The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-06-27

IN perature during
the last few days had been growing
warmer and warmer, and they were now
near the twentieth parallel of north lati-
tude, and about on the sixty-sixth me-
rldlan west from Greenwich. Since
passing between Hatteras and the Ber-
nudas they had had fair weather, with
light airs between the south and east.
But today there had been no breeze
whatever, and the heat had been OPP
pressive. The surface Of the sea looked
oily, and lay quite flat, without any per-
ceptible heave or swell. Masses of drift
weed were passed occasionally, strung
out in long lengths, as if drawn by in
visible currents. Sometimes a cocoanut or
an orange would float past, silent heralds
of the islands near at hand. The course
the steamer was steering was taking her
toward the group of little islands be-
tween the greater and lesser Antilles, of
which st. Thomas is one. 1t was there
that they were to make their first land
ing.
The officer had pointed toward the
southwest, or few points off the star
board bow. Percy could see nothing re-
markable there; but Valentine, who was
familiar with the sea, at once fixed his
eyes upon a small dark cloud, low down
on the water, the popularity Of which
was that it changed its shape with great
rapidity, and without any apparent
cause. One moment it looked like a
hand, with the fingers extended; then it
was like hat, the crown of which grew
larger and larger until it presented the
! aspect of a pointed foolscap. Then the.
3 cap suddenly inverted itself, and stood
on its apex; then the foolscap divided
4 down the center, and took the form of a
huge bird with wings pointed upwards.
THAT is rather odd," muttered Valen-
tine, intently watching the protean littls
cloud. Il have seen hurricane begin
that way. hope it will give us a wide
berth This is bad place to be caught
by tornado, with that string of islands
right ahead of us.
''It must be a couple of hundred miles
to the nearest of them" said Percy. 1--WE
are safe enough. This steamer can stand
anything"
There comes the captain" observ ed
Valentine, without noticing Percy's re-
mark.
In fact the captain emerged from his
cabin and mounted the bridge; he cast
glance at the cloud and then gave some
orders in a low tone They were fol-
lowed by an immediate activity on the
part of the watch on deck. The sailors
moved rapidly about, and seemed to be
occupied in slowing under matches or
otherwise making fast various barrels,
cases and other loose objects that had
hitherto been kept on deck. Meanwhile
the captain had got out telescope and
was contemplating the cloud through it
with great earnestness. Presently he
passed the glass to the officer who stood
by him on the bridge, and who also took
a careful observation; then they con-
versed together in an updertone and oc-
casionally issued a new order to the
crew. There were no sails set on the
steamer; but the sheets and halliards
sSwere hauled taut and securely Delayed,
land everything was made fast and but
LtSened down in such why TINT nothing
AtAoit of u hurricane could dislod,,c it.
R 1.-THE old man understands his bust
ness, remarked Valentine, and fancy
he THINKS that it may need all he knows
to pull us through. Look at the cloud
nowI'
Valentine again turned his eyes toward
the southwest. The small cloud had
suddenly become very much larger, and
was now seen to be connected with "a
mass of dark vapor that was rapidly
1crowding upon that section of the hori-
Eon, and of which it was the pioneer
This vapor was of an extraordinary dark
ness, or rather blackness; it had not the
blue shade that is often seen in storm
clouds, but was of the hue of the densest
factory smoke, with yellow and greenish
streaks upon it here and there. The rim
or upper margin of the oncoming black
ness continued to advance with such as
tonishing rapidity that after only a few
moments it had blotted itself upon all
THAT quarter of the horizon, and now
iseemed to have embodied the forerun-
lining cloud, or to have incorporated itself
with it. Looking more closely at it. it's
hedges and surface appeared wildly COM
smoted, fakes and shreds of vapor, like
BLACK fleece, being torn off from the
general mass, and whirled around, or
'snatched in various directions, so swiftly
that the eye could scarcely follow their
movements. The green and yellow
streaks were multiplied and other col
prs were represented until the inky
Surface assumed an aspect of hideous iri-
4descence. Meanwhile the northern and
eastern portions of the sky and sea re-
%ained unchanged in their sultry calm,
'cept that, the light of the setting sun