ustomer, sir, and it will soon be necessary
to shorten sail."

This remark, made in the most respectful manner, roused the captain's
ire. He chose to consider it an unauthorized and impertinent
interference on the part of the petty officer; the squall, as well as
the boatswain, was denounced in language not often heard in a drawing
room, and both were consigned to a hotter place than the craters of
Mauna Loa.

The clouds spread over the zenith, the thunder rattled as if it would
rend the welkin, the wind began to blow in short-lived puffs, as if
making preparations for a regular "blowout;" the men were stationed at
the halliards, fore and aft, waiting with intense anxiety the result,
and the captain was pacing the quarter-deck, looking as savage as a
hungry bull-dog, and determined to show that he was not to be frightened
by squibs, but would carry sail in spite of the squall.

At that time we were under courses, topsails, top-gallant-sails, and
a main-royal; our fore-royal mast was snugly stowed alongside the
long-boat on deck, where, at that tempestuous season, the main one
should also have been. The order at length was given, "Clew up the
main-royal! Let a hand go aloft and furl it."

The sail was clewed up, and in a few seconds I was clinging to the
sliding gunter royal mast, and gathering in the canvas, while
the captain was denouncing me for a lubber, for not accomplishing
impossibilities. The lightning was flashing around ne, and the peals of
thunder were deafening; the rain was beginning to fall, and the wind to
blow with alarming violence, before I could spill the sail and pass the
gaskets. Suddenly I heard a tumultuous noise as of the roar of angry
breakers. I cast my eye to windward, and beheld the whole surface of the
sea covered with a sheet of snow-white foam. At the same moment I heard
the voice of the captain, who was now really alarmed, in a tone which
could be heard above the roar of the hurricane, shouting, with frantic
energy, "Hard up your helm! Hard up, I say. Let go all the halliards,
fore and aft! Haul up the mainsail! Lower away that try-sail! Clew down
the top-gallant sails! Why don't you put the helm hard up?"

I was sensible of the danger of my situation, standing on "the hounds"
of the top-gallant mast, and almost within reach of the truck, while
the brig, with all sail set, was exposed to the fury of this terrible
thunder gust. Obeying an irresistible impulse to take care of "number
o