"You can light your pipes there, my lads," Frank said, as they went
down, "and make yourselves as comfortable as you can."

The last man had scarcely disappeared when the captain said:

"Look there, Major Mallett," and looking up Frank saw a ball of
phosphorescent light, some eighteen inches in diameter, upon the
masthead.

"Plenty of electricity about," he said, cheerfully. "If they are
all as harmless as that it won't hurt us."

But as he ceased speaking there was a crash of thunder overhead
that made the whole vessel quiver, and at the same instant a flash
of lightning, so vivid, that for a minute or two Frank felt
absolutely blinded. Without a moment's intermission, flash followed
flash, while the crashes of thunder were incessant.

"I think that plan of yours has saved the ship, sir," the captain
said, when, after five minutes, the lightning ceased as suddenly as
it had begun. "I am sure that a score of those flashes struck the
mast, and yet no damage has been done to it, so far as I could see
by the last flash. Are you all right there, Purvis?"

"All right," the mate replied. "Scared a bit, I fancy. I know I am
myself, but none the worse for it."

"It is coming now, sir," the captain said. "Listen."