f a "blow."

In the short time I had been away, a change was apparent, even to my
unaccustomed eyes, unused as they were as yet to many nautical
phenomena.

The stillness of the atmosphere I had noticed when I quitted the deck to
summon the skipper, had been succeeded by a series of light puzzling
puffs of air; while, although the night was clear, with a few stars
shining overhead, fleecy fragments of cloud were whirling about in
eddies, some settling in heavy masses on the water and banking
themselves round the horizon.

But, the sea itself showed much the greatest sign of coming disturbance.
The waves, no longer following each other in long heaving rollers, were
curving upwards and jostling each other--like so many fiery coursers,
suddenly thrown back on their haunches, by reason of being reined in
when in the full burst of their mad career, and now champing their bits
with angry impatience!

There was, likewise, an alteration in the aspect of the ship.

Captain Billings had already reduced his canvas, the topgallant sails
having been taken in and the courses clewed up; and now, pretty nearly
stripped of all her "drapery," like a gladiator entering the arena, the
_Esmeralda_ appeared awaiting the issue of whatever decision the
elements might arrive at--ready to take her part in the conflict should
strife ensue between the opposing forces of the wind and waves; or, in
the event of a contest being avoided through the disinclination of the
storm fiend to "come to the scratch," equally prepared to spread her
wings again and proceed on her voyage.

"It's just a toss up now, whether we'll have it or not," whispered
Jorrocks to me as we stood side by side together on the poop, watching
the skipper, whose eyes were as intently riveted on the dog-vane at the
main truck above.

Just at this moment, Mr Macdougall came lazily sauntering up the poop
ladder. He did not see that Captain Billings was on deck; and, eyeing
the change in the ship's appearance, exclaimed, angrily, with that
Scottish burr of his, which was always more pronounced when he was
excited--

"Hoot, mon, wha' the dickens hae ye takken the sails off her--who
ordered ye, I'd like ta ken?"

He was addressing Jorrocks; but the skipper, who was annoyed by his late
arrival to relieve the watch, answered him sharply--

"I gave the order, Mr Macdougall, which you should have been up in time
to have seen carried out; and, if you're a seaman and will just giv