As he stood like this, the sea, which had been breaking in tiny waves, the still grey sea that seemed asleep, suddenly gave a deep sigh.
A glassy roller, stealthy as a thief, had stolen shoreward from the north and broken upon the reef. Gaspard turned his eyes from La Belle Arlésienne, caught a glimpse of something in the sky to westward, shaded his eyes and looked.
CHAPTER XXXIX
DISASTER
A smoke-coloured band, curious, and like a thin curved cloud, cut the grey background of sky to eastward. It was in motion. Even as he looked it changed subtly in shape till now it became a comet of smoke, head pointing to the island.
Far away to the northeast, another band of smoke, grey and also in motion, caught his eye.
There was something sinister in these apparitions so strange to the eye, so perplexing to the mind, so dismal in colour against the dismal grey of the sky.
What could they be?
The coin he held in his hand was forgotten; unconsciously he put it in his pocket and, folding his arms, looked.