gone out," said Wallbridge, presenting himself at the door of
the galley again. "I want another coal of fire."

The steward carefully secured his book again, and returned it to the
box, while the passenger was lighting his pipe.

"Rather a still time just now," said the steward, alluding to the
weather, as Wallbridge puffed away at his pipe.

"Dead calm," replied the passenger.

"We shall not get in to-morrow at this rate."

"Captain 'Siah says we shall have more wind than we want before
morning," added the smoker. "He wishes the brig was twenty miles farther
out to sea, for his barometer has gone down as though the bottom had
dropped out of it."

"It looks like one of those West India showers," added the steward, as
he glanced out at one of the doors of the galley.

The calm and silence which had pervaded the deck of the Waldo seemed to
be broken. Captain 'Siah had given his orders to the mate, who was now
shouting lustily to the crew, though there was not a breath of air
stirring, and the brig lay motionless upon the still waters. The vessel
was a considerable distance within the range of islands which separate
Penobscot Bay from the broad ocean. The water was nearly as smooth as a
mill-pond, and Harvey had found no more difficulty in writing in his
diary than if the Waldo had been anchored in the harbor of Rockland,
whither she was bound, though she had made the land some distance to the
eastward of Owl's Head.

Harvey Bath walked out upon the deck, after putting on an overcoat to
protect him from the chill air of the evening, for he felt that his life
depended upon his precaution. In the south-west the clouds were dense
and black, indicating the approach of a heavy shower. In the east, just
as dense and black, was another mass of clouds; and the two showers
seemed to be working up towards the zenith.

"Cast off the fore tack!" shouted the mate. "Let go the fore sheet!"

When this last order was given, it was the duty of the cook to execute
it; and, ordinarily, this is about the only seaman's duty which the
"doctor" is called upon to perform. Harvey promptly cast off the sheet,
and the hands at the clew-garnets hauled up the foresail. The flying-gib
and top-gallant sails had already been furled, and the canvas on the
brig was soon reduced to the fore-topsail, fore-topmast staysail, and
spanker; and these sails hung like wet rags, the vessel drifting with
the tide, which now set up the bay.

The dense bla