Immediately afterwards everyone perceived that it was a pillar-like cloud, apparently revolving at terrific speed on its own axis, and also moving down on the barque at incredible velocity. That it would assuredly strike her no one doubted, and intense excitement immediately prevailed.
Mr. Statten sang out to let fly all studding-sail, royal, and topgallant halyards. Even the topsails were lowered, and everything likely to ease the strain on the masts was done.
Captain Thorne, alarmed by the sudden commotion, rushed on deck, and, seizing the wheel, helped to place it hard up. But without wind the barque would not answer her helm.
A moment later there was a sensible movement of the atmosphere. It seemed as though the vessel were being sucked toward the hideous black pillar, then not more than a cable's length away. There was an awful roar of wind, and the impenetrable darkness became appalling.
The 'Alert' was caught by the terrible whirlwind, and she seemed to be lifted several feet from the water. A wild jumble of sea and foam rose up over and swept the decks fore and aft. She lay down almost on her starboard beam-ends. Everyone hung fast to belaying-pins or other means of safety, and in that deafening uproar no voice, or the least sound of what was taking place, could be heard.
Then, as swiftly as it had come, the dreadful cloud swept away eastward, and the partially dismantled vessel lay rocking on a momentarily agitated sea. From start to finish the whole incident did not occupy above two minutes, yet in that brief period the 'Alert' had become almost a wreck. The foremast, with the jib-boom and all attached, was gone. Every shroud and particle of running gear about that part of the vessel had been cut as if with an axe, and quarter of a mile off the wreckage lay on the water.
'Are all our men safe, Statten?' were the first words uttered by the skipper.
'I think so, sir,' the mate replied.
But from the adjacent wreckage three men, who had been carried away on it, sang out lustily for assistance. They were soon on board again, little the worse of their extraordinary adventure.
A careful examination of the vessel followed. She was not making any water, and beyond the loss of the mast, which had been screwed clean off level with the deck, and the jib-boom, no other damage was observed.