hered the northernmost
point of Sumatra, the course had been laid more to the west, so as
to avoid the dangerous inside passage. When Harry went on deck, in
the morning, he found that the wind had dropped altogether.

"There is an end of the monsoon," Fairclough said. "I am just going
to shorten sail. There is no saying which way the wind will come.
The glass is falling fast but, of course, that is only to be
expected. I think, if you are wise, after breakfast you will take
off that drill suit, and get into something better calculated to
stand rough weather; for that we are sure to have, and any amount
of rain. That is always the case, at the changes of the monsoon.

"You see, it is a sort of battle between the two winds; the
southwesterly will gain, in the end, but the other will die hard;
and it is this struggle that causes the circular storms which, when
they are serious, are called hurricanes, though at ordinary times
they are simply called the break up of the monsoon, which generally
causes bad weather all over the Indian Ocean."

Towards evening, low banks of cloud were seen to the south, and the
sky looked dim and misty in the opposite direction.

"They are mustering their forces, you see, Lindsay; and the glass
has fallen so far that I fancy the fight will be a hot one. At any
rate, we will make all snug for the night."

Sail after sail was taken in, until only a storm jib, a small fore
stay-sail, and a close-reefed main top-sail were left standing. The
bank of cloud to the south had risen considerably and, when
darkness closed in, the upper edge was lit up by the almost
incessant flicker of lightning. The upper spars were sent down on
deck and then, there being nothing more to be done, the crew, who
had all donned rough-weather clothes, awaited the outburst.

That it would be more than ordinarily severe there could be no
doubt, and the men, clustered in little groups by the bulwarks,
talked in low tones as they watched the slowly-approaching storm
from the south; with occasional glances northwards, where indeed no
clouds could be seen, but the sky was frequently lit up by the
reflections of lightning below the horizon.

"What do you think of it?" Harry asked the interpreter.

"I do not like it," the Malay replied. "I think that there will be
a great hurricane. I have seen many changes of the monsoon, but
never one that looked so threatening as this."

"It does look bad," Harry said, "though, as I hav