cry
of, "All hands shorten sail!" I and others, tossing on our clothes,
sprang aloft through the darkness, with a fierce wind blowing in our
faces, to reef topsails. Scarcely had I reached the lee foretop-sail
yard-arm, and had, as I believed, the earing in my hand, when, how I
cannot tell, I found myself jerked off the yard; and ere I could secure
a firm grasp of the rope I held, I found myself hurled through the
midnight air, clutching emptiness, till I reached the foam-covered
water, through which the ship was hurriedly ploughing her way. I heard
the cry, "A man overboard! a man overboard!" but the ship had been
carrying too much sail, and without shortening it, it was impossible to
round-to in order to pick me up. From the frigate, therefore, I knew
that I could expect no help. I do not believe that for a moment after I
fell I lost my consciousness, though I suspect that before I fell I was
more asleep than awake. I had on only my shirt and light duck-trousers,
so I threw myself on my back, to consider what was best to be done.
There were plenty of vessels, I knew, astern of the frigate, but there
was little chance of being seen by any of them, or of their being able
to pick me up if they did see me.

How long I could have remained floating on my back I don't know--some
hours, I suppose, in smooth water; but as it was, the squall had blown
up a sea, and the spray kept dashing over my head and half drowned me.
On a sudden I found my head strike against something with so much force
as almost to stun me, and, turning round, I found myself in contact with
a large object. I caught hold of it. Ropes were hanging down from it
into the water; I climbed up by them, and found that it was the top and
parts of the topmast of a ship of large size. I felt thankful that I
was not likely to die for some time, unless the weather grew worse; and
I did not allow myself to reflect that even a worse death might be in
store for me--that of starvation. I had my knife secured by a lanyard
round my neck, so I began to haul up the ropes, and endeavoured to form
as secure a resting-place for myself as circumstances would allow. When
I had done all I could, I looked round through the darkness for the
chance of discovering a sail; but none could I see, so I sat down, and,
strange to say, fell asleep.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN.

TYRANNY--WAR AND MUTINY, WITH A GLIMPSE OF HOME COMFORTS BETWEEN.

As I said, I went to sleep hanging on t