r direction, showing that,
away up aloft there, and as yet too high to reach and stir the surface
of the sea, the air currents were awakening under the brooding influence
of the coming storm. These movements occurred at first at long
intervals, and were of the most evanescent character; but the intervals
rapidly shortened, and within an hour of the occurrence of the first
manifestation of atmospheric movement it had increased to such an extent
as to cause our topsails to rustle and fill, or fall aback, for a
moment, while, a little later still, we could feel the light breathings
upon our faces, and even note their light touch here and there upon the
glassy surface of the water.

CHAPTER TWENTY.

THE END OF THE VOYAGE.

Suddenly the surface of the water darkened away toward the north-west,
showing that a breeze was coming along from that direction, and we
sprang to the port braces, rounding them in a foot or two to meet it,
and hauling taut and making fast the starboard. We worked quickly, not
yet knowing quite what was at the back of the coming breeze; but it
proved to be only a trifle after all, creeping down toward us very
gradually, and scarcely careening the ship when at length it reached
her. But, trifling though it was, it was none the less welcome to us
all; for it was inexpressibly refreshing once more to feel a wind
fanning our fevered faces, stirring our hair, raising a pleasant
tinkling sound of water under the bows and along the bends, and stilling
the eternal and distracting flap of canvas aloft after the long period
of breathless calm through which we had sweltered. Moreover, the ship
was once more moving through the water, with her jibboom pointing in the
right direction, and every mile that she now travelled was so much to
the good, increasing our chances of getting across the Line and making
our escape from the awful region of equatorial calms which constitute
such a ghastly bugbear to those who go down to the sea in sailing-ships.
Our self-congratulations proved, however, to be premature, for the
breeze lasted only about half an hour when it died away again, leaving
us as completely becalmed as before. But during that half-hour we had
succeeded in covering quite two miles; while the schooner, evidently
strong-handed, had snatched at the opportunity afforded her and, hastily
setting her mainsail and jibs once more, had managed to creep up to
within a short mile of us before the breeze died a