he safety of his ship, but he looked out for her very
carefully in heavy weather.

He was particularly interested in the conduct of the Blanche. She had taken
a position to windward of the Guardian-Mother, and appeared to be doing
quite as well in the heavy sea as her consort. She had been built with all
the strength and solidity that money could buy; and she was as handsome a
craft as ever floated, not even excepting her present companion on the
stormy sea, and she was proving herself to be an able sea-boat.

"Good-morning, Mr. Scott," said the commander, as the young officer touched
his cap to him.

Scott had been temporarily placed in the watch with the first officer, and
his post of duty was at the after part of the ship.

"Good-morning, Captain Ringgold," replied Scott, as he halted to ascertain
if the commander had any orders for him. "The gale does not appear to have
moderated since I turned in, sir."

"On the contrary, it blows fresher than ever. I did not expect such a nasty
time as we are having of it," added the commander.

"According to Captain Haines of the Indian navy, we may expect it to last
five days longer, for we have had nearly one day of it."

"Not quite so bad as that, Mr. Scott. If we had stayed in the vicinity of
Kuria Muria Bay, we might have got five days more of it; but this is a
local storm, and we shall doubtless run out of it in a day or two at most,
and come again into the region of the north-east monsoon."

"I hope so for the sake of those in the cabin; and I did not think of the
local feature you mention."

"The deck is well officered now," added the captain with a gape, "and I
will take a nap in my cabin for an hour or two. Mr. Boulong will have me
called if the storm gets any worse."

The commander went to his cabin, and Scott walked aft to the compass abaft
the mainmast. The binnacle was lighted, and he looked into it. The course
was all right, though the ship yawed a good deal in the trough of the sea,
the gale pelting her squarely on the beam. Though it was not an easy thing
even for a thorough seaman to preserve his centre of gravity, the young
officer made his way fore and aft with the aid of the life-lines which had
been extended the evening before. He watched the motions of the Blanche,
for there was nothing else to be seen but the waste of angry waters.

Far ahead the light of the breaking day began to penetrate the gloomy black
clouds. It was a pleasure to come out