I might remain."

"Did he? Well, then, it's all over now, and there'll be nothing fresh
till morning; so you can go below like a brace of shakes."

With these words, he hustled me off the poop, good-naturedly, not losing
sight of me until he had seen me go down the ladder and into the cabin--
much against my inclination, I must confess, as I wanted to see all that
was going on.

Of course, as I had to go down, there was no use in my not turning in
when I got there; but I stayed awake for a long time, listening to the
thumping of the sea against the sides of the ship and the creaking of
the timbers; while my cot swayed to and fro, hoisting me up to the deck
planking one second, and then almost capsizing me on to the floor, until
I at last sank to rest, wearied out with the motion and longing for the
morning to come.

Harry, the steward, awakened me quite late.

"Here, you sah, Mass' Tom, rouse up!" he sang out close to my ears,
making me jump out of my bunk in a brace of shakes. "It am gone eight
bells an' break-fuss ready long time."

Captain Miles had already had his early meal, I found, when I had
dressed and got out into the cabin saloon; so, after making a hurried
repast, for I was anxious to see how the ship was getting on, I followed
him on deck.

The sea looked awful!

Far and wide, it was covered with broken waves and sheets of foam, the
huge billows fighting and struggling together in mad turmoil; while the
wind shrieked as it tore through the vessel's cordage and almost blew me
back as I essayed to mount up the poop-ladder.

The _Josephine_ was still plunging on before the gale, as I had last
seen her the night before, only that the mainsail had been torn away,
although the tattered fragments were left clinging round the yard-arms,
one or two longer pieces streaming out like pennants from the leech at
each end of the spar, and some other strips had clung to the fore-
rigging as they were blown away.

The foretop-sail had been furled, and the ship was driving on with only
her close-reefed main-topsail set; but preparations were being made as I
got on deck for hoisting the mizzen staysail, so that we might more
easily bring her head round to the wind in case of its showing any sign
of shifting.

This, however, was but a last resource, which could only be adopted in
the extreme peril of being taken aback. There is no more ticklish
operation than that of wearing a ship in a heavy sea where there i