into a furious gale of wind, we went ashore about two
hours afterwards on South Point, Yuma Island, and out of a crew of
thirty-four men only seven of us was saved! Now, what d'ye think of
that, sir?"

"Why, I think it was a terribly unfortunate affair; but I don't believe
that the corposant had anything to do with it," answered I.

"Well, sir," answered the mate, "I only hope that it hadn't; because,
d'ye see, if your view is the correct one, we needn't fear anything
happening in consequence of--Why, bust me, but there's another of 'em!"

It was true. While Saunders was in the very act of speaking, another of
the strange, weird lights had suddenly become visible, this time on the
mainmast-head, where it hung for a few minutes, finally sliding down the
mast to the deck, where it rolled to and fro for perhaps half a minute,
presenting the appearance of a sphere of luminous mist, the most
brilliant part of which was its centre. I am by no means a
superstitious person, but I am free to admit that the sight of this
weird, uncanny thing gliding about the deck and emitting its ghostly
light, almost at my feet, produced a sufficiently creepy feeling to make
me unfeignedly glad when it presently disappeared.

"Now, you mark my words, sir, if we don't have some very ugly weather
after this," observed Saunders, producing his tinder-box and lighting
his pipe.

I walked to the skylight and took a squint at the barometer. It was
still falling, and by this time the depression had assumed such
proportions as to fully justify such an expectation as that entertained
by the mate. I thought, therefore, that it might be only prudent to
make some further preparation, and I accordingly gave orders to reef the
foresail and fore-staysail. All this time it continued as dark as
pitch, and so breathlessly calm that the helmsman, wishing to prick up
the wicks of the binnacle-lamps, was able to do so in the open air, the
only wind affecting the naked flame being the draught occasioned by the
heavy roll of the schooner.

But this was not destined to last very long. Some ten minutes or a
quarter of an hour after the second corposant had vanished we felt a
faint movement in the atmosphere which caused our small spread of canvas
to flap heavily once or twice; then came a puff of hot, damp air that
lasted long enough to give the schooner steerage-way; and when this was
on the point of dying, a scuffle of wind swept over us that careened th