nug in our cabin.'

In a quarter of an hour the necessary arrangements were completed, but
even in that short time they could feel that a change was taking place.
There was now a steady but decided rolling motion, and the young ones
laughed as they found it difficult to walk steadily along the cabin.

Upon reaching the deck they saw that the smooth surface of the sea was
broken up by a long swell, that the wind now came in short but sharp
puffs, that the bank of clouds covered nearly half the sky, and that the
detached scud was now flying overhead. The previous stillness was gone;
and between the sudden gusts, the roar of the wind in the upper region
could be heard. The sun had set now, and a pall of deep blackness seemed
to hang from the cloud down to the sea; but at the line where cloud and
water touched, a gleam of dim white light appeared.

In preparation for the coming storm, the sailors had put on thick
waterproof coats. Many of the passengers had gone below, and those who
remained had followed the sailors' example, and had wrapped themselves
up in mackintoshes.

Every moment the gusts increased in frequency and power, and the regular
line of swell became broken up into confused white-headed waves. The
white gleam under the dark cloud grew wider and broader, and at last,
with a roar like that of a thousand wild beasts, the gale broke upon
them. Just before this, Mr. Hardy had taken Mrs. Hardy and the girls
below, promising the latter that they should come up later for a peep
out, if they still wished it. Charley and Hubert were leaning against
the bulwark when the gale struck them.

For a moment they were blinded and half choked by the force and fury of
the spray and wind, and crouched down behind their shelter to recover
themselves. Then, with a hearty laugh at their drenched appearance, they
made their way to the mainmast, and then, holding on by the belaying
pins, they were able to look fairly out on the gale. It was dark--so
dark that they could scarcely see as far as the foremast. Around, the
sea was white with foam; the wind blew so fiercely that they could
scarcely hear each other's voices, even when they shouted, and the
steamer laboured heavily against the fast rising sea. Here Mr. Hardy
joined them, and for some little time clung there, watching the
increasing fury of the gale; then, drenched and almost confused by the
strife of winds and water that they had been watching, they made their
way, with