ed and teeth clenched,
stood watching, now the bending masts, now the compass, now the dark
threatening land. The frigate drew nearer and nearer to it; still she
flew ahead. A quartermaster and two of the best seaman in the ship were
at the helm; Jack Lawrence stood near them; they were doing as well as
he could desire.

"Keep your luff, lads," he said once in a quiet tone; "steady--that will
do."

Not another word was spoken by him, or by any one on deck; all eyes were
riveted on the land. The ship seemed to be making no progress, for
there it still lay on the lee-bow. Some thought they could hear the
roaring of the surges, as with the whole force of a south-westerly gale
they were hurled against the cliffs. Still the canvas held the fierce
wind, and the well-set-up rigging supported the masts.

"Morton, the land is drawing abeam," exclaimed Claymore suddenly; "the
ship will be saved. I did not think so at one time, though."

He was right: gradually it seemed to rise up more broad on the lee-beam;
but as the ship surged onward amid wildly-leaping waves, the water,
lashed into masses of foam, was seen over the lee-quarter leaping over
the cliff from which she had so narrowly escaped. Still there were
other points and headlands farther to the north, from which she was not
altogether clear. For another two hours or more the same press of
canvas was kept on her. Few breathed freely till the order was being
given to take another reef in the topsails; the order was accomplished
without a casualty, and the watch below were allowed to turn in.

Some days after this the "Thetis" fell in with a line-of-battle ship
homeward bound: she took Mr Calder and his companions on board.

"We shall meet again, I hope," said Lord Claymore, as Morton was about
to go down the side.

"I should be sorry if I did not think so," answered Morton, as the young
men grasped each other's hands.

Westward steered the "Thetis," and eastward the huge old "Thunderer;"
the latter reached England, and the officers and men of the "Thisbe"
once more rejoined her, to the satisfaction of most of their friends,
who had given them up for lost.

The "Thisbe" finished her commission with considerable credit to her
captain, officers, and crew, who had likewise not a small amount of
prize-money to boast of. Ronald Morton on his being paid off joined a
sloop-of-war in the West Indies; here he especially distinguished
himself, and, to the great del