midday
-LSB- Illustration -RSB- The morning following the unpleasant incident with Leith broke clear and sunny . The Pacific , as if tired after its mad pranks of the preceding three days , was a shimmering stretch of placid blue water , and the shattered spars and loose cordage of _ The Waif _ were the only reminders of the terrific storm that had swept us before it . Captain Newmarch set all hands at work to repair the damage , and before midday we were bowling along under as much canvas as we could spread . The storm being directly from the southwest had not carried us from our course , and Newmarch chuckled when he had taken an observation . `` We 'll strike it in the morning , '' he growled . `` What ?