required had they intended to put in there, and meat is a good
deal dearer here than it would be at Saint Vincent, or even
Teneriffe. I should think from this that they had no intention of
putting in there, though they might touch at Saint Helena or
Ascension, if they are really on their way to the Cape.

"But after what you tell me, I should think that your idea that
they have made for the West. Indies is the correct one. I should
say that they were likely to lie up in some quiet and sheltered
spot there, for it is the hurricane season now, and no one would be
cruising about among the islands if he could help it. There are
scores of places where he could lie in shelter and no one be any
the wiser, except, perhaps, negro villagers on the shore."

"Yes, I should think that is what he would do," Frank agreed. "How
long does the hurricane season last?"

"The worst time is between the middle of September and the middle
of November, but you cannot depend upon settled weather until the
new year begins."

"Well, hurricane or no hurricane, I shall set out on the search as
soon as I get over there."

Two hours later the Osprey was again on her way. The breeze was
fresh and steady, and with her square sail set and her mizzen
furled she ran along at over nine knots an hour. One day succeeded
another, without there being the least occasion to make any shift
in the canvas, and it was not until they were within a day's sail
of Porto Rico that the wind dropped almost suddenly. Purvis at once
ran below.

"The glass has fallen a long way since I looked at it at
breakfast," he said, as he returned.

"Then we are in for a blow," the skipper said. "I am new to these
latitudes, but wherever you are you know what to do when there is a
sudden lull in the wind, and a heavy fall in the glass.

"Now, lads, get her canvas off her."

"All down, captain!"

"Every stitch.

"Andrews, do you and two others get down into the sail locker and
bring up the storm jib, the small foresail, trysail, and storm
mizzen. If it is a tornado, we shan't want to show much sail to
it."

"If we are going to have a tornado, captain, I should recommend
that you get the mainsail loose from the hoops, put the cover on,
roll it up tightly to the gaff and lash it to the bulwarks on one
side, and get the boom off and lash it on the other side."

"That will be a very good plan. The lower we get the weight the
better."

When this was done, the topmast was a