96 ALI ABOARD FOR SUNRISE LANDS.

Ralph declared that “the sun, big as a ginger-snap when seen from
Mercury, was only a pin-head from Neptune.”

Ralph was out of his bed at an early hour, the next morning, and
came upon deck rubbing his eyes.

“Ho, there you are!” sang out Jack Bobstay. “Have you got
your sealegs on? You -may find the deck wet and_ slippery,
for we had a heavy dew or something else last night.”

Ralph turned to the east. It was very early and the clouds were
just beginning to light up. Between the steamer and the horizon, the
sea was one vast surface of jet, as if a fire had gone over and blackened
this prairie-like area and had then been swept beyond the rim of the
sea into a deep, deep furnace that shot a warm glow up among the
clouds. Ralph came again in a little while. The east was full of
sharper light, the clouds stretching one above another in gold and
red and orange strata, while higher up swept and towered broken,
fugitive masses of mist, like smoke from a vast. prairie-fire. The sea
had now brightened from black to gray, and stretched toward the
east like a great ashy hearth. But where was the fire itself? Was
it still beneath the sea sending up that sharp, intense light, every
moment burning sharper and intenser? Suddenly, away over on the
edge of this hearth, appeared a bright, shining little coal! How pure
and golden! :

“But it grows!” said Ralph.

Yes, this tip of a fire-brand steadily enlarged, flashing, sparkling
dazzling, till it hung a huge ball of fire above the sea, and thousands
of little waves stirred and glittered as if consciously to lift and offer
some crown to this king of the day.

“Ain't she a beauty?” said Jack Bobstay looking silently over
Ralph’s shoulder and watching the same scene. “Now turn and look
westward ! ”