On the Seaboard Author:August Strindberg Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " I," answered the commissioner. Whereupon he turned to the subordinates with1 the order. " Put out the oars! " The oars were put out and the boat gave ... more »a few rolls, for the surveyor had left the tiller angrily at the command, exclaiming, " Yes, then he can take the helm himself! " The commissioner at once took his place in the stern and the tiller was under his arm before the surveyor had ceased swearing. The glace-glove cracked instantly at the thumb, but the boat made even speed while the surveyor sat with laughter in his whiskers, and one oar ready to push out to give course to the boat. The commissioner had no attention to bestow upon the doubting seaman, but stared attentively windward and could soon discern a heaving sea with its swell many meters long, from the surge with its short water fall, then after a hasty glance astern he measured the leeway, and in the wake noted the setting of the currents, it was perfectly clear what course must be held not to drift past the East Skerries. The surveyor, who had searched long to meet the black burning glances that they might mark his laughter, became tired, for it looked as though they would have no contact with anything that could soil or disturb them. After a moment's beseeching the surveyor becoming absent and dejected began to observe the maneuvering. The sun had reached the horizon, the waves were breaking purple black at the base, deep green at the side, and where the crests rose highest they lighted up grass green. The foam sprouted and hissed red champagne colored in the sun. The boat and men were now low down in the dusk, or the next moment, on the crest of a wave, the four faces glowed and instantly faded away. Not every wave broke so high, some were only rocking slowly and cradling the boat, li...« less