the deck, where Tasker was
officer of the watch. I found him sitting aft on the stern grating,
replacing his socks and shoes, which he had removed from his feet at
four bells in order to take a leading part in the matutinal ceremony of
washing decks. I had already seen him a little earlier that morning,
and exchanged greetings with him; I therefore at once, and without any
circumlocution, plunged into the subject by asking:

"What do you think of the look of the weather, Mr Tasker; is there
anything unusual about it, in your opinion?"

Tasker rose to his feet and cast a prolonged glance at the sky before
replying. Then he said slowly:

"I can't say as I sees anything much out of the common about it, so far,
Mr Fortescue. The wind's dropped a bit more than's quite usual,
certainly; but I don't know as there's very mich in that. And then
there's this here thickness o' the hatmosphere--well, that may or may
not mean somethin', but I don't see anything alarmin' about it just yet.
Why d'ye ask the question, sir? Is the glass droppin' at all?"

"It has dropped nearly an inch since it was set last night," I answered.

"Phew! Nearly an inch since eight bells last night!" ejaculated the old
salt, with an air of concern. "That means, sir, that it have fallen
that little lot since midnight; for I looked at it then, when Mr Keene
relieved me, and it hadn't dropped nothin' then."

"Then what is going to happen?" I demanded. "Are we going to have a
hurricane?"

"I should say yes, Mr Fortescue, most decidedly," answered Tasker.
"And yet," he continued, again carefully scanning the sky, "I must
confess I don't see nothin' very alarmin' up there at present. I s'pose
the mercury bag haven't sprung a leak, by no chance, have it? This here
sudden drop reminds me of a yarn a shipmate of mine once told me about a
scare he had when he was in the sloop _Pyramus_ in the Indian Ocean,
outward bound to the China station. The scare started with a sudden
fall of the barometer, just as it might be in this here present case,
and it went on droppin' until the skipper began to think he was booked
for the biggest blow as ever come away out o' the 'eavens. He started
by sendin' down royal and t'gallan' yards and housin' the t'gallan'
masts. Then, as the mercury still went on droppin', he shortened sail
to close-reefed fore and main taups'ls, sent the t'gallan' masts down on
deck, and housed the topmasts. While this work was goin' o