Penelon spat tobacco juice to the side and began his tale. "Well, Mr. Morrel, we were sailing between two capes with good wind, after a week of dead calm, when Captain Gaumard comes up to me, I was manning the wheel, and says, 'Penelon, what do you think of those clouds building up?'
I was already watching them myself. 'Captain,' I says, 'they're rising too fast and they're too black for my liking.'
'My thoughts exactly,' he says. 'We're carrying too much sail. All hands! Reduce sail immediately!'
It was just in time. The squall hit us hard, and the ship started listing badly. 'Still too much canvas!' the captain shouts. 'Lower the mainsail!'
Five minutes later it was down, but I could see more trouble coming. The wind was like a dust storm, and luckily our captain knew his business. 'Reef the topsails!' he ordered. 'Secure everything!'"
