g6 THE CALL OF THE SEA 



diately came a deafening crash of thunder. I think 

 there is something more awful in the roar of 

 thunder heard at sea than on shore, unless you are 

 among mountains ; you get the full intensity of it, 

 the mighty outburst smiting the smooth surface of 

 the water, which in itself is a wonderful vehicle 

 of sound, and running onwards for leagues with- 

 out meeting with any impedimenta to check or 

 divert it. 



I hastened to see if the lightning conductor ran 

 clear to the water, and, finding the end of the wire 

 coiled up in the port main-chains, flung it over- 

 board and resumed my place at the wheel. 



Now that the vast surface of cloud was well for- 

 ward of overhead, I observed that its front was an 

 almost perfect semicircle, the extremities at either 

 point of the horizon projecting like horns. There 

 still remained, embraced by these horns, a clear 

 expanse of steel-coloured sky. There the sea was 

 light, but all to starboard it was black, and the 

 terrible shadow was fast bearing down upon the 

 ship. 



Crack I the lightning whizzed and turned the 

 deck, spars and rigging into a network of blue 

 fire. The peal that followed was a sudden explo- 

 sion — a great dead crash, as though some mighty 

 ponderous orb had fallen from the highest heaven 

 upon the flooring of the sky and riven it. 



