y, Mr Ching?"

"Gleat blow storm," said Ching, nodding. "Hullicane."

"There you are, sir," said Jecks. "Hurricanes or tycoons."

"Typhoons," I said.

"Yes, sir, that's it, on'y you pernounces it different to me. Don't
make no difference in the strength on 'em," he continued testily, for
his wound was evidently painful, "whether you spells it with a kay or a
phoo. Why, I seed big vessels arterwards, as had been blowed a quarter
of a mile inland, where they could never be got off again."

"Yes, I've heard of that sort of thing," I said. "They ride in on a
great wave and are left behind."

"Lookye here, sir," whispered the coxswain, who seemed to ignore his
wound; "I don't want to show no white feathers, nor to holler afore I'm
hurt, but if I was you, I should ask Mr Brooke to run straight for the
nearest shore--say one o' them islands there, afore the storm comes; you
arn't got no idea what one o' them tycoons is like. As for this boat,
why, she'll be like a bit o' straw in a gale, and I don't want to go to
the bottom until I've seed you made a skipper; and besides, we've got
lots more waspses' nests to take, beside polishing off those three
junks--that is, if they're left to polish when the storm's done."

"Stand up, Mr Herrick," cried the lieutenant. "Look yonder, due north.
What do you see?"

I held the tiller between my knees as I stood up and gazed in the
required direction, but could see nothing for a few minutes in the dusk.

"Can't you see?"

"Yes, sir, now. Small round black cloud."

"Yes, of smoke."

"Ay, ay, sir, I see it," said one of the sailors. "Hooray! it's the
_Teaser_ with the wind blowing hard astern and carrying the smoke of her
funnel right over her and ahead."

"The _Teaser_ or some other steamer; and she's running fast for harbour.
Let's see: those are the Black Gull Islands to port there. Were you
with us when the cutter's crew landed, Jecks?"

"Yes, sir; I rowed stroke-oar, sir."

"To be sure. The second one from the north had the highest ground."

"Yes, sir; but you couldn't land for the surf and the shark-fin rocks,
if you remember."

"Exactly; and we rowed along the south channel till we found a sheltered
sand-cove, where we beached the cutter, and then explored the island.
We must make for that channel, and try to reach it before the storm
comes down. We could not get half-way to the river, and, thank heaven,
the _Teaset_ will soon be in safety."

"No, sir,