ere left aboard the drogher, and you and the other
gentlemen went ashore to look after Captain Quasho, as he called
himself, and his rascally black crew," began Needham, who having
recovered his voice, was inclined to make good use of it by spinning a
long yarn.

"I should think I did, indeed," said Higson; "but go ahead, Dick: we
want to hear how you and they were saved, for I had little hope that you
would be, when I saw the drogher driven away from her anchorage by the
hurricane."

"Nor had I, sir, I can tell you; but I've always held that there's
nothing like trying to do one's best, in however bad a way one may seem
to be," continued Needham. "I saw that there was only one thing we
could do, and that was to run before the wind, and to try and keep the
craft above water. As to beating back, I knew that the old drogher
would either have capsized, or been driven on the rocks, if we had made
the attempt so I took the helm, got a foot of the foresail hoisted, the
hatches battened down, told the young gentlemen to lash themselves to
the rigging, if they didn't wish to be washed overboard, and let the
craft scud. It was precious dark, except every now and then, when the
flashes of lightning darted from the clouds and went zigzagging along on
either side of us, casting a red glare on the tops of the black seas,
from which the foam was blown off just for all the world as if a huge
white sheet had been drawn over them. The spoondrift, too, came
straight along our deck, over the taffrail, as if it would cut our legs
off; for, though we flew at a pretty good rate, it flew faster. As
every now and then I turned my head I couldn't help thinking that one of
thy big seas which came roaring on astern just for all the world like
one of the savage monsters I've heard tell of, eager to swallow us up,
would break down on the deck, and send us in a jiffy to the bottom. I
didn't care so much about it for myself as for the brave young lads,
likely to be admirals one of these days; but not a cry nor a word of
complaint did I hear from them. Mr Rogers, maybe, was the most plucky,
as he seemed to feel that it was his duty to set an example to his
messmates; and I could hear his voice every now and then, as they all
stood close together, lashed to the starboard rigging, and when the
lightning flashed I could just get a glimpse of their faces, looking
pale as death--not from fear, though, but contrasted, as it were, with
the darkness