While the captain was chatting gaily with his passengers, another change
was taking place in the appearance of the heavens. The heavy,
threatening clouds, which had risen up after breakfast and been swept
away to leeward by the south-east wind as it got up, were now slowly
being banked up along the horizon to the northward and westward, the
haze extending down to the south right ahead of the vessel's track,
while a lot of scud began to be seen flying aloft at a very considerable
rate--not from but towards the point from which the breeze was blowing,
a sign that betokened not merely another shift of the wind, but a
squall, and one not to be trifled with either!
The obscuring of the sun by the drift was the first thing that called
the captain's attention to the altered state of the weather, and he at
once gave the order--"All hands shorten sail!" the mate rushing forwards
to see the details properly carried out.
The order did not come an instant too soon.
All at once, in a moment, the wind, which had previously been blowing
strongly from the south-east, died away and it was dead calm; while the
sea--already rough enough with the short chopping waves of the morning--
began to run with those huge billows that seem to get up almost without
preparation on the advent of a gale, every second growing more
mountainous.
At the captain's word of command, re-echoed by Mr McCarthy, the crew
had sprung aloft immediately; and, working with a will, had furled the
topgallant-sails, taken in the flying-jib, hauled up the mainsail and
mizzen-trysail and squared the after yards, when the ship resembled a
gladiator, entering the arena of the prize-ring stripped for a fight, as
she thus awaited the approach of the storm.
In the south-east the sky was clear and cloudless, but in the opposite
direction dark heavy purple masses of vapour rolled over each other,
more unnatural in appearance owing to a lighter cloud covering the
curling, wreathing fluid as if with a veil. Shooting from this dark
pile of clouds, some few were detached and became separated, rising to a
higher region of the air, in which they were dissipated and blown out
like mares'-tails that passed rapidly across the zenith; whilst on the
water, and about a mile or so from the vessel, the sea appeared covered
with a thick white mist, before which ran a dark line of black.
Mr Meldrum had sent the girls below the moment Captain Dinks had given
his orders to shorten sail, in spite of their entreaties to be allowed
to remain on deck with him and "see the storm;" so, being now alone, he
stationed himself near the binnacle close to the captain.
As he stood watching the lull before the break of the squall, he felt a
hand touching his shoulder; and looking round he found his fellow
passenger, Mr Zachariah Lathrope, by his side.
"Jee-hosophat! mister," said the American; "I guess we're goin' to have
a blizzard, and no mistake!"
"What's a blizzard?" said Mr Meldrum, smiling at the other's nasal
intonation, which was more marked than usual, even for a citizen of the
land of the setting sun.
"Why, darn my moccasins, deon't yew know what a blizzard is?"
Mr Meldrum shook his head in the negative: he felt that he should laugh
outright in the other's face if he opened his mouth to speak, and he did
not wish to appear wanting in politeness.
"Waal," said the American, drawing himself up, as if proud of his
superior knowledge and ability in being able to enlighten a backward
Britisher. "A blizzard's a hurricane and a tornader and a cyclone, all
biled inter one all fired smash and let loose to sweep creation. We
have 'em to rights out Minnesota way; and let me tell you, mister, when
you've ten through the mill in one, you wouldn't kinder like to hev a
share in another. Snakes and alligators! Why, a blizzard will shave
you as clean as the best barber in Boston, and then friz the marrow in
your bones an' blow you to Jericho. It's sarten death to be caught out
on the prairie in one of 'em: your friends won't find your body till the
snow melts in the spring. I guess you wouldn't like to try one,
streenger!"
"No, I think not," said Mr Meldrum, shivering at the description, for
he had heard before of these "Northers" of the Far West; but, the next
moment, the thoughts of blizzards and all belonging to them were
banished from his mind by what he saw, for the storm was upon them.
It came with a blast that shook the ship from truck to keelson and
almost turned her over, the wind being accompanied by a shower of hail
and rain that pelted those on deck like grape-shot and completely took
their breath away.
"Let go everything!" shouted the captain. Fortunately, the halliards
being cast off in time, the ship was not taken aback; and the steersman
putting the helm down, she paid off from the wind and ran off for
sometime directly before it, tearing through the water at the rate of
twenty knots an hour, with everything flying by the run.
"Thank God!" exclaimed Mr Meldrum, in heartfelt thanksgiving to Him who
controls the winds and storms, as he sprang to aid the man at the wheel,
seeing that he had a hard task to keep the helm over.
"Ya-as, I guess that were a narrow squeak," said the American; "and I
kalkerlate I'll make tracks down south fore another of them snorters
come!" So saying, Mr Lathrope dived down the companion-way, his
departure being accelerated by a heavy sea which washed over the quarter
and floated him below.
"Way aloft there!" shouted the captain; and, although his words could
not be heard from the howling of the wind, which shrieked and raved like
pandemonium broken loose as it tore through the rigging, the men knew
what was wanted and scrambled up the shrouds as well as they could,
sometimes stopping for breath as a stronger blast than usual pinned them
to the ratlines, where they stuck as if spread-eagled for sport.
After a good half-hour's hard work, the courses were clewed up and
furled, the jib hauled down, and the topsails close-reefed, a staysail
being set to steady her, when the men came down from aloft pretty well
worn out with their exertions.
Hardly had they got below, however, than the captain, seeing a second
squall coming, ordered them up again, to strip the ship of her remaining
sail.
But, he was too late this time.
Before the men could ascend the shrouds the wind struck the vessel, like
an avalanche, on her starboard broadside, heeling her over to port as if
she had been canted by the caulkers in dock. Then, another following
sea pooped her and cleared the decks fore and aft, sweeping everything
loose overboard, the maintopsail being split to pieces at the same time;
while the foretop-mast stay-sail was blown clean away to leeward,
floating in the air like a white kite against the dark background of the
sky. Finally, the foretop-gallant mast was carried by the board to
complete the ruin, leaving the ship rolling like a wreck upon the
waters, though, happily, no lives as yet were lost.