"The glass has gone up again," Dick heard him say. "That looks as if it were coming from the north, sir." "Yes, with some east in it. It could not come from a better quarter." He turned and gazed steadily in that direction. "Yes, there is dark water over there." "So there is, sir. That is all right. I don't mind how hard it blows, so that it does but come on gradually." "I agree with you. These hurricane bursts, when one is becalmed, are always dangerous, even when one is under bare poles." Gradually the dark line on the horizon crept up towards the ship. As it reached her the sails bellied out, and she began to move through the water. The wind increased in strength rapidly, and in half an hour she was running south at ten or eleven knots an hour. The thermometer had fallen many degrees, and as the sun set, the passengers were glad to go below for shelter. Before going to bed, Dick went up on deck for a few minutes. The topsails had been reefed down, but the Madras was rushing through the water at a high rate of speed. The sea was getting up, and the waves were crested with foam. Above, the stars were shining brilliantly. "Well, lad, this is a change, is it not?" the captain said, as he came along in a pea jacket. "We seem to be going splendidly, Captain." "Yes, we are walking along grandly, and making up for lost time." "It is blowing hard, sir." "It will blow a good deal harder before morning, lad, but I do not think it will be anything very severe. Things won't be so comfortable downstairs, for the next day or two, but that is likely to be the worst of it." The motion of the ship kept Dick awake for some time, but, wedging himself tightly in his berth, he presently fell off to sleep, and did not wake again until morning. His two cabin mates were suffering terribly from seasickness, but he felt perfectly well, although it took him a long time to dress, so great was the motion of the ship. On making his way on deck, he found that overhead the sky was blue and bright, and the sun shining brilliantly. The wind was blowing much harder than on the previous evening, and a heavy sea was running; but as the sun sparkled on the white crests of the waves, the scene was far less awe inspiring than it had been when he looked out before retiring to his berth. The ship, under closely-reefed main and fore-top sails, was tearing through the water at a high rate of speed, throwing clouds of spray from her bows, and occasionally taking a wave over them that sent a deluge of water along the deck. "What do you think of this, lad?" Mr. Rawlinson, who was in charge of the watch, asked him; as, after watching his opportunity, he made a rush to the side and caught a firm hold of a shroud. "It is splendid, sir," he said. "Has she been going like this all night?" The officer nodded. "How long do you think it will last, sir?" "Two or three days." "Will it be any worse, sir?"