thatch of his sou'wester.

"Now for your report, Files, and bear a hand with it for mercy's sake."

"Well, sir, it's just this; it had been breezing up, and we
double-reefed the mainsail, Captain Caudel not liking the look of the
weather, when a slap of wind carried pretty nigh half the mast over the
side. We reckon--for we can't see--that it's gone some three or four
feet below the cross-trees. The sail came down with a run, and there
was a regular mess of it, sir, the wessel being buried. We've had to
keep her afore it until we could cut the wreckage clear, and now we're
agoing to heave her to, and I'm to tell ye with Capt'n Caudel's
compliments not to take any notice of the capers she may cut when she
heads the sea."

"One moment. Is she sound in her hull?"

"Yes, sir."

"Heaven be praised! And how is the wind?"

"About nor'-nor'-east, sir."

"Then, of course, we've been running sou'-sou'-west, heading right into
the open channel?"

He said yes.

"How does the weather look, Files?"

"Werry black and noisy, sir."

"Tell Caudel to let me see him whenever he can leave the deck," said I,
unwilling to detain him lest he should say something to add to the
terror of Grace, whose eyes were riveted upon him as though he were
some frightful ghost or hideous messenger of death.

I took down the lamp and screened it, whilst he opened the cover and
crawled out.

CHAPTER VI

SWEETHEARTS IN A STORM

No man could imagine that so heavy a sea was already running until
Caudel hove the yacht to. The instant the helm was put down the dance
began! As she rounded to a whole green sea struck her full abeam, and
fell with a roar like a volcanic discharge upon her decks, staggering
her to the heart--sending a throe of mortal agony through her, as one
might have sworn. I felt that she was buried in the foam of that sea.
As she gallantly rose, still valiantly rounding into the wind, as
though the spirit of the British soil in which had grown the hardy
timber out of which she was manufactured was never stronger in her than
now, the water that filled her decks roared cascading over the rails.

Grace sat by my side, her arm locked in mine; she was motionless with
fear; her eyes had the fixed look of the sleep-walker's, nor will I
deny that my own terror was extreme; for imagining that I had heard a
shriek, I believed that my men had been washed overboard, and that we
two were locked up in a dismasted craft that