blowing for some time as hard as ever. When morning
broke, it had somewhat moderated, and as the day wore on, a strong
breeze only was blowing. The sea, notwithstanding this, continued as
high as ever, and consequently the ship rolled and tumbled about fully
as much as before. The captain, who had been on deck all the night and
a great part of the forenoon, at length retired to his berth.

Bill Windy had the watch, Charles was standing near him.

"What do you think of the weather now?" he asked.

"Can't say that I think it settled yet," answered Bill. "There's a
stormy look away there to the nor'ard, but the captain ordered me to
shake the reefs out of the topsails if it grows no worse; though, to my
mind, we shall have to take them in again before nightfall."

Bill took a turn on deck, then ordered the hands aloft to shake out the
reefs. The topsails were sheeted home; the ship felt the fresh impulse
given to her, and went bounding on over the tossing ocean. The mate
walked the deck keeping a watchful eye to windward.

"I don't know what to make of it, Mr Dicey," he observed to Charles.
"It is always well to take a reef in in good time, and better
seamanship, too, to my mind, than to wait till the squall is down upon
one. Still, we have lost so much time in that calm that it won't do to
be shortening sail before it is necessary. The surgeon, too, wishes the
captain, unless the sickness abates, to put into the Cape, that the
people may be landed and the ship fumigated."

"I am thankful to hear that," said Charles; "a few days on shore may, I
hope, restore all to health."

Although no deaths had occurred for several days, a considerable number
of the people still remained on the sick list, many of the cases being
very severe. Even to people in health, the steerage of an emigrant ship
is not a desirable place, especially in a hot climate; and now the poor
sufferers were not only confined below with closed hatches, but the ship
was tumbling and rolling fearfully about, the masts were groaning, the
bulk-heads creaking, the stamping of feet was heard overhead, the waves
were constantly dashing against the sides, while now and then came the
heavy blow of a sea, as it fell on board and deluged the decks.

Bill Windy and Charles had continued their walk for some time, when the
mate, looking to windward, exclaimed, "It's high time to shorten sail,
or we shall have the masts whipped out of the ship. Boy, call the