slide to its full extent
firmly wedged it there. A short piece of planking wedged tightly in
between the binnacle and the companion doors made the latter perfectly
secure; and when we had further heaped upon the skylight lid as many
heavy articles as we could find about the decks and conveniently handle
between us, the crew were effectually imprisoned below, fore and aft,
and the work of seizing the schooner was complete.

We were not a moment too soon. The thunderstorm had all this while been
raging with little if any diminution of fury, the rain continuing to
pour down upon us in a steady torrent. But hitherto there had been no
wind. We had barely completed our task of making matters secure fore
and aft, however, when the lightning and rain ceased all in an instant.

"Now look out for the wind, sir," said I to Smellie.

"When the rain comes _before_ the wind. Stand by and well your topsails
mind."

"Let the breeze come as soon as it likes," was the cheerful reply; "we
shall want a breeze to help us out of the creek presently. But we may
as well get the canvas on her whilst the calm lasts, if possible; so run
your knife along the lashing of that mainsail, whilst I overhaul the
sheet and cast adrift the halliards."

So said, so done, and in another minute the sail was loose. We then
tailed on to the halliards, and after a long and weary drag managed to
get the sail set after a fashion. But we had hardly begun this task
before the squall burst upon us, and well was it for us then that the
schooner happened to be moored in so completely sheltered a position.
The wind careered, roaring and howling past us overhead, swaying and
bending the stoutest forest giants as though they were pliant reeds; but
down in the narrow channel, under the lee of the trees, we felt no more
than a mere _scuffle_, which, however, was sufficient to make the
mainsail flap heavily, and this effectually roused all hands below.

The first intimation we received of this state of things was a loud
battering against the inside of the companion doors, accompanied by
muffled ejaculations of anger. To this, however, we paid not the
slightest heed; we knew that our prisoners were safe for a time at
least, so as soon as we had set the mainsail to our satisfaction I
skimmed out on the jib-boom and cast loose the jib, then slipped inboard
again and helped Smellie to hoist it. This done, by Smellie's order I
went aft to the wheel, whilst he, arm