o!" he answered.

"But such fearful noises, such hideous sights."

"Be brave, young maid," he urged. "Where is your father?"

"His shoulder is injured, and his left arm is almost useless."

At this moment Mr. Holmes came along, holding his injured arm with his
right hand.

"Aye, my friend, the worst is coming," he said, fixing his despairing
eyes on the white face of his daughter. "I am pleased to find you
together, for now I can say what I would to both of you. Blanche, he
hath promised to care for you; he is a man of honor, rely on him."

A sudden lurch of the vessel sent all three in a heap at one side of the
cabin, and, as soon as John could regain his feet and ascertain that the
old gentleman and his daughter had sustained no injury, he went on deck.
At about eleven o'clock, they could plainly distinguish a dreadful
roaring noise resembling that of waves rolling against the rocks; but
the darkness of the day and the accompanying rain made it impossible to
see for any distance, and John realized that, if they were near rocks,
they might be dashed to pieces on them before they were perceived. At
twelve o'clock, however, the weather cleared a little, when they
discovered breakers and reefs outside, so that it was evident they had
passed in quite close to them, and were now fairly hemmed in between the
rocks and the land.

At this very critical moment, the captain adopted the dangerous
expedient of dropping anchor, to bring the ship up with her head to the
sea. Any seaman of common sense and not frightened out of his wits must
have known that no ship could ride at anchor in that storm. John
Stevens, though no sailor, saw the folly of such a course and
expostulated with the captain, but to no purpose. Scarcely had the
anchor taken firm hold when an enormous sea, rolling over the ship,
overwhelmed her and filled her with water, and every one on board
concluded that she was sinking. On the instant a sailor, with presence
of mind worthy of an English mariner, took an axe, ran forward and cut
the cable.

The freed vessel again floated and made an effort to right herself, but
she was almost completely waterlogged and heeled to larboard so much
that the gunwale lay under water. They then endeavored to steer as fast
as they could for land, which they knew could not be at any great
distance, though through the hazy weather they were unable to see it.
The foresail was loosened, and, by great efforts in bailing, she righ