was acting as her escort thought that he would compliment her by mentioning that she was the most beautiful girl on the ship. She thought it was spoken sarcastically, for she couldn't conceive how a seasick girl could be beautiful, and then just at that time she was disgorging the dinner which she had eaten an hour or two before, so she turned on him and gave him a pretty sharp rebuke."

Miss Elon laughed heartily at the story, and said:

"Well, I don't blame her, for a girl thinks at such a time as that she looks as ugly as she feels, even if she don't. Now, Mr. Fearnot," she continued, "will you please go back and bring me another dose of that acid phosphate?"

"Certainly, certainly!" and he hurried back to his cabin and returned with the gla.s.s with the phosphate in it. Filling the gla.s.s with water, he presented it to her and suggested that she take only half the dose.

"All or nothing," she laughed, and swallowed the contents of the gla.s.s.

She returned the gla.s.s to Fred with thanks, and he took it back to his cabin and took a dose himself.