sofa, to leeward--he could
not have kept his place, on the other side. The rain was still
falling so heavily, on deck, that it sounded like a waggon passing
overhead; and mingled with this noise was the howl of the wind, and
the swashing of the water against the ship's side. Gradually the
motion of the vessel became more violent, and she quivered from bow
to stern, as the waves struck her.

Although it was early in the afternoon, it became almost as dark as
night in the cabin. The steward had brought him a glass of hot
grog, as soon as he had changed his clothes and, in spite of the
din, he presently fell off to sleep. When he woke the rain had
ceased; but the uproar caused by the howling of the wind, the
creaking of the spars, and the dashing of the waves was as loud as
before.

He soon made his way up on deck, and found that a tremendous sea
was running. The fore-topsail had been got off the ship, the
weather sheets of the jib and fore-staysail hauled across, and the
vessel was making comparatively little way through the water. She
was, in fact--although Bob did not know it--lying to, under these
sails and the spanker.

It all looked so terrible, to him, that he kept his place but a few
minutes; and was then glad to return to the sofa, below. In a short
time, the captain came down.

"How are you getting on, lad? All in the dark, eh?

"Steward, light the lamp, and bring me a tumbler of hot grog. Keep
the water boiling; the other officers will be down, directly.

"Well, what do you think of it, young gentleman?"

"I don't like it, at all," Bob said. "I thought I should like to
see a storm, but I never want to see one, again."

"I am not surprised at that," the captain said, with a laugh. "It
is all very well to read about storms, but it is a very different
thing to be caught in one."

"Is there any danger, sir?"

"There is always more or less danger, in a storm, lad; but I hope,
and think, the worst is over. We are in for a heavy gale but, now
that the brig has got through the first burst, there is not much
fear of her weathering it. She is a capital sea boat, well found
and in good trim; and we were fortunate enough in having sufficient
warning to get her snug, before the first burst came.

"That is always the most dangerous point. When a ship has way on
her, she can stand almost any gale; but when she is caught by a
heavy squall, when she is lying becalmed, you have to look out.
However, she got throu