athoms astern, sir; but I don't think more,"
was the answer.

We hailed the Dolphin, but there was no reply. "She was further off
than you supposed," said papa, who had himself gone below for a few
minutes.

We could not understand why they did not answer our hail, for they must,
we thought, have heard us. As it was important to keep as close to the
wind as possible, that we might be sure of weathering the Stags, we
could not run down to speak the Dolphin. Papa, however, felt sure that
Uncle Tom would also keep as close to the wind as he could, with the
same object in view.

We had by this time gone about, and were heading up towards the port we
wished to reach. Papa judged that we were already near Mount's Bay.
Dick had thrown himself down on deck, completely overcome. I was
standing by him, urging him to get up and go below, when what was my
dismay to see towering above us the dark hull and wide-spreading canvas
of a large ship.

"Steady! keep her as she goes!" papa shouted out. Had we attempted to
keep away, the stranger must have struck us on our quarter. Had we
luffed up, she would have run completely over us, and we should have
been carried to the bottom. I fully expected even then that such would
be the case.

"Run forward, my lads!" he shouted out to Dick and me and the crew,
while he himself seized the helm, making the helmsman throw himself flat
on his back. All was the work of a moment. In another instant I heard
a crashing and rending. Our boat was knocked to fragments, and the
davits carried away. I saw the bowsprit sweeping across our deck,
tearing the mainsail as it did so, and carrying away back-stays and
other rigging.

Dick was shouting out, "What has happened? What are we going to do?"

"I hope to get rid of this craft!" cried Captain Truck, who having
seized an axe, followed by the rest of the crew, was cutting away at the
stranger's bowsprit rigging.

Happily, our gaff stood, although our topmast was carried away by her
foreyard-arm, and came down with a crash on deck, papa narrowly escaping
being struck. The next instant we were free.

"You'll be on shore in a quarter of an hour if you steer your present
course!" shouted papa. "Steer to the south-east."

"Ay, ay! Thank you," came from the ship; "sorry to have run you down,
but you've returned good for evil."

"I pray that I may always do so!" answered papa; and the next instant
the stranger was lost to sight in the th