It's the custom in the service generally for officers to wait till
their opinion is asked," replied the commander, turning on his heel, and
taking a few more turns on the quarter-deck. At last he stopped, and
looked out towards the northward and westward, where a thick mass of
clouds was banking up, each instant rising higher and higher.

"Mr Fairman," he said, to the first-lieutenant, "call all hands to
shorten sail; put the brig under double-reefed topsails. Whichever way
the squall comes, we mustn't be frightened at it this time, eh?"

The command was quickly obeyed, but the air remained as stagnant as
ever. Still old Popples was not satisfied.

"We are better so than we were before, I'll allow," he remarked; "but
the gale, when it does begin to blow, will, to my mind, be a regular
hurricane, and we shall be glad to run before it under bare poles. Mark
my words, Mr D'Arcy!"

Boatswains do not always deliver their opinion thus freely about their
captain; but old Popples was privileged, at all events with us
midshipmen. Mr Pullen shrugged his shoulders and said nothing, though
he evidently held the same opinion as the boatswain. The commander had
just retired to his cabin, while the master continued his walk, turning
his eye every now and then towards the quarter whence he expected the
wind to come. Suddenly he stopped.

"Here it is!" he exclaimed. "Up with the helm--square away the
afteryards."

Scarcely had he spoken, than a terrific roar was heard, and down came
the gale upon us with unbridled fury, driving before it vast masses of
spoondrift, and tearing up the water into huge waves, which every
instant rose higher and higher. Off flew the brig's head, however,
before it, and it seemed like a race between her and the dense sheets of
spray which careered over the seas, and the clouds of scud which chased
each other across the sky. Her course, however, was to be suddenly
arrested. The commander made his appearance hurriedly on deck.

"What means this?" he exclaimed. "There's our port, sirs," pointing to
the north-west. "Bring the ship on a wind--down with the helm--brace up
the yards!"

The officers stood aghast, but the order was not to be disputed.

No sooner did the brig feel the full force of the wind, than she heeled
over, till her lee guns were buried in the waves, and the spray came
flying over us, fore and aft. Still we looked up to it, and, had the
wind not increased, we might have we