work that he too climbed to his usual
place on the main topsail yard and began to haul in the sail. He could
barely see the man next to him, and it was with difficulty he kept his
hold of the yard, while the ship tossed and plunged in the waves. When
nearly all sail was taken in the ship went easier, and the men assembled
on the deck to await further orders. The gale increased, and suddenly
the small bit of the fore-topsail that was hoisted burst into shreds
with a clap like thunder, and carried away the fore-topmast with all its
yards and rigging, part of the bowsprit, and the top of the mainmast.
"Clear away the wreck!" shouted the captain. Some of the men ran for
axes, and began to cut the ropes that fastened the broken masts to the
ship, for there was a danger of the ship striking against them and
knocking a hole in her side while she plunged. Still the gale
increased, and the mizzen topmast went overboard. The "mizzen" is the
mast nearest to the stern. It is the smallest of the three. The
lightning now began to flash, and the thunder to roar, while the crew of
the _Fair Nancy_ stood on her deck clinging to the bulwarks, lest they
should be washed overboard! Little Davy looked at the man next him, and
saw that it was Ben Block. "Oh, Ben!" said he, "what an awful night it
is! Do you think we shall be lost?"

Ben shook his head. "I don't know, lad; but the Lord can save us, if it
be His will. Pray to Him, boy."

"My poor mother!" murmured Davy, as the tears rose to his eyes, while he
prayed to God in his heart that he might be spared to see her again. At
that moment there came a wave so big and black that Davy thought the sea
was going to turn upside down. It came on like a great dark mountain,
high above the ship. "Hold on for your lives!" cried some of the men,
as the wave fell with a fearful crash and turned the ship over on her
side--or on her "beam-ends," as sailors call it. They were in awful
danger now, as the sea began to pour down into the cabins, and the masts
and sails being in the water the ship could not "right," or become
straight again. "Cut away the masts!" roared the captain. The deck was
now standing up like a wall, so that the men could not walk on it, but
they managed with great difficulty to reach the mizzenmast, which a few
strokes of the axe sent overboard. Still the ship lay on her beam-ends.
"Cut away the mainmast!" cried the captain. The order was obeyed, and
with a loud