th were roped and ready to mount. It was hard
work, and several times they had to use the rope to prevent their being
torn from their hold. But at last they reached the top, and fastened
themselves securely there. The scene was a singular one. Overhead was a
cloudless sky, somewhat paler in tint than it had been before the squall
burst. Below was a white mass of foam, which, from the height on which
they stood, seemed almost pressed level by the force of the wind. On
deck they had been drenched with the sheets of spray torn off the heads
of the waves as soon as they began to lift themselves, but here they
were above this, and there was nothing to prevent their looking round in
all directions.

"There are the rocks, sir," the top-man said, after they had been some
twenty minutes in their position, "over the lee bow, about two points
off our course."

"I see them now," Edgar said. "I thought we should have made them out by
the white foam round them, but it is white everywhere."

He shouted down to the deck, but it was some time before he could make
his voice heard above the roar of the squall. He pointed aft when at
last one looked up. The sailor ran aft to the helm, and called
Wilkinson's attention to Edgar. The latter pointed in the direction of
the rocks. Wilkinson waved his hand, and Edgar, then leaving the sailor
on watch, made his way down to the deck.

"We shall go within half a mile of them," he said, when he joined his
comrade.

"It is lucky that we looked at the chart as soon as we did," Wilkinson
shouted back, "for even with this rag of sail I should not have liked to
bring her nearer to the wind than we are now."

"I don't think it is blowing quite as hard as it was," Edgar said. "I
certainly got down more easily than I went up."

"I was thinking so myself, Blagrove, though there is not much
difference. I don't care, now that we are clear of those rocks, how long
it keeps on. Directly we pass them we can keep her off the wind again,
and there is nothing in our course then for over forty miles, and then
it is only a small island with deep water all round. I have just been
taking another look at the chart."

By another hour the strength of the wind had considerably abated, the
fore-staysail was reefed and hoisted, and before sunset sail was on her
again, and the hands were aloft preparing to get up fresh topsails.

At the end of six months, on their going into Rhodes they found that a
small gun-boat h