the heavens, made me fear that we were about to
have a very unpleasant break in the fine weather we had been favoured
with since entering the Pacific.

"I don't like the looks of things, Harry," said Bob, as I glanced round
at the aspect of our surroundings; "that glass there has gone back a
good inch within the hour, and this light-flying stuff overhead has
sprung from Lord knows where within the last ten minutes; and that bank
down yonder seems to me to be working about in a way that's altogether
onaccountable, and looks very much as though 'twas breeding mischief.
I'd ha' called ye before, lad, but it's only within these ten minutes
that there's been anything out of the way about the look of the
weather."

"It has a threatening look about it, certainly," I replied, "and we will
not waste a moment in getting the canvas off the craft, and in making
her snug for whatever may befall. Leave the tiller to take care of
itself, Bob, and in with the gaff-topsail, whilst I hand the spinnaker.
Never mind about rolling them up; we can do that by-and-bye, if we have
time. So; that's well. Now settle away the peak-halliards, or--here,
let me have them, and I will lower away both peak and throat, whilst you
gather in the sail. Now roll it snugly up, and stow it securely, and
put the cover on, whilst I get in the jib and lower the topmast. Be as
lively as you like, Bob; we shall have none too much time, by the look
of things astern. Now we may yet roll up these sails and get them out
of the way below, if we are smart. You do that, whilst I close-reef the
foresail. I hope that whatever is coming will not last long; for we are
in rather an ugly berth here among so many islands, and it may not be an
easy matter to avoid them if we are obliged to scud, as I expect we
shall be."

We worked with a will, and in a quarter of an hour had the craft
stripped, with the exception of a close-reefed foresail, and her topmast
lowered. All the time that we were working, the heavy bank astern had
been rising and spreading itself over the heavens like a dark canopy,
the vast mass of vapour of which it was composed writhing and twisting
like the contortions of a wounded snake; and by the time that our
preparations were complete, the entire sky was overspread, with the
exception of a low strip away on the western horizon, which was rapidly
lessening, even as we looked upon it.

The interposition of this vast curtain of vapour between us and