Page:Dick Sands the Boy Captain.djvu/142

 Il6 DICK SANDS, THE BOY CAPTAIN. Unconscîous of both thèse éléments of disturbance, Dick Sands was convinced that they were proceeding steadily eastwards, and was perpetualiy encouraging Mrs. Weldon and himself by the assurance that they must veiy soon arrive wîthin view of the American coast ; again and again asserting that his soie concern was for hîs passengers, and that for his own safety he had no anxiety. " But think, Dick," said the lady, " what a position you would hâve been in, if you had not had your passengers. You would hâve been alone with that terrible Negoro ; you would hâve been rather alarmed then/* " I should hâve taken good care to put ît out of Negoro's power to do me any mischief, and then I should hâve worked the ship by myself," answered the lad stoutly. His very pluck gave Mrs. Weldon renewed confidence. She was a woman with wonderful powers of endurance, and it was only when she thought of her little son that she had any feeling of despair ; yet even this she endeavoured to conceal, and Dick's undaunted courage helped her. Although the youth of the apprentice did not allow him to prétend to any advanced scientific knowledge, he had the proverbial " weather-eye " of the sailor. He was not only very keen in noticing any change in the aspect of the sky, but he had learnt from Captain Hull, who was a clever meteorologist, to draw correct conclusions from the indications of the barometer ; the captain, indeed, having takcn the trouble to make him leam by heart the gênerai rules which are laid down in Vorcpierre's Dictionnaire Illustré. Thcre are seven of thèse rules : — I. Ifafteralong period of fine weather the barometer falls suddenly and continuously, although the mercury may be dcsccnding for two or three days before therc is an apparent change in the atmosphère, there will ultimately be rain ; and the longer has been the time between the first dépression and the commencement of the rain, the longer the rain may be expected to last. 2, Vice versâ^ if after a long period of wet weather the bairometQv begins to rise sovjy axvà sX^^àWj^^tve weather