of Madeira, although forty miles or so to the westward of the
island, the breeze failed us all of a sudden, just close on to midnight,
a dead calm setting in, accompanied by a heavy rolling swell.

"Ah," said Jorrocks, who was sharing the first watch with me--Mr
Ohlsen, the second mate, being ill and excused from duty--"we're now in
the Hoss Latitudes, Mister Leigh, and may know what we've got to
expect!"

"Horse Latitudes?" I repeated after him, inquiringly, thinking he was
having a little joke at my expense, and taking advantage of my
ignorance.

"Aye, I ain't trying to bamboozle you, my lad! They calls them so,
'cause, in the old days, the West India traders that carried out hosses
to the Windward Islands had frequently to throw 'em overboard during the
shifts of wind and changes they had when they got hereabouts; for the
weather can't be depended on for an hour at a time, it being calm, just
as now, one minute, and the next a gale springing up strong enough to
blow the masts out o' your ship 'fore you can let the sheets fly."

"Oh!" I exclaimed; "and, do you think there's any likelihood of a
hurricane now?"

"Can't say," replied Jorrocks, sententiously. "We'd better give the
skipper a hail; he left orders to be called if the wind dropped, or in
case of any change."

"All right," said I, turning to leave the poop. "I will go down and
rouse him at once, and I may as well knock up Mr Macdougall at the same
time to relieve the deck, for it's past eight bells."

"Aye, aye, do so, sir," responded the boatswain; so I hastened below to
perform my mission, leaving him in charge until I returned.

Captain Billings answered my call almost the instant I rapped at his
door, coming from his cabin fully dressed, having turned in to his bunk
"all standing," as if prepared for the summons; but the first mate was a
heavy sleeper, and it took me more than ten minutes to rouse him, so
that when I had gained the deck again the port watch had come on duty,
the "starbowlines" having gone to their bunks as soon as relieved by the
fresh hands. Jorrocks, however, I noticed, remained still on the poop;
and, knowing that he would not thus inconvenience himself by going
without his proper "caulk," like the rest, unless there was some urgent
reason--for he dearly loved his sleep when duty did not interfere with
the indulgence--I stayed behind, too, the more especially as I
remembered what he had said about there being the chance o