THE CLOUDS AND WAVES 105 



say. Mighty masses of combined cumulus and nimbus 

 clouds pile themselves up, packed closely together in 

 the western semicircle of the sky, while the eastern 

 half is clear, or comparatively so; but the clearness 

 is pale, and the bright blue gradually fades away. 

 The wind falters variably* and presently dies quite 

 away. Then the watchful seaman will presently note 

 a gradual lightening of the dense masses along the 

 western horizon, growing steadily brighter and more 

 defined until there is the beginning of an arch through 

 which the stars, if it be night, may be seen. A little 

 puff of wind is felt, just a suggestion of what is coming. 

 The arch extends upwards and sideways, while the 

 mass overhead marches forward until it occupies most 

 of the sky while still preserving its definite outline. 

 The wind gradually freshens until quite a stiff breeze 

 is blowing and the appearance of the heavens is the 

 reverse of what it was a few hours before, for now it 

 is the eastern segment that is overcast while the 

 western half is clear. 



But this is only temporary. As the wind 

 strengthens to a gale, only a filmy haze will over- 

 spread the western sky; and then there will appear, 

 in rapid succession, troops of clouds of sombre hue 

 and ragged outline, low down, and being driven in 

 hot haste forward. The violence of the wind tears 

 them into fragments, which combine, and again are 

 disintegrated so rapidly that the eye can hardly 

 follow them. And the lower portions of these tor- 

 tured masses of vapour, which seem, in very truth, 

 to be almost on a level with the sea, fly along in wisps 

 and tufts with that tremendous rapidity which their 

 generic name sufficiently indicates the flying "scud." 



