utter sailed towards the channel,
still more moved their astonishment; and when the first eddy caught the
yacht on her weather bow and swung her to leeward, they were satisfied
of the impudent attempt we were contemplating.

Every sail of the yacht flapped, and the skilful management of the helm
alone prevented the boom from jibing. The pilot now saw that the task
was not one which the Iris would, as he had hoped, surmount with ease,
and going as far forward as he could, stood on the weather bow as if to
re-consider what he was about to undertake. Fixing his eyes long and
steadily on the swift flowing water, he appeared to think that, should
the wind fail, or the strong current bear us back, the danger was
manifest.

During the old pilot's meditation, D---- had mechanically taken his
position aft, close to the helmsman on the weather quarter. More fairly,
the cutter now started a second time, and, standing well up, promised to
fetch the very centre of the passage. The gaff-topsail shook.

"Keep her well full," said D---- to the helmsman. The man kept her half
a point more free. The current boiled, and eddied, and bubbled, as all
swift running water will do; and when again it caught the cutter's bow,
we could all feel the shock just as if she had touched a sand-bank.

"Blow, sweet breeze," said D----, half to himself, half aloud; and
casting his eyes, alternately from the flying jib and foresail to the
swelling gaff-topsail, stooped down and looked under the boom at the
land.

"Steady,--the helm," exclaimed the pilot, as he still stood to windward,
holding the bulwarks and bending slightly over the bow.

"Steady, sir," answered the helmsman.

Scarcely had the man made answer, than a puff filled every stitch of
canvass, and the cutter yielding to its pressure, leaned over and shot,
like a shaft, right into the middle of the channel.

"She'll do it now," said R---- to D----.

"She will, my Lord," replied D----, "if this puff holds ten minutes."

The wind did hold; and behaving well on this, her first tack, and edging
up in the wind's eye whenever she could get the chance, the impatient
cutter seemed willing to clear the channel on her second tack. The pilot
made much of the narrow berth, and ran close to the shore.

"I suppose the water is pretty deep here, eh?" asked R----, addressing
himself to D----.

"Oh! yes, my Lord; or the pilot would----"

"'Bout!" shouted the pilot, cutting D---- off in his reply.