to set the top sail.

This was done, and the ship's course was laid parallel to the
shore. The wind was now nearly northwest, and she lay down until
the water was several planks up her deck. The crew were all lashed
to windward, clustering where they would be most out of danger,
should the mast go.

Fairclough stood for a minute, looking at the shivering mast, and
the shrouds stretched like iron bars.

"We must get the guns overboard, Mr. Hardy; she will never stand
this," and indeed the waves, striking her broadside, were falling
in a cascade over her.

Calling four of the men, Hardy made his way down into the lee
scuppers, where the water was nearly up to their waists; opened the
portholes and slacked the lashings, when the four guns disappeared
overboard. It required much greater pains to get down the guns from
the port side, as tackle had to be attached to each, so that they
could be lowered carefully, one by one, across the deck; but all
worked heartily, and these also were launched overboard.

"That has eased her, a bit," Fairclough said, when Hardy rejoined
him. "They helped to pin her down, and I could almost feel the
difference, as each gun went overboard."

"I am afraid that it will make no difference, in the long run,"
Hardy said. "She must be making a great deal of leeway, and I
should say that she will be on shore in a couple of hours, at the
latest. Still, we may have time to look out for a soft spot."

"We should not have much chance, in that case, Hardy; my only hope
is in another shift of wind."

"But it will go round more to the north, sir, and then we sha'n't
be able to lie our course, at all. It has gone round a point, since
we got up the top sail."

"Quite so; and I doubt whether it will go round soon enough to save
us. If it should go round a little more to the north, we must try
and get her on the other tack; but I am afraid, in such a sea, she
will not go about. Of course, our great aim is to reach Port
Cornwallis; or, if we cannot get as far as that, I have just been
having a look at the chart, and I see there are three narrow
straits. How much water there is in them, I do not know. They are
most vaguely marked on the chart. One of them is but thirty miles
north of our present position and, if we find that we cannot make
the northern point, I shall try to get in there. I am not sure
that, in any case, it would not be the best plan; for if there is
only water enough to run a mile or