am very sure that God has got His
reasons for sending this hurricane,--though maybe we don't see them,--
and so it's our business to make the best of it."

"Maybe," put in old Grim; "but I have a notion you won't be so content
as you are now, when it comes on to blow ten times harder. I tell you I
am expecting every moment to see the ship come right up, with one of
those seas breaking clean over her, and then there will be `cut away the
masts' in earnest, if there's time for it, and if not, we shall all go
to the bottom together."

Jack Windy and two or three other men who heard old Grim growling out
these remarks, burst into a loud laugh. "Why, any one would suppose you
had taken a double dose of growling-powder, old Grim," exclaimed Jack.
"Do you want to frighten these young chaps, or not? If you do, maybe
they will be taking a turn out of you one of these days. Of course it
may blow, and a good deal harder than it does now; but the _Lilly_ is
not a craft to mind a cap full of wind, more or less, and she will
weather a worse gale than this, I have a notion."

Night was coming on. The hurricane raged as fiercely as ever; the light
grew greyer and greyer, till, by degrees, a black darkness settled down
over the ocean. Still the seas rose up more wild and fierce-looking
every instant, and the ship rushed on, seemingly into space. Sharp eyes
only could see beyond the jib-boom, yet there were some who could have
pierced even that thick darkness, if there had been anything to see
besides the tossing seas. They, however, only appeared leaping up ahead
and round the ship, as if each one was eager to get hold of her, and
carry her down to the depths of old ocean. On, on she flew. The
captain and master frequently cast anxious looks at the compass in the
binnacle, while the second lieutenant with the boatswain went forward
and stood on the forecastle, peering with all their might and main into
the darkness ahead. Not a few other eyes were trying to look out ahead
also; but it seemed as if all the eyes and all the looking would do
little to discover any object, till the ship was too close to avoid it.
The seconds appeared like minutes, the minutes hours, as thus the
corvette rushed on. Not a man spoke. In truth, speaking, except at the
top of the voice, was of little use, the howling of the wind and the
roaring of the sea drowning all other sounds.

At length, however, there came a cry from forward, such as a sea