and by it may be too late!"

"Oh no," replied Captain Dinks, "she'll hold out all right, and it's
best for us to land by daylight. Besides, I've allowed the hands to
turn in, save two or three who are keeping a sort of anchor watch, and
I'm not going to rouse them out again unnecessarily--poor fellows,
they've had a hard time of it the last few days!"

"Not many of them have taken advantage of your permission," said Mr
Meldrum drily. "I fancy they feel like myself, too uneasy to sleep,
with this fresh gale springing up again and the ship rocking about so!"
As he spoke, he pointed to a group amidships, where at least half the
crew were gathered about the boats, while some others were standing by
Snowdrop's galley and having a warm, for the night was intensely cold.

"They can please themselves," replied the captain sententiously. "If
they don't choose to turn in, they needn't; but I'm not going to launch
the boats yet and leave the ship while it is safe. I'm considering what
is best for us all, Mr Meldrum; and, excuse me, but as long as the
vessel holds together I'm captain of her, and don't intend to give over
my duty to anybody else."

This was speaking pretty plainly, so Mr Meldrum had perforce to remain
silent and nurse his uneasiness; the two pacing up and down the poop on
opposite sides, without ever a word passing between them for some time,
just as if each ignored the other's presence.

At two o'clock in the morning, however, the wind increased and the heavy
waves began to break against the windward side of the ship, dashing over
her amidships in columns of spray. She also lurched more to starboard,
as if thrown on her bilge, the deck inclining to an angle of forty-five
degrees.

At the same time, too, the group of men forward could be dimly seen in
the half light moving about excitedly. They were evidently tired of
their forced inaction; for, their voices could be heard occasionally
between the lulls of the breaking waves and sound of the wind whistling
by. They were grumbling in tones of dissatisfaction.

The climax was put to the matter by the sudden rushing up on deck of Mr
McCarthy, whom Captain Dinks had told to go below until the morning
watch.

"Be jabers, cap'en," he exclaimed, "she's druv in her starboard streeks
against the rocks, and the wather is pouring in like winking. Faix, it
is breaking up she'll be before were out of her, sure!"

Thus urged, the captain at length gave the ord