nd stowed, the brig was then hove-to under close-reefed main-topsail
and fore-topmast staysail.

All through the night and the whole of the succeeding day the gale
continued to rage furiously, and although the _Mermaid_ proved herself
to be an unexpectedly good sea-boat in such exceptionally heavy weather,
riding easily the mountainous sea that was now running, she rolled with
such terrific violence that it was impossible to move anywhere on board
her, whether on deck or below, without incurring the risk of serious
injury. As for Miss Trevor, acting on Leslie's advice, she kept to her
own cabin, and passed the disagreeable time in the comparative safety of
her bunk, which she left only at meal times.

The morning of the fourth day brought with it a change. The gale broke
about the time of sunrise, and soon afterwards the sky cleared, the
canopy of cloud broke up, and drifted away to the eastward in tattered
fragments, revealing a sky of hard pallid blue, in which the sun hung
low like a ball of white fire. The sea went down somewhat, and no
longer broke so menacingly, while it changed its colour from dirty green
to steel-grey. Far away on the southern horizon a gleam of dazzling
white betrayed the presence of a small iceberg, and the air was
piercingly cold.

Gladly welcoming the change, Leslie--who had spent the whole of the
preceding night on deck--ordered the close-reefed fore topsail to be
set, as well as the foresail and main trysail; under which considerable
increase of canvas the brig was soon once more moving with comparative
rapidity through the water, and looking well up into the wind. Then,
watching for a "smooth," they wore the craft round, and brought her to
on the port tack, during the progress of which evolution the wind
shifted a couple of points to the southward, enabling them to lay a
course of north-west by west, which Leslie hoped would suffice him to
draw out clear of everything, and carry him into the Pacific Ocean.

This hope was strengthened as the day wore on, for the wind continued to
draw gradually still further round from the southward, while it steadily
decreased in force--though growing colder every hour--thus enabling
Leslie to shake out first one reef in his topsails, then a second, and
finally the last, also to set his jib and main-topmast staysail; so that
by sunset the brig, under whole topsails and main-topgallantsail, was
booming along famously, with an excellent prospect of