fancy. I don't think it will be very strong, or we should have had it here
before this."

It was not long before a dull, moaning sound was heard, the brown-red fog
changed its appearance, swirls of vapour seemed to dash out in front of
it, and the whole swelled and heaved as if it were being pushed forward by
some tremendous pressure in its rear.

The ship's head was pointing nearly east, the canvas hung down motionless,
and there was not a breath of wind.

"Hold on all!" the captain shouted. Half a minute later the billowly
clouds swept across the vessel, and a sudden darkness overspread them.
Then there was a glow of white light, a line of foam approached as fleet
as a race-horse, and with a shriek the gale was upon them. The vessel
shook from stem to stern as if she had struck against a rock, and her bow
was pressed down lower and lower until she seemed as if she were going to
dive head-foremost. But as she gathered way, her bow rose, and in a minute
she was flying along at some eighteen knots an hour.

"She is all right now, Mr. Prendergast," the captain said. "It is well we
stripped her so thoroughly, and that she is not heavily laden."

Four men had been placed at the wheel, and it needed all their strength to
keep her from yawing. In half an hour the sea began to get up, and the
captain laid her course south-east, which put the wind on her quarter.

"It is well we were not a degree or so farther south, Captain."

"Yes; it would have been as much as we could do to weather the Falklands;