The Three Admirals | Page 6

the latter suddenly grasped Tom by the arm.
"Oh, mon! what's that?" he exclaimed, pointing to the main-topmast
head, which appeared crowned by a ball of pale fire.
"It has a curious appearance; though I never saw it before, my brother
Jack has told me about it. It is a sort of Jack-o'-lantern, or
Will-o'-the-wisp, or, as Gerald once called it, `Saint Vitus' dance.' I
believe he meant to say Saint Elmo's fire."
While the midshipmen were gazing up, the flame descended rapidly
down the mast, running first along the main topgallant yardarm, then
returning, down it came, to the main-topsail yard, where it glided out to
the extreme end. Here it rested for some seconds, as if it had not made
up its mind what next to do. Presently back it came to the mast, and
darted out to the lee yardarm. It had not yet finished its journey. Once
more gliding back, it ascended the mast, when it made its way by the
main-topmast stay, on to the foremast and there went gliding
backwards and forwards along the yard.
"I wish it would come down on deck, and then we might have a chance
of catching it," said Tom. "I have read somewhere that a man going
aloft with a bucket, clapped it over the light, and brought it down a
prisoner. It is a sort of gas which is driven about through the air until it
finds something to rest on. Why it goes moving up and down in that
curious way I don't know, nor does anybody else, I believe. I wish the

doctor were on deck,--he would tell us."
"Shall I call him?" asked Archie.
"I don't think he would thank you," said Tom. "Let him rest in quiet;
perhaps before he can get on his clothes the fire will have disappeared."
Tom was right. In another minute the luminous ball, gathering itself
into a point, shot upwards and vanished.
"That's a good sign," they heard Green observe to the first lieutenant;
"we shall have the gale breaking before long."
Before the watch was out the hurricane had sensibly decreased,
showing that the master was right in his prognostication. The sea
continued, however, to tumble the ship about terribly until the morning
dawned, when the clouds began to disperse, and as the sun rose they
appeared to fly before his burning rays. By noon the sky was perfectly
clear, when, an observation having been taken, the commander
determined to run under the lee of one of the Bonin Islands, which were
sighted shortly afterwards. Steam had been got up, and the vessel made
rapid way, though she continued to roll considerably, moved by the
now glass-like swell, which still came in from the north-east, showing
that, although a calm rested on the waters where she was, a storm raged
in another part of the ocean.
Several islands were now seen rising out of the water on the port bow,
and as the Dragon drew near trees could be distinguished on the hills,
showing that they were not as barren as they appeared to be at a
distance. Rounding the southern end of one of them, she went on at half
speed, feeling her way with the lead until she opened a sheltered bay
between two high projecting points. Running in she brought up within a
quarter of a mile from the shore in perfectly still water. Everybody was
glad enough to be at rest after the tumbling about they had had during
the last few days. They were not allowed, however, to enjoy many
minutes' quiet; all hands were speedily set to work to repair damages.
"We should be thankful that we have escaped so easily," observed

Archie Gordon, who had been surveying the shore through his
telescope. "Look there, Tom, at those tall trees stretched on the ground
with their roots in the air; it must have taken a pretty hard blow to
break them down. I can see some stumps sticking up, showing that
others have been snapped off by the wind. It is a mercy that we
weathered it out as well as we did."
Tom took the glass. "I should have been sorry to have been under
them," he answered, "and I only hope that no poor fellows were living
on shore, or they would have run great risk of being crushed. It makes
me think of the old song--
"`A strong nor'-wester's blowing, Bill; Hark I don't ye hear it roar now?
Lord help 'em, how I pities them Unhappy folks on shore now!'
"I hope the commander will let us take a run on shore, however, before
we sail."
In the course of a couple of days the repairs were nearly finished, but as
there was a good deal of painting