The flapping of the topsails against their masts, the pattering of the reef-points, and the smoothness of the water, indicated an approaching calm.
But as she heard the boisterous laughter of the crowd and saw the strange hat flapping about the Reverend Willett Ford Hunt's ears, Betty became suddenly angry.
The flapping limbs and struggling torso of Brownell were visible for a moment only; then down upon the spot roared soil, gravel, and larger stones, of which the bank's strata were built.
I remembered waking there one autumnal morning, years ago, at the famous old inn of the Swan, and peering from my window to see that wooden bird, directly beneath it, flapping in a rainy gale.
But the fatal stillness was suddenly broken by loud gabbling, cackling, and flapping of heavy wings.
The girl rose, and, bending over her untidy parent, deftly untied the knot in his flapping coat.
With a shout the West Kensington men closed round Wayne, the great yellow banner flapping over his head.
By this time Barker was walking up and down the room, his frock coat flapping like the black wings of a bird.
He came back with two of the torn posters in his hand which were flapping outside his shop.
Then Sir Galahad and his friends were aware that on the topmost pinnacle of the castle was a banner, floating and flapping in the morning wind.
Then, while their blood chilled and their breath stayed, they heard the heavy flapping pass over their heads and die away towards the camp of Mordred; and there in the distance did the three cries sound again.
Each time it drew nearer, until at length it touched the glassy bowl with its flapping pinions.
His feet were bare, his hose were of knitted linen, he wore a great striped cloak, and a broad flapping hat.
So she had scarcely laid herself down before she heard something flapping and whirring in the air, and so all the twelve wild ducks came sweeping in; but as soon as ever they crossed the threshold they became Princes.
And as soon as ever she had done that, they heard such a flapping and whirring in the air, and down came twelve wild ducks flying over the forest, and each of them snapped up his clothes in his bill and flew off with them.
Just as he was about to turn the fight, a warrior of more than mortal might, a one-eyed man in a blue cloak, with a flapping hat, rose up against him spear in hand.
At evening home they came, flapping and whirring like wild ducks, and all night they were Princes, but in the morning off they flew again, and were wild ducks the whole day.
He wore his virtue like a bath-robe, flapping it in our faces.
Their last glimpse of her showed the captain waving good-by and the purser flapping a red table-cloth at them from the after-deck.
At last, when they had worked through to the Yukon spurs, one morning on a talus high above Buck spied the flapping forms of a flock of ravens.
Barelegged, his few rags flapping round his thin brown body, he charged forward at a run, holding the egg basket out at arm's length.
He left on their heels, window and doorflapping behind him, the fire red in the range.
Back and forth they flew, the unseen birds, their wings noisily flapping and their cries steadily increasing in volume.
Meanwhile the flapping of the unseen wings continued.
There was then a great ghostly flapping and whistling, and the turkeys and wishbones all vanished from sight.
On board of the vessel--I speak now from my after knowledge--they did not appear to be aware of the danger the sails were all set and flapping against the masts.
The locker was full, and numbers of great fish, as I flung them out of the net, were flapping and leaping about the bottom of the boat.
What a goodly noise they kept, what a flapping of their wings, and a jerking of their tails, as they stood right up and tried with a whistling in their throats to imitate a cockscrow!
A couple of ravens were flapping heavily above it.
He saw the geese themselves, hissing and flapping their wings while the sunlight played upon the rough pink surface of their plucked breasts.
He has described an instance which occurred on a voyage home from Sable Island in 1877: 'The man at the wheel sang out that he saw a halibut flapping its tail about a quarter of a mile off our starboard quarter.
They come in with the flood-tide, and when a wave breaks upon the beach they crowd up into the very foam, and as the surf recedes many will be seen flapping on the sand and shingle, but invariably returning with the undertow to deeper water.
That night Charles Murphy was awakened by a violent flapping of his tent.
On returning to bed the flapping began again, and this time he dressed himself and went out to make a more careful examination.
His shirt, with its tail flapping outside a pair of buckskin trousers, bright-colored turban, and buckskin moccasins were the customary clothes of the tribe.
Monkey had hoisted the jib, and it was flapping and pounding furiously,--making a noise which was rather trying to the nerves of the gentlemen.
Her sails were all lowered, but had not been secured, and were flapping about in the wind.
Oh, it's all jolly fine, but what'd you have done with that beastly owl flapping around your ears and trying to peck your eyes out?
And that infernal fowl waltzing round and round the barn squawking like mad, and the jolly owl flapping and hissing up top there!
There was a thud, a flapping of wings, and one of the dark balls fell to earth with a louder thud.
Again he took careful aim, and this time it did move, for it came down from its perch with a resounding flapping of wings, and hit the earth with a hard thud, still flapping.
Many gloomy looks would be cast upward through the cabin skylights at the flapping sails while dinner was in progress; and some, growing bold in ruefulness, predicted that we should land about the middle of July.
Swinging herself up on the netting, she caught the flappingsilk above a long tear, and drew it down with all her weight until it reached the car.
It was lower pulley-blocks, and spread out flapping cables, and hitch fast the load, all without any hurry.
Then, with a great heave and a flapping of its torn sides, the balloon wrenched itself free and shot upward, a cripple soaring with its last strength.
And fancy a man hitched fast to this rope by shoulder-straps, and as he swings flapping a pair of great wings made of feathers and silk, and trying to steer with a ridiculous spreading tail of the same materials.
He used to go tearing along the decks, flapping his wings and shrieking as if possessed, and even in his calmer moods he would sometimes leap up suddenly and practise waltzing all alone.
The tea was very comforting, and in spite of the noise above of high winds and flapping sails, the saloon was very jolly and cosy indeed, and Frank was in no hurry to go on deck again.
