"Yes, I should think that is what he would do," Frank agreed. "How long does the hurricane season last?"
"The worst time is between the middle of September and the middle of November, but you cannot depend upon settled weather until the new year begins."
"Well, hurricane or no hurricane, I shall set out on the search as soon as I get over there."
Two hours later the Osprey was again on her way. The breeze was fresh and steady, and with her square sail set and her mizzen furled she ran along at over nine knots an hour. One day succeeded another, without there being the least occasion to make any shift in the canvas, and it was not until they were within a day's sail of Porto Rico that the wind dropped almost suddenly. Purvis at once ran below.
"The glass has fallen a long way since I looked at it at breakfast," he said, as he returned.
"Then we are in for a blow," the skipper said. "I am new to these latitudes, but wherever you are you know what to do when there is a sudden lull in the wind, and a heavy fall in the glass.
"Now, lads, get her canvas off her."
"All down, captain!"
"Every stitch.
"Andrews, do you and two others get down into the sail locker and bring up the storm jib, the small foresail, trysail, and storm mizzen. If it is a tornado, we shan't want to show much sail to it."