“Start her, sir,” repeated Raymond. “One bell, quartermaster.”
“One bell, sir,” returned the quartermaster, as he pulled the handle on the wheel-frame.
The screw began to turn slowly, and the Ville d’Angers went ahead. A few minutes later the speed-bell was rung, and the steamer increased her rate to something like ten knots an hour, though she was capable of making twelve or more. But a thick fog had settled down upon the ocean, and nothing could be seen of the rest of the little fleet. The captain ordered the regular fog-signal to be sounded at intervals, and a sharp lookout to be kept for the other vessels.
CHAPTER X.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE MADEIRA ISLANDS.
ON board of the Josephine and the Tritonia, the number sent away rendered it necessary to re-organize the watches. While the vice-principals were attending to this duty, the wind suddenly changed, so that the vessels could not lay their course; and it had headed them off till they were standing nearly to the southward. At the same time the fog shut out the Ville d’Angers from view. For a time after the course had been changed, the fog-signals of the steamer were heard; and then they ceased.
As the steamer was not disturbed by the change of wind, Mr. Fluxion feared she would run ahead of the little squadron, and lose sight of her associates. He directed the captain to tack after the Josephine had run some five miles to the southward, so as to keep somewhere on the track of the steamer. The fog was very deep and dense, and he wondered that the Ville had ceased to whistle. He was not prepared to believe that the captain of the steamer would wilfully run away from her consorts; and the situation puzzled him. The Tritonia was near enough to hear the signals of the other schooner; and there was little danger of losing sight of each other unless heavy weather came on, of which there were some indications.
The captains had consulted their barometers as soon as the watches had been re-arranged. Wainwright was astonished to observe a considerable fall of the instrument; and he immediately reported the fact to Mr. Pelham, and Capt. Vroome did the same to Mr. Fluxion. Every preparation was at once made for heavy weather; and they had it before dark.
While the fog was still hanging over the ocean, the wind began to come in heavy gusts, and all the light sails were hastily taken in. Just after dark the fog lifted, or was driven to seaward by the strong breeze. The vice-principals looked anxiously for the lights of the Ville d’Angers; but nothing could be seen of them in any direction. During the night the wind blew a fierce gale from the southward. At daylight the gale had moderated, but the fog settled down on the water again. Nothing was seen or heard of the steamer. For three days more, in all sorts of weather, though the wind was generally contrary, the schooners continued on their course, and then arrived safely at Funchal.
“There is the Prince at anchor off the Loo Rock!” exclaimed Mr. Pelham, as the Tritonia approached the town of Funchal.
“That’s an odd-looking rock,” added Scott, who heard the remark. “It looks like the head of the sea-serpent, with a fort built on the top of his cranium.”