rt tack, is steadily nearing the centre,
which must eventually pass over him, when his ship will be suddenly
becalmed, only to be struck aback a few moments later, when she will--
almost to a dead certainty--founder with all hands. For Heaven's sake
let us bear down upon him and warn him ere it be too late. And we have
no time to lose about it either; for, if I may judge from the fury of
the gale, the centre of the storm is not far off."

The speed of the _Flying Fish_ was promptly increased, her course being
at the same time so far altered as to admit of her intercepting the
barque, and a few minutes later she passed under the stranger's stern
and hauled close up on her weather quarter, the travellers thus having
an opportunity of ascertaining the name of the vessel, which proved to
be the _Mercury_ of Bristol. They were now also able to realise more
fully than they had yet the tremendous strength of the gale and power of
the sea; the unfortunate barque careening gunwale-to under the pressure
of the wind upon her scanty canvas, whilst the sea deluged her decks
fore and aft; the whole of her lee and a considerable portion of her
weather bulwarks having already been carried away, together with her
spare spars; whilst every sea which broke on board her swept something
or other off the deck and into the sea to leeward. The long-boat and
pinnace, stowed over the main hatchway, were stove and rendered
unserviceable; and, even as the _Flying Fish_ ranged up alongside, their
destruction was completed and their shattered planks and timbers torn
out of the "gripes." The crew of the ship had, for safety's sake,
assembled aft on the full poop; and among them could be seen a female
figure crouching down under the meagre shelter of the cabin skylight
evidently in a state of extreme terror.

"You go out and hail them, Mildmay; you know what to say," remarked Sir
Reginald, as he steered the _Flying Fish_ into a favourable position for
communicating.

The lieutenant needed no second bidding; he felt that the crisis was
imminent; and, stepping out on deck, where he had to cling tightly to
the lee guard-rail to escape being washed overboard, he hailed:

"Barque ahoy! do you know that you are in a cyclone, and hove-to on the
wrong tack? I would very strongly advise you to wear round at once and
get the ship on the starboard tack. If the eye of the storm catches you
you will surely founder."

To his intense astonishment an answ