Charles Edward Carryl

“ It’s all about old Thompson’s crew as stayed aboard the ‘Soaking Sue,’ and saw the skippers floating by and hauled ’em out and got ’em dry, and when the little creeturs cried they gave ’em something warm inside, and being as they had no bed they stowed ’em in a bunk instead,”—but just at this moment the old Sea-Dog, who had been constantly increasing his speed, disappeared in a most extraordinary manner in a whirling cloud of sand, and Davy, who was by this time spinning around like a teetotum, discovered that he himself was rapidly boring his way, like a big screw, down into the beach. ”

“ He was being helplessly blown about among the lobsters, uneasily jerking his tail from side to side to keep it out of reach of their great claws, and giving short, nervous barks from time to time, as though he were firing signal-guns of distress. ”

“ Chapter XIII. The Talking Waves, and the Old Sea-Dog.
“I wonder why the ocean doesn’t keep still sometimes, and not be moving its edge about all the time,” said Davy, after watching the waves that constantly rolled up on the beach and then rolled back again, looking like creamy soap-suds.
“That wouldn’t do at all!” said a Wave that rolled almost up to his feet. “The beach gets mussed, you see, and we have to smooth it off again. The sea is always tidy;” and here the Wave broke with a little, murmuring laugh, and rolled back again, all in a foam. ”