made it appear like a sea of burnished copper.
As the sun rose higher the heat became almost unbearable, growing more
and more oppressive.

"Does your lordship recollect that we are in the region of hurricanes?"
asked Voules. "It would be prudent to shorten sail."

"Not until the chase does, though. I wouldn't for much lose the chance
of coming up with her. If we hold on for another two or three hours, we
can get her within range of our guns. We have been gaining on her
faster than ever lately."

"If the wind catches us and whips the masts out of the ship, the
`holding on' will do us little good," replied Voules.

"Well, we will see about it by-and-by," said Lord Reginald, who was on
the point of going down below to breakfast, the steward having just
announced that the meal was ready.

The midshipman Lucas was left in charge of the deck. Soon afterwards an
old seaman, who acted as quartermaster, came up to him. Touching his
hat, he said--

"Won't you order the hands to shorten sail, sir? We can't tell when we
shall have the wind down upon us, and we shall be losing some of our
spars, if no worse happens."

"His lordship wants to come up with the chase first, though I should be
glad to have some canvas taken in."

Just then the look-out forward shouted, "The chase is shortening sail,
and is hauling up to the northward!"

Lucas ran aft and shouted down through the skylight, announcing what had
occurred. "Shall we shorten sail, too, sir?" he asked.

Voules sprang on deck, and looking round him, without waiting for Lord
Reginald's orders cried out, "All hands shorten sail!"

The royals were quickly handed, but there was brief time to stow the
canvas before the wind filled the sails, and away flew the ship before
it. The fore top-gallant sail, imperfectly secured, blew out, and in an
instant was torn into shreds, which fluttered wildly for a few seconds,
and became wrapped in inextricable coils round the yard. The courses
were next brailed up, but it was hard work to stow them. Lord Reginald
saw, when too late, that it would have been wiser to shorten sail before
the wind struck the ship. All hands were now employed in reefing the
topsails, for the masts bent like willow wands. Though the ship was
kept before the wind, there was great risk of their being carried away.
Two hands were sent to the helm, but even they had the greatest
difficulty to steer the ship. The only hope of saving the masts was