er came back."

The old man thus continued giving scraps of his family history, till the
gloom of evening gave way to the darkness of night. His chief regret at
being out so late was that his old woman would be looking for him, as he
had told her that he expected to be home earlier than usual. The darker
it grew the less talkative, however, he became; indeed, all his
attention was taken up in steering, for with the darkness the wind and
sea increased, till the boat could hardly look up to it. At last Harry
and David began to suspect that though they had escaped from the rock,
they were in no small danger of being swamped, and thus, after all,
losing their lives. Every now and then a heavy sea broke into the boat
and half filled her. Still the boy Tristram said nothing, but turning
round took a bailer from under the thwart, and began energetically
bailing away. Harry and David did the same with their hats, till old
Jefferies handed them a bucket, with which they more rapidly cleared the
boat. They had to be quick about it, for scarcely was she free of water
than another sea came in and again half filled her. It seemed also
pretty evident to them that instead of going to windward she was making
leeway, though, as the tide was still running to the eastward, she was
going in that direction. The two boys were feeling thoroughly chilled
and uncomfortable; they were, of course, wet to the skin, and the wind
was strong and keen, and even when they sat down, by the old man's
advice, in the bottom of the boat, their legs were in water. Still they
kept up their spirits, and when the water washed into the boat they were
glad to jump up and bail it out again. Besides that they were in danger
of being swamped, it appeared to the midshipman and his friend that
there was a great risk of being run down. Already two or three
phantom-like forms had suddenly appeared out of the darkness, and
gliding by were soon lost to sight.

The boy, however, had made no remark about them; suddenly he shouted,
"Grandfather, a sail on the weather-bow."

"About, then," cried the old man. Harry and David looked out, and saw,
almost ahead of them, towering to the skies it seemed, a dark pyramid of
canvas.

"She is a big ship running down channel," said Harry. "She will be over
us! she will be over us!" The boat was at that moment in stays, going
about. Scarcely had he spoken, when there was a loud crack. The mast
went by the board, and