e engine-room. I
found Moses Brickland, seated on his leather-cushioned divan, watching
the movements of the engine. Notwithstanding the uneasy movement of the
vessel the machinery seemed to be working very regularly.

"How does she go, Moses?" I asked.

"She has done very well since you headed her up to the sea," he
answered, without taking his gaze from the engine. "At one time I
thought the sea would break in upon us and swamp the fires. It would
have been all up with us then."

"I felt so myself, and I headed her up to the sea when I saw that it
was no longer safe to keep her on her course. But I suppose you want to
turn in, Moses."

"I, no; I am perfectly satisfied to keep my place here till morning,"
he replied.

"I want Ben Bowman at the wheel, with Washburn. She steers so hard in
this sea that we need to change hands every hour. But I hope we shall
soon be able to relieve you," I added.

"I don't have very hard work, and I can stand it very well till
morning."

I returned to the wheel-house. It was about two bells, or one in the
morning. The tempest had not increased in the last hour, and I hoped we
had seen the worst of it. We were working the engine just enough to
keep the steamer's head up to the sea. The Sylvania behaved so well in
her present position that I dismissed the port watch at two in the
morning; but I could not think of turning in myself while there was any
possibility of trouble ahead. I remained in the pilot-house with
Washburn, while Buck Lingley was on the lookout on the hurricane-deck.
We held our position till about four in the morning, when it was
evident that the gale was breaking, though the sea was still very
heavy.

"Light on the port quarter," said Buck, at one of the small windows of
the pilot-house in front of his station.

I rushed over to the port side, but the windows were so covered with
water that I could see nothing. It was raining hard, as it had been
since midnight. I went on deck, grasping a life-line to keep me from
being knocked over by the flood of water that flowed down from the
forecastle. I reached the ladder and went up to the hurricane-deck.

I supposed the light the lookout had seen was on some vessel. It was at
least ten miles distant; and after a time I satisfied myself that it
was a revolving light. It also flashed, and I was confident it was
eight or ten miles distant. I was rather bewildered, for I had not
expected to find a light in that directio