He wanted to see what would happen.

But he saw a chance to do a service to the captain, though it would involve playing an innocent trick on Mr.Tarbill.
Accordingly, when there came a little lull in the wind, Bob made his way to where the nervous passenger stood with his back braced against a deckhouse.
"It'll be here pretty soon now," said Bob, shouting to make himself heard above the noise of the storm.
"What will, my dear young friend ?" asked Mr.Tarbill, forgetting his former anger at Bob under the stress of the circumstances.

"Do you mean to tell us anything else is going to happen ?" "Something surely is, Mr.Tarbill," said Bob, with an air of great earnestness, moving closer to the man, so as to get away from the driving rain, as Mr.Tarbill stood under shelter.
"What is coming?
Do tell me.

I am so very nervous." "The Jilla-Jilly wind! We'll be in the midst of it soon.

You'd better look out!" "The Jilla-Jilly wind?
For mercy sakes, what's that ?" "It's a kind of a hurricane," said Bob, inventing something on the spur of the moment.