seem to us very much
more like being below than above water.

"Now, boys," cried Jack, "bestir yourselves, and let's make ourselves
comfortable. Toss out our provisions, Peterkin; and here, Ralph, lend a
hand to haul up the boat. Look sharp."

"Ay, ay, captain," we cried, as we hastened to obey, much cheered by the
hearty manner of our comrade.

Fortunately the cave, although not very deep, was quite dry, so that we
succeeded in making ourselves much more comfortable than could have been
expected. We landed our provisions, wrung the water out of our garments,
spread our sail below us for a carpet, and, after having eaten a hearty
meal, began to feel quite cheerful. But as night drew on, our spirits
sank again, for with the daylight all evidence of our security vanished
away. We could no longer see the firm rock on which we lay, while we
were stunned with the violence of the tempest that raged around us. The
night grew pitchy dark, as it advanced, so that we could not see our
hands when we held them up before our eyes, and were obliged to feel each
other occasionally to make sure that we were safe, for the storm at last
became so terrible that it was difficult to make our voices audible. A
slight variation of the wind, as we supposed, caused a few drops of spray
ever and anon to blow into our faces; and the eddy of the sea, in its mad
boiling, washed up into our little creek until it reached our feet and
threatened to tear away our boat. In order to prevent this latter
calamity, we hauled the boat farther up and held the cable in our hands.
Occasional flashes of lightning shone with a ghastly glare through the
watery curtains around us, and lent additional horror to the scene. Yet
we longed for those dismal flashes, for they were less appalling than the
thick blackness that succeeded them. Crashing peals of thunder seemed to
tear the skies in twain, and fell upon our ears through the wild yelling
of the hurricane as if it had been but a gentle summer breeze; while the
billows burst upon the weather side of the island until we fancied that
the solid rock was giving way, and, in our agony, we clung to the bare
ground, expecting every moment to be whirled away and whelmed in the
black howling sea! Oh! it was a night of terrible anxiety, and no one
can conceive the feelings of intense gratitude and relief with which we
at last saw the dawn of day break through the vapory mists around us.

For three days and thr