Have you looked at the glass, eh ?" "'Pon my word, I have not once glanced at it this evening! Dear me, what on earth could I have been thinking of ?" ejaculated the captain in a sort of apologetic way, darting down instantly below to consult his unfailing guide, the barometer, which I suppose he had looked at so vainly for many days past that he had given up the instrument as incorrigible.
In another moment, however, he was on deck again, rubbing his hands as triumphantly together as before.
"Pooh, nonsense, Marline!" he cried, "you're an old croaker, saying that the change would possibly be for the worse! Why, the glass is rising, man, rising steadily; and, I've no doubt we'll have a splendid breeze ere nightfall, and glorious weather." "All right, sir, we'll see," was the mate's cautious answer.
Meanwhile, the after-glow faded out of the sky and the stars began to come out in batches, especially to the north-west, where they shone as bright as diamonds, blinking and twinkling with various colours as one looked at them steadfastly, and seeming ever so much larger than usual.
A faint stir in the air also became perceptible, and the idle sails, that had so long flapped against the yards lazily only with the roll of the ship as she lurched to port or starboard with the ocean swell, were crumpled out a bit, as if they half felt inclined to expand their folds; but there was not wind enough for this, so they presently flattened themselves again, determined, apparently, to take it easy.
The time then came to set the first watch, from eight to midnight, of which Jackson, now, as second mate, took charge, when the captain went below, saying he was going to turn in early, so as to be ready when the breeze came, giving strict instructions to be called as soon as any change was apparent.

Mr Marline, however, did not go below; so I remained on the poop with him and Jackson, the two walking up and down the deck and talking together while I stood by.
The sky was wonderfully clear now, the firmament being studded with the greater constellations, and myriads of the lesser lights of the night powdering the heavens with their golden dust everywhere.
But this was not for long.
Shortly before nine o'clock a peculiar moaning noise came over the sea.
It was like a sort of hushed sob of pain, resembling somewhat the sound of a number of voices wailing in chorus in the far distance.
"What is that ?" asked I of Mr Marline in alarm.
"I'm sure I can't tell you, my boy," he replied; "I don't think I ever heard such a queer noise before.

If we were off the banks of Newfoundland, I should think it a fog-horn blowing somewhere about.
But, we're several hundred miles to the southward of Cape Race and the night is too clear for fogs.

It is one of those mysterious voices of the sea that are for ever reminding the sailor that, no matter how wise he may think himself, he does not know everything!" "I imagine it's the wind coming, sir," observed Jackson deferentially, after listening to what Mr Marline had said.

"When I was once on a voyage in the China Seas I noticed just such a sound before we had a thundering typhoon upon us, giving us hardly time to clew up." "Perhaps you're right," said the first mate; but after giving a glance up and around the sky, and noticing that the stars still shone out from the blue empyrean, he added, "there does not seem much chance of a gale now, though." "We'll see, sir," laughed Jackson, paraphrasing Mr Marline's observation to the captain.