ture, which is never mistaken. That
calm has been nothing more than a repose of the winds previous to their
being roused up to do their worst; and that is my real opinion?"

"Well, and I'm inclined to agree with you, Ready; so we must send
topgallant yards down on deck, and all the small sails and lumber out of
the tops. Get the trysail aft and bent, and lower down the gaff. I
will go forward."

Their preparations were hardly complete before the wind had settled to a
fierce gale from the north-east. The sea rose rapidly; topsail after
topsail was furled; and by dusk the _Pacific_ was flying through the
water with the wind on her quarter, under reefed foresail and storm
staysail. It was with difficulty that three men at the wheel could keep
the helm, such were the blows which the vessel received from the heavy
seas on the quarter. Not one seaman in the ship took advantage of his
watch below to go to sleep that night, careless as they generally are;
the storm was too dreadful. About three o'clock in the morning the wind
suddenly subsided; it was but for a minute or two, and then it again
burst on the vessel from another quarter of the compass, as Ready had
foretold, splitting the foresail into fragments, which lashed and
flogged the wind till they were torn away by it, and carried far to
leeward. The heavens above were of a pitchy darkness, and the only
light was from the creaming foam of the sea on every side. The shift of
wind, which had been to the west-north-west, compelled them to alter the
course of the vessel, for they had no chance but to scud, as they now
did, under bare poles; but in consequence of the sea having taken its
run from the former wind, which had been north-east, it was, as sailors
call it, cross, and every minute the waves poured over the ship,
sweeping all before their weight of waters. One poor man was washed
overboard, and any attempt made to save him would have been unavailing.
Captain Osborn was standing by the weather gunnel, holding on by one of
the belaying-pins, when he said to Mackintosh:

"How long will this last, think you?"

"Longer than the ship will," replied the mate gravely.

"I should hope not," replied the captain; "still it cannot look worse.
What do you think, Ready?"

"Far more fear from above than from below just now," replied Ready,
pointing to the yard-arms of the ship, to each of which were little
balls of electric matter attached, flaring out to a point. "