ore cable. Night at length coming on, added to the wild horrors of the
scene. Now, as a vessel drove past us, we could hear the shrieks and
cries of the unhappy crew as they were carried to destruction. Such, in
spite of the size of our stout ship, might be our fate should the
anchors not hold.

Suddenly the wind dropped; still the sea continued to leap and foam
around us.

"It will be all right, I hope," I said to Mr Tarbox. "These hurricanes
seldom last long, I fancy."

"Not quite so certain of that, Walter," he observed. "I don't like the
look of the sky even now." Once more examining the cables, he walked
with me aft, from whence we could better see the shore.

"Hark! what is that roaring?" I said. It seemed as if a blast was
sweeping over the land, hurling down trees and buildings and all
impediments in its course. "Can it be an earthquake? Oh! what will
become of my sister and those on shore?"

"No, it is no earthquake," answered the boatswain; "it is the hurricane
shifting its quarter."

As he spoke, the wind struck the ship with redoubled force. She swung
round before it; still, knowing that our anchors had been holding, and
our cables strong, we had little fear of receiving damage, as the sea,
at all events, with the change of wind, would subside instead of being
increased. Suddenly, however, a peculiar sound was heard, as of a chain
running out. The boatswain rushed forward, and I followed him; but we
were only just in time to see the end of the chain cables flying through
the hawse-holes, and away the ship drifted out of the harbour.

"That did not happen by chance," exclaimed Tarbox; "it is the work of
those Lascars. Quick, lads, for your lives!" shouted the boatswain.
"Range our spare cable! Get the second bower-anchor from the hold!--Now
you, Ali Tomba, see that your men work," he added, turning to the
serang.

The English seamen worked away energetically; but in the dark it was a
difficult business to get up the heavy anchor and chain cable. The
Lascars were apparently assisting as zealously as the rest of the crew.
Some accident or other was, however, continually occurring; and before
the anchor could be got up and the cable ranged, the ship was in the
centre of the channel, driving away at a rapid rate out to sea. At
length the anchor was got ready for letting go. Scarcely, however, had
it been got over the bows than with a loud splash it fell into the water
free of the chain