It was some time before Joey heard him, from the noise of the rain; at length, he knelt down, and inclined his ear on the head of the small ladder, swathed in a large boat-cloak, with the water running off the snout of his cap in a small spout.
"Any one speaking below in the cabin there?" quoth Joey.
"Yes," said I; "what does the weather look like?"
"Very black, sir, all round, but no wind as yet—it rains a little now and then, sir."
"Rains a little now and then—Oh Lord!" ejaculated Donovan; "where is the commodore?"
"About a mile on the starboard bow."
"And the ship?"
"Close to, astern of us, sir."
"The swell seems heavy," continued I.
"Very, sir—it has been increasing during the whole of the watch; the ship you boarded yesterday evening is rolling awfully heavy."