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So far I was safe, for the grating was large enough to hold us both, but the sea was rapidly rising, and we might easily again be washed off. We looked about us, the schooner had not yet tacked, and the squall had already caught her. She was heeling over on her beam-ends, and everything seemed in confusion on board yards swinging about, ropes flying away, and sails shivering to tatters.
One result was a fair after breeze and a clear sky. The schooner bowled along at a nine knot gait, while the men worked cheerily to repair the slight injuries occasioned by the squall. That day the trailing smoke of a steamer was indistinctly seen in the southern horizon. The helm was instantly put about and the Wanderer hauled up on a northeast course, which was maintained all day.
The professional hawk's eye of Jerry caught the movement. He made a lurch for the cab, overturning three or four onlookers and himself no! he caught the cap of a water-plug and kept his feet. Like a sailor shinning up the ratlins during a squall Jerry mounted to his professional seat. Once he was there McGary's liquids were baffled.
The squall swooped down upon us with a weird, shrieking howl, and a dash of wet that was half rain and half spray; and the next moment, with a tremendous creaking and groaning of timbers and gear, with all three topsail-yards on the caps, and with the chain bobstay half-buried in the foam that heaped itself up about our bows, away went the frigate, like a startled sea-bird, speeding down-wind upon the wings of the squall, enveloped in a sheet of rain that was more than half salt water, with the lightning flickering and darting all round her, and the thunder crashing overhead in a continuous booming roar.
I myself remember that a Norwegian barque bound out with a cargo of pitch-pine had been given up as missing about that time, and it was just the sort of craft that would capsize in a squall and float bottom up for months a kind of maritime ghoul on the prowl to kill ships in the dark.
"We seem far from land yet, Master Trench; why such haste?" asked Paul. "Look over the stern," was the skipper's curt reply. Paul and Oliver both did so, and saw that another squall was bearing down on them. "Is it Newfoundland?" asked Paul. "Ay, and an ugly coast to make in a squall. Hallo! there if ye would not be food for fishes lay aloft and take in all sail!"
South of Shanklin the chalk-cliffs are bold and lofty, and off these pretty shores the "Eurydice" was lost in a squall, March 24, 1878, when returning from her training-cruise in the West Indies.
"Well, we must chance that, Hawkins. If one does come you must pick us up as we come along. I agree with you; it does look as if we should have a squall. It may not be anything very serious, but anyhow, if it comes it will take her along a great deal faster than we can row. "Purvis, I suppose that the dinghy will carry seven?" "Yes, she will do that easily."
"For my part, Nat," he said, "I feel very proud of you, my boy; and let me tell you that you have no cause to be ashamed at all. Now take hold of the sheet here, and give and take as I tell you. Don't be afraid to let it slip through your hands fast if there is a heavy squall. I'll steer. The sea is heavier out in this long reach. Tell me when you'd like to put back."
Florent?" inquired the elder woman. The priest grabbed at his hat as a squall swept up the road, whirling the dust high above their heads. "Whether we shall get on board is another matter," he muttered by way of answer. "Come, get into the carriage; we have no time to lose. It will be a bad night at sea." "Then, for my sins I shall be sea-sick," said Mademoiselle Brun, imperturbably.
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