The weather became worse and worse, and threatened the _Dream_ with a gale, which, had she been near the shore, would have been announced to her by the semaphores. During the day the ship was dreadfully knocked about, though running at half steam so as not to damage her engines. Her screw was continually immerging and emerging in the violent oscillations of her liquid bed. Hence, powerful strokes from its wings in the deeper water, or fearful tremors as it rose and ran wild, causing heavy thunderings beneath the stern, and furious gallopings of the pistons which the engineer could master but with difficulty. One observation Godfrey made, of which at first he could not discover the cause. This was, that during the night the shocks experienced by the steamer were infinitely less violent than during the day. Was he then to conclude that the wind then fell, and that a calm set in after sundown? This was so remarkable that, on the night between the 21st and 22nd of June, he endeavoured to find out some explanation of it. The day had been particularly stormy, the wind had freshened, and it did not appear at all likely that the sea would fall at night, lashed so capriciously as it had been for so many hours. Towards midnight then Godfrey dressed, and, wrapping himself up warmly, went on deck. The men on watch were forward, Captain Turcott was on the bridge. The force of the wind had certainly not diminished. The shock of the waves, which should have dashed on the bows of the _Dream_, was, however, very much less violent. But in raising his eyes towards the top of the funnel, with its black canopy of smoke, Godfrey saw that the smoke, instead of floating from the bow aft, was, on the contrary, floating from aft forwards, and following the same direction as the ship. "Has the wind changed?" he said to himself. And extremely glad at the circumstance he mounted the bridge. Stepping up to Turcott,-- "Captain!" he said. The latter, enveloped in his oilskins, had not heard him approach, and at first could not conceal a movement of annoyance in seeing him close to him. "You, Mr. Godfrey, you--on the bridge?" "Yes, I, captain. I came to ask--" "What?" answered Captain Turcott sharply. "If the wind has not changed?" "No, Mr. Godfrey, no. And, unfortunately, I think it will turn to a storm!" "But we now have the wind behind us!" "Wind behind us--yes--wind behind us!" replied the captain, visibly disconcerted at the observation. "But it is not my fault." "What do you mean?" "I mean that in order not to endanger the vessel's safety I have had to put her about and run before the storm." "That will cause us a most lamentable delay!" said Godfrey. "Very much so," answered Captain Turcott, "but when day breaks, if the sea falls a little, I shall resume our westerly route. I should recommend you, Mr. Godfrey, to get back to your cabin. Take my advice, try and sleep while we are running before the wind. You will be less knocked about."