of these "Northers" of the Far West; but, the next
moment, the thoughts of blizzards and all belonging to them were
banished from his mind by what he saw, for the storm was upon them.

It came with a blast that shook the ship from truck to keelson and
almost turned her over, the wind being accompanied by a shower of hail
and rain that pelted those on deck like grape-shot and completely took
their breath away.

"Let go everything!" shouted the captain. Fortunately, the halliards
being cast off in time, the ship was not taken aback; and the steersman
putting the helm down, she paid off from the wind and ran off for
sometime directly before it, tearing through the water at the rate of
twenty knots an hour, with everything flying by the run.

"Thank God!" exclaimed Mr Meldrum, in heartfelt thanksgiving to Him who
controls the winds and storms, as he sprang to aid the man at the wheel,
seeing that he had a hard task to keep the helm over.

"Ya-as, I guess that were a narrow squeak," said the American; "and I
kalkerlate I'll make tracks down south fore another of them snorters
come!" So saying, Mr Lathrope dived down the companion-way, his
departure being accelerated by a heavy sea which washed over the quarter
and floated him below.

"Way aloft there!" shouted the captain; and, although his words could
not be heard from the howling of the wind, which shrieked and raved like
pandemonium broken loose as it tore through the rigging, the men knew
what was wanted and scrambled up the shrouds as well as they could,
sometimes stopping for breath as a stronger blast than usual pinned them
to the ratlines, where they stuck as if spread-eagled for sport.

After a good half-hour's hard work, the courses were clewed up and
furled, the jib hauled down, and the topsails close-reefed, a staysail
being set to steady her, when the men came down from aloft pretty well
worn out with their exertions.

Hardly had they got below, however, than the captain, seeing a second
squall coming, ordered them up again, to strip the ship of her remaining
sail.

But, he was too late this time.

Before the men could ascend the shrouds the wind struck the vessel, like
an avalanche, on her starboard broadside, heeling her over to port as if
she had been canted by the caulkers in dock. Then, another following
sea pooped her and cleared the decks fore and aft, sweeping everything
loose overboard, the maintopsail being split to pieces at the same time