ce seemed to be more profound at this announcement,
which came like a chill upon the little group already sufficiently
unnerved.

The silence was broken by the mate, who said, softly,--

"God be merciful to him, and take him unto His rest! We've lost a good
captain, gentlemen, and I a very faithful old friend."

Another deafening roar came from ahead. Away to the east it appeared to
be one minute--to the west, south, north, the next, for the needle of
the compass was all on the quiver, and appeared as if it followed a
wandering magnetic attraction in the air.

Silence again, all but the hissing and splashing of the troubled sea,
and the creaking of the beams as the brig rolled slowly from side to
side.

The crew were all grouped together close by the mate, who had succeeded
to the command of the little vessel, and as he stood there gazing over
the side, thoughtfully, the three young men glanced at each other, and
then at the man who had their lives in charge.

At last the mate turned, and the light of one of the lanterns shone full
upon his haggard countenance.

"There's no doubt about it, gentlemen," he said, "we're near some
volcano in a terrible state of eruption, and there is nothing to be done
but wait. I am perfectly helpless till we get light and a breath of
air. Ah, here's a change. There's no doubt now. I was wrong; we have
got something to do."

For as he spoke the thick darkness suddenly became blacker; inasmuch as
before it was all overhead, now it appeared to have gradually settled
down upon the sea and obscured the light of the lanterns. For plainly
enough there was the convincing proof of their being in the
neighbourhood of some volcanic disturbance in the mighty band which runs
through the Eastern Archipelago. The air became suddenly full of a
thick, fine ash falling softly upon the deck, and to such an extent that
the gangways were thrown open and the crew were set to work to sweep the
powder off into the sea.

Here too, a strange effect was produced, for the ship gradually began to
roll less violently, the soft fine ash which fell being sufficiently
buoyant to float, and it became so thick that the rough waters were
quieted, and the surface was rapidly covered with a thick coating of
floating ash.

At first this dust settled softly down upon the deck, then it came down
more thickly, lodging on the yards and sails, every rope and stay, too,
taking its load till it was filled up so t