sailors would consider much of a sea; but it
must be remembered that, although it was off shore, the bay which they
were crossing extended far inland, so that the gale had a wide sweep of
water to act upon before it reached them. Besides this, as has already
been explained, canoes are not like boats. Their timbers are weak, the
bark of which they are made is thin, the gum which makes their seams
tight is easily knocked off in cold water, and, in short, they cannot
face a sea on which a boat might ride like a sea-gull.

For a considerable time the men strained every nerve to gain the
wished-for point of land, but with so little success that it became
evident they would never reach it. The men began to show signs of
flagging, and cast uneasy glances towards Stanley, as if they had lost
all hope of accomplishing their object, and waited for him to suggest
what they should do. Poor Mrs Stanley sat holding on to the gunwale
with one hand and clasping Edith round the waist with the other, as she
gazed wistfully towards the cape ahead, which was now almost lost to
view under the shadow of a dark cloud that rolled towards them like a
black pall laden with destruction.

"God help us!" murmured Stanley, in an undertone, as he scanned the
seaward horizon, which was covered with leaden clouds and streaks of
lurid light, beneath which the foaming sea leaped furiously.

"Call upon Me in the time of trouble, and I will deliver thee," said
Mrs Stanley, who overheard the exclamation.

Stanley either heard her not or his mind was too deeply concentrated on
the critical nature of their position to make any reply. As she buried
her face in her hands, Edith threw her trembling arms round her mother
and hid her face in her bosom. Even Chimo seemed to understand their
danger, for he crept closer to the side of his young mistress and whined
in a low tone, as if in sympathy. The waves had now increased to such a
degree that it required two of the men to bail incessantly in order to
prevent their being swamped, and as Stanley cast a hurried glance at the
other canoes, which were not far off, he observed that it was as much as
they could do to keep afloat. "Could we not run back, Massan?" asked
Stanley, in despair.

"Unposs'ble, sir," replied the guide, whose voice was almost drowned by
the whistling of the wind. "We're more nor half-way over, an' it would
only blow us farther out to sea if we was to try."

While the guide spoke,