finding themselves at daybreak next morning within sight of one
of the lesser islands of the Andaman group. And at this point of their
journey a gradual fall of the mercury in their barometers warned them
that they were about to experience a change of weather. The atmospheric
indications remained unchanged, however, until about two o'clock in the
afternoon, when the wind lulled, the mercury experienced a sudden
further fall, and a great mass of murky cloud began to bank up in the
south-western quarter. This rapidly overspread the sky, until the whole
of the visible heavens became obscured by a thick curtain of flying
scud. The sea, inky black, suddenly became agitated, and formed itself
into a confusion of irregular waves without any "run," but which reared
themselves tremblingly aloft, and then subsided again, only to be
instantly succeeded by others. The wind fell away to a dead calm, which
continued for about a quarter of an hour, during which an alarmingly
rapid fall of the mercury, combined with a low weird moaning in the
atmosphere, seemed to forebode the approach of some dire disaster. This
was followed by a sudden blast of wind from the eastward--which came and
was gone again in an instant--and which preceded a brief but terrific
downpour of rain. This lasted for perhaps three minutes, when it ceased
as suddenly as it had commenced.

"Now, look out for the wind," exclaimed Mildmay. "Ah! here it comes--a
regular hurricane! Thank Heaven, there is no sail to shorten on board
the _Flying Fish_!"

He might well say so; for sore indeed would be the plight of the unwary
seaman who should find himself under similar circumstances, unprepared.
A long line of white foam suddenly appeared on their starboard bow,
racing down toward them and spreading out right and left with frightful
rapidity, until the whole horizon, from some four points on the larboard
bow right round to broad on their starboard beam, was marked by a
continuous line of flying foam and spindrift. They watched with eager
curiosity this remarkable phenomenon, noticed the astounding rapidity
with which it travelled, and saw that the sea on their starboard hand,
ay, and even well on their starboard quarter, was lashed into a perfect
frenzy by the hurricane before it reached the ship. Then, with a wild
rush and a deafening roar, the gale struck them, and the _Flying Fish_--
stout ship as she was--fairly shuddered under the force of the blow. In
an