be as suddenly summoned to
meet our God. We must so live as to be prepared," he answered solemnly.

The boat, the search in vain, now coming alongside was hoisted up, and
the ship kept on her course. Scarcely, however, had the yards been
braced round than down came the gale upon us with far greater force than
before. There was no use longer contending against it. The helm was
put up and we ran--tearing through the water--back again into the Downs.
Here we lay day after day waiting for a fair wind. It was much the
same to me, but a severe trial of temper to the captain and most of the
ship's company, who wanted to be in the Pacific catching whales.

I have not yet described the crew of the "Eagle." There was the
captain, three mates, the carpenter and his mate, the cooper and his
mate, the armourer, steward and cook, four boat-steerers, four able
seamen, eight ordinary seamen, the doctor, and two apprentices--namely,
Medley and I. The ship was thus strongly manned for her size, but in
the whaling service, when sometimes four boats are away at a time, a
large number of hands are required.

By the time we had been a week in the Downs a fleet of some hundred
merchantmen were collected there, driven in by the long continuing
south-westerly gales. We had very little communication with the shore,
though I managed to send a letter home, and Medley wrote to his friends.

"Never miss an opportunity of writing home, Jack," he said to me; "I
know the pleasure it gives to those who love us to receive a letter, and
the anxiety they suffer when they have to go long without hearing from
us."

I followed his advice, and wrote by every homeward bound ship we fell in
with, though many of my letters did not reach their destination. We
also got a man, Eben Dredge, in place of poor John Major lost overboard.
Still the south-wester blustered and roared. Some of the men declared
that it had set in for good, and that there never would be any other
wind as long as the world lasted.

At length one morning when Medley and I were below, we heard the first
mate shouting, "All hands up anchor! Fair wind, boys! Be smart there,
all of you." We sprang on deck. The watch below came tumbling up with
eager looks. The wind had suddenly veered round to the east-north-east.
Every man, including the cook and steward, set to work with a will;
while some with a cheery song hove round the windlass, others flew aloft
to loose sails. Hundreds