pieces, or drive her under them. Instead, she mounts
up the hills of water, and a deep valley is seen far below her.

All sail was taken in, and our big ship ran before the wind, tossed
about as if she were a mere washtub. Above our heads were the dark
driving clouds, on every side the rolling, foaming, roaring waves. Not
another sail did we see, while the nearest land, we knew, was hundreds
of miles away. Often and often I thought that the waves would catch us,
and send us all to the bottom. Then I remembered what father used to
say, "Trust in God; He knows what is best for us. If he thinks that it
is best for us all to be drowned, His will be done." So when I was
ordered to turn in, I went into the little narrow cupboard sort of
place, which was my berth, and slept as soundly as if the ship was in
harbour. Our crew was divided into two watches, that is to say, one
half of us were on deck at one time, and one half at another, except
when all hands were called. When it was again my watch on deck, I found
the ship flying on as before, with the same dark sky above and tossing
waves around me. On she drove, rolling from side to side, and pitching
into the seas as if she was going down under them. I could not stand on
the deck for a moment without holding on to a rope or the bulwarks.
Still I liked to watch the big, dark, green waves, as they rose and
tumbled about. Even the old sailors could do very little, and it was
hard work for the cook to keep the pots on the fire to cook our food.

Things had got somewhat worse when Toby crawled up to me.

"I say, Tom, don't you think that we be all going to be drowned?" he
asked, his teeth chattering with fear and cold.

"I hope not, but I do not like the look of matters," I answered.

"No, they are very bad, depend on it," he said. "I heard some of the
men telling Bill Sniggs that he'd better repent of his sins, for that
may be in a few hours he wouldn't have much chance."

"Perhaps they were only joking him," said I.

"Oh no, they looked too grave for that," said Toby. "It's very awful."

While we were speaking a fierce squall struck the ship. There was a
loud crash, and a cry of "Stand from under." And down came the
fore-topmast and all its rigging; the ropes flying about our heads, and
the spars nearly striking us. I thought that it was all over with us,
and looked to see if Toby had been carried away, but there he stood
clearing himself, as I was doing,