And still the sun shone brightly and the dead calm continued. They
sat and watched the seas and the insane pitching of the Aorai. Captain
Lynch gazed at the huge mountains of water sweeping in until he could
gaze no more. He covered his face with his hands to shut out the
sight; then went into the house.

"Twenty-eight-sixty," he said quietly when he returned.

In his arm was a coil of small rope. He cut it into two-fathom
lengths, giving one to Raoul and, retaining one for himself,
distributed the remainder among the women with the advice to pick out
a tree and climb.

A light air began to blow out of the northeast, and the fan of it on
his cheek seemed to cheer Raoul up. He could see the Aorai trimming
her sheets and heading off shore, and he regretted that he was not on
her. She would get away at any rate, but as for the atoll--A sea
breached across, almost sweeping him off his feet, and he selected a
tree. Then he remembered the barometer and ran back to the house. He
encountered Captain Lynch on the same errand and together they went
in.

"Twenty-eight-twenty," said the old mariner. "It's going to be fair
hell around here--what was that?"

The air seemed filled with the rush of something. The house quivered
and vibrated, and they heard the thrumming of a mighty note of sound.
The windows rattled. Two panes crashed; a draught of wind tore in,
striking them and making them stagger. The door opposite banged shut,