Dick Sand thought the must be approaching those parts more frequented by the merchant which seek to pass from one hemisphere to the other. The was always hoping to encounter one of those ships, and he clearly intended either to transfer his passengers, or to borrow some additional sailors, and perhaps an officer. But, though he watched , no ship could be signaled, and the sea was always .
Dick Sand continued to be somewhat astonished at that. He had crossed this part of the Pacific several times during his three fishing voyages to the Southern Seas. Now, in the and where his reckoning put him, it was seldom that some English or American ship did not appear, from Horn toward the equator, or coming toward the extreme point of South America.
But what Dick Sand was ignorant of, what he could not even discover, was that the "Pilgrim" was already in higher latitude—that is to say, more to the south than he supposed. That was so for two reasons:
The first was, that the currents of these parts, whose swiftness the novice could only imperfectly estimate, had contributed—while he could not possibly keep account of them—to throw the ship out of her route.
The second was, that the compass, made by Negoro's guilty hand, henceforth only gave incorrect bearings—bearings that, since the loss of the second compass, Dick Sand could not control. So that, believing, and having reason to believe, that he was sailing , in reality, he was sailing southeast. The compass, it was always before his eyes. The log, it was thrown regularly. His two instruments permitted him, in a certain measure, to direct the "Pilgrim," and to estimate the number of miles sailed. But, then, was that sufficient?
However, the novice always did his best to Mrs. Weldon, whom the incidents of this voyage must at times render anxious.
"We shall arrive, we shall arrive!" he repeated. "We shall reach the American coast, here or there; it matters little, on the whole, but we cannot fail to land there!"
"I do not doubt it, Dick."
"Of course, Mrs. Weldon, I should be more at ease if you were not on board—if we had only ourselves to answer for; but——"
"But if I were not on board," replied Mrs. Weldon; "if Cousin Benedict, , Nan and I, had not taken passage on the 'Pilgrim,' and if, on the other hand, Tom and his companions had not been picked up at sea, Dick, there would be only two men here, you and Negoro! What would have become of you, alone with that wicked man, in whom you cannot have confidence? Yes, my child, what would have become of you?"
"I should have begun," replied Dick Sand, , "by putting
Negoro where he could not injure me."
"And you would have worked alone?"
"Yes—alone—with the aid of God!"
The firmness of these words was well calculated to encourage Mrs. Weldon. But, nevertheless, while thinking of her little Jack, she often felt uneasy. If the woman would not show what she experienced as a mother, she did not always succeed in preventing some secret for him to her heart.
Meanwhile, if the young novice was not advanced in his hydrographic studies to make his point, he a true sailor's , when the question was "to tell the weather." The appearance of the sky, for one thing; on the other hand, the indications of the , enabled him to be on his guard. Captain , a good meteorologist, had taught him to consult this instrument, whose prognostications are sure.
Here is, in a few words, what the notices relative to the observation of the barometer contain:
1. When, after a rather long continuance of fine weather, the barometer begins to fall in a sudden and continuous manner, rain will certainly fall; but, if the fine weather has had a long duration, the mercury may fall two or three days in the tube of the barometer before any change in the state of the atmosphere may be perceived. Then, the longer the time between the falling of the mercury and the arrival of the rain, the longer will be the duration of rainy weather.
2. If, on the contrary, during a rainy period which has already had a long duration, the barometer commences to rise slowly and regularly, very certainly fine weather will come, and it will last much longer if a long elapses between its arrival and the rising of the barometer.
3. In the two cases given, if the change of weather follows immediately the movement of the column, that change will last only a very short time.
4. If the barometer rises with slowness and in a continuous manner for two or three days, or even more, it announces fine weather, even when the rain will not cease during those three days, and versa; but if the barometer rises two days or more during the rain, then, the fine weather having come, if it commences to fall again, the fine weather will last a very short time, and vice versa.
5. In the spring and in the autumn, a sudden fall of the barometer wind. In the summer, if the weather is very warm, it announces a storm. In winter, after a frost of some duration, a rapid falling of the barometrical column announces a change of wind, accompanied by a and rain; but a rising which happens during a frost which has already lasted a certain time, prognosticates snow.
6. Rapid oscillations of the barometer should never be interpreted as dry or rainy weather of any duration. Those indications are given exclusively by the rising or the falling which takes place in a slow and continuous manner.
7. Toward the end of autumn, if after prolonged rainy and windy weather, the barometer begins to rise, that rising announces the passage of the wind to the north and the approach of the frost.
Such are the general consequences to draw from the indications of this precious instrument.
Dick Sand knew all that well, as he had for himself in different circumstances of his sailor's life, which made him very in putting himself on his guard against all .
Now, just toward the 20th of February, the oscillations of the barometrical column began to the young novice, who them several times a day with much care. In fact, the barometer began to fall in a slow and continuous manner, which presages rain; but, this rain being delayed, Dick Sand concluded from that, that the bad weather would last. That is what must happen.
But the rain was the wind, and in fact, at that date, the breeze freshened so much that the air was displaced with a of sixty feet a second, say thirty-one miles an hour.
Dick Sand was obliged to take some precautions so as not to risk the
"Pilgrim's" masting and sails.
Already he had the royal, the fore-staff, and the flying-jib taken in, and he resolved to do the same with the top-sail, then take in two reefs in the top-sail.
This last operation must present certain difficulties with a crew of little experience. would not do, however, and no one hesitated. Dick Sand, accompanied by Bat and Austin, climbed into the rigging of the foremast, and succeeded, not without trouble, in taking in the top-sail. In less threatening weather he would have left the two yards on the mast, but, foreseeing that he would probably be obliged to level that mast, and perhaps even to lay it down upon the deck, he unrigged the two yards and sent them to the deck. In fact, it is understood that when the wind becomes too strong, not only must the sails be diminished, but also the masting. That is a great relief to the ship, which, carrying less weight above, is no longer so much strained with the rolling and pitching.
This first work —and it took two hours—Dick Sand and his companions were busy reducing the surface of the top-sail, by taking in two reefs. The "Pilgrim" did not carry, like the majority of modern ships, a double top-sail, which facilitates the operation. It was necessary, then, to work as formerly—that is to say, to run out on the foot-ropes, pull toward you a sail beaten by the wind, and it firmly with its reef-lines. It was difficult, long, ; but, finally, the diminished top-sail gave less surface to the wind, and the schooner was much relieved.
Dick Sand came down again with Bat and Austin. The "Pilgrim" was then in the sailing condition demanded by that state of the atmosphere which has been as "very stiff."
During the three days which followed, 20th, 21st and 22d of February, the force and direction of the wind were not perceptibly changed. All the time the mercury continued to fall in the barometrical tube, and, on this last day, the novice noted that it kept continually below twenty-eight and seven-tenths inches.
Besides, there was no appearance that the barometer would rise for some time. The aspect of the sky was bad, and extremely windy. Besides, thick fogs covered it constantly. Their was even so deep that the sun was no longer seen, and it would have been difficult to indicate the place of his setting and rising.
Dick Sand began to be anxious. He no longer left the deck; he hardly slept. However, his moral energy enabled him to drive back his fears to the bottom of his heart.
The next day, February 22d, the breeze appeared to decrease a little in the morning, but Dick Sand did not trust in it. He was right, for in the afternoon the wind freshened again, and the sea became rougher.
Toward four o'clock, Negoro, who was rarely seen, left his post and came up on the forecastle. Dingo, doubtless, was sleeping in some corner, for it did not bark as usual.
Negoro, always silent, remained for half an hour observing the horizon.
Long surges succeeded each other without, as yet, being dashed together. However, they were higher than the force of the wind accounted for. One must conclude from that, that there was very bad weather in the west, perhaps at a rather short distance, and that it would not be long in reaching these parts.
Negoro watched that vast extent of sea, which was greatly troubled, around the "Pilgrim." Then his eyes, always cold and dry, turned toward the sky.
The aspect of the sky was disturbing. The
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CHAPTER X. THE FOUR DAYS WHICH FOLLOW.
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CHAPTER XII. ON THE HORIZON.
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