show, the gallant bearing of a man. Too often,
all within is terror, horror unspeakable of the near-approaching unknown
future. We had still a long way to drive before we could reach the
neighbourhood of the dreaded shoals and reefs. Most of the men probably
were ignorant of the risks we were about to encounter. Happily,
perhaps, for seamen, they seldom realise danger till it presents itself
palpably before them. The Frenchmen, after a time gaining confidence,
began to laugh and joke as before. Our men stood calm and grave at
their posts. Not that they saw danger or felt fear, but that they were
engaged in their duty, and knew that much depended on their steadiness
and courage. Night came on; it was far more trying than the day. I
felt very tired, but as to turning in, that was out of the question.
Hours after hours we flew on, plunging headlong through the darkness,
and often, to my excited imagination, strange shrieks and cries seemed
to come out of the obscurity. Once as we flew on, as I stood watching
black masses of water rising on our quarter and rolling on abeam of us,
I fancied that I saw a large ship, her hull with her lofty masts
towering up to the skies, close to us. It appeared as if another send
of the sea would have driven us aboard her. I thought that I could
distinguish people leaning over the bulwarks watching us with longing
eyes. There was a gush of waters from her scuppers. I could hear the
clang of the pumps; she was already deep in the water, rolling heavily;
cries arose from her decks; lower and lower she sank. I watched her
with straining eyes. A dark sea rose up between her and the schooner.
She was no longer where she had been; the tracery of her masts and
rigging appeared for an instant above the water, and then sank for ever.
I uttered a cry of regret. McAllister shouted to me, and asked me why
I had gone to sleep. I declared that I had been wide awake, and told
him what I had seen.

"You've sharper eyes than any one else," he answered. "You must have
been asleep; we passed no ship, depend on that."

I insisted on it that we had, and that he had not been looking out as I
had; and from that day to this day I am uncertain which was right. I
must, however, own that none of the men had seen the sinking ship; but
then I hold that neither were they looking out, and it was but a few
moments that she was in sight.

"Had all on board seen her we could have rendered her hapless c