noon
Monday afternoon the storm which had been beating up against the southeasterly wind nearly all day thickened , fold upon fold , in the northwest . The gale increased , and blackened the harbor and whitened the open sea beyond , where sail after sail appeared round the reef of Whaleback Light , and ran in a wild scamper for the safe anchorages within . Since noon cautious coasters of all sorts had been dropping in with a casual air ; the coal schooners and barges had rocked and nodded knowingly to one another , with their taper and truncated masts , on the breast of the invisible swell ; and the flock of little yachts and pleasure-boats which always fleck the bay huddled together in the safe waters . The craft that came scurrying in just before nightfall were mackerel seiners from Gloucester . They were all of one graceful shape and one size ; they came with all sail set , taking the waning light like sunshine on their flying-jibs , and trailing each two dories behind them , with their seines piled in black heaps between the thwarts . As soon as they came inside their jibs weakened and fell , and the anchor-chains rattled from their bows .