he mizzen, before we got rid of it, must
have started a butt. She could hardly have made so much water from
straining."

The captain made his way aft. The saloon was empty; the passengers,
one by one, had retired to their cabins. He knocked at the doors of
Mr. Mason and the chief warder.

"The ship is making water fast," he said. "We must rig the
main-deck pumps. I can't spare any of the crew, their hands are
full. Will you set the convicts to work?"

In a few minutes the clank of the pumps was heard. Very irregularly
were they worked, for it was next to impossible for the men to
stand to them, with the vessel throwing herself about so wildly.

The captain had remained on deck. He placed his hand on the shrouds
of the main mast. One moment they hung loosely; and then, as the
vessel rolled over, tightened themselves, with a sudden jerk, till
they were as stiff as iron rods. He shook his head.

"Reuben, make your way up to the chief officer, and tell him that I
am going to get rid of the main-top mast. Tell him to see that
everything is cut free from the fore mast."

Reuben made his way aloft with difficulty. It needed all his
strength to prevent the wind from tearing him from his grasp of the
shrouds, but at length he reached the fore top, where the mate was
at work. He delivered the captain's message.

"Ask the captain to wait five minutes, till I get the back stay
secured. I will send a man down, as soon as I am ready."

"You take this axe," the captain said, when Reuben regained the
deck, "and stand by this stay. When you see me ready to cut the
other, cut at the same moment."

In a few minutes Bill came down, with a message to the captain that
all was ready. The latter raised his arm to Reuben. He waited till
the vessel rolled over, and then lifted his axe. The two blows fell
together on the stays. A moment later the vessel began to rise
again. As the jerk came there was a crash above, and the main-top
mast fell over the side, clear of the deck, having snapped off at
the cap like a pipe stem.

"Thank God for that," the captain said, as he cut away the
connections on the other side, and the spar drifted astern, "that
is off our minds."

The loss of the main-top mast and mizzen greatly relieved the
strain on the ship, and she worked much easier. In half an hour,
the first officer returned on deck with his party, and reported
that he had done all he could to secure the fore mast.

"The sea is becoming m