Captain Miles, however, did not stop merely at taking in the studding-sails, for the royals were next furled as well as the topgallant-sails; and then, under reefed topsails and courses, in addition to her jib and spanker which were still set, he awaited what the weather might have in store for his vessel. An experienced seaman, such as he was, when forewarned, as in the present instance, by a falling barometer, always prepares for eventualities of the worst possible character, never leaving anything to chance or neglecting to take proper precautions. By not doing so many a gallant ship with all hands on board is lost through the carelessness of bad navigators.
The cloud in the east, meanwhile, rose higher in the heavens, showing a bit of clear sky for a moment at its base, when it began to travel towards the ship at great speed, but in a very eccentric fashion, whirling round and looking as if it were dancing on the surface of the water.
“I can’t make it out,” said Mr Marline in a puzzled sort of way. “There must be a good deal of wind at the back of it; but, why doesn’t it keep a straight course towards us, eh sir?”
“It’s a whirlwind, I fancy,” replied Captain Miles; “I’ve seen a good many in the South Atlantic, near the African coast, although never one before in these latitudes so far from land.”
“Are they dangerous at all, captain?” I asked, rather anxiously.
“No, Tom, not unless you got in the vortex of one, when it might twist the spars out of a ship perhaps, though I never saw any mischief done by one myself. Mind your helm,” added Captain Miles to the man at the wheel, whose office at present was a sinecure, for the ship was almost becalmed and the rudder swaying to and fro from port to starboard as it listed. “If the wind catches us suddenly we may be taken aback, and I want you to be ready when I give the word.”
This made the sailor who was “taking his trick” all alert, instead of lounging over the spokes as he had been doing previously, listening to our talk.
Presently, a quick puff of air came from the west again, and the Josephine began to gather way; but almost in an instant afterwards the wind shifted right ahead, coming down with the cloud, and the yards were at once braced round, the vessel being headed towards the north.
The cloud approached rapidly now on our weather bow; and, as it got nearer, we could see that its bottom edge, which was attenuated to the proportions of a slender pillar of vapour, seemed to be united to the water, the sea, where it joined the surface, being greatly agitated, foaming up in columns of spray that were circled round and round and then drawn up in corkscrew fashion into the denser body above.
“Why, it’s a water-spout!” exclaimed Mr Marline in great surprise.