He and
the sailing-master were by this time pretty good friends.
"I don't much like the look of the glass. It's rather jumpy; if
anything, inclined to go back."
"What should you do if it came on dirty?" the skipper was asked.
"Up stick, and run out to get an offing. It would be our only chance,
with this coast to leeward."
Three or four days later the skipper came with a long face to the
doctor.
"I like the look of it less and less. The glass has dropped suddenly:
such a drop as I've never seen out of the tropics. Is there anything
against our putting to sea this afternoon?"
It so happened that General Wilders was not quite so well.
"I'd rather you waited a day or two," replied the surgeon. "It might
make all the difference to the patient."
"Well, if it must be," replied the captain, very discontentedly.
"It's his life that's in question."
"Against all of ours. But let it be so. We'll try and weather the
storm."
Next morning, about dawn, it burst upon them--the memorable hurricane
of the 14th November, which did such appalling damage on shore and at
sea. Not a tent remained standing on the plateau. The tornado swept
the whole surface clean.
At sea the sight as daylight grew stronger was enough to make the
stoutest heart, ignorant landsman's or practised seaman's, quail.
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