ye.

Down came the squall, darker and more furious than before. Not another
shot was fired. Paul and his people had enough to do in shortening sail
and getting their craft into a condition to meet the rising gale. Their
strength, too, had been reduced in the action. The poor Dutchman was
severely wounded, though, like a brave fellow, he insisted on keeping
the deck, and so was one of the _Gannet's_ men.

With the next squall down came a thick pour of rain.

"Where is the enemy?" suddenly exclaimed True Blue, looking aft.

Paul turned his eyes in the same direction. "We cannot have run her out
of sight in so short a time," he answered gravely; "it's my belief that
she this instant has foundered, and all on board have become food for
the sharks."

"But ought we not to go about and see if any are afloat?" asked True
Blue. "We might pick up some of the poor wretches."

"Not the smallest use," answered Paul firmly. "If she foundered, she
went down too quickly to give any one a chance of escaping. We must
just now look after ourselves; this craft is very cranky, I see."

No one would have been more ready than Paul to help his
fellow-creatures, whatever the risk to himself, had he seen that there
was the slightest prospect of doing so effectually.

For the remainder of the day the prize stood on close-hauled, nearly up
to her proper course; but as the evening advanced, she fell off more to
the westward, while the sea increased more and more, as did the violence
of the squalls, while the thunder rolled, and vivid flashes of lightning
darted from the dark skies.

The night drew on. True Blue, with Tom, Harry, Tim, and the Dane, had
the first watch; Paul, with the rest of the crew, was to keep the middle
watch. Though tough enough, he was pretty well worn out with the
exertions he had gone through; so he went below, charging True Blue to
call him should anything particular occur. His cabin was on the
starboard side; and in the main cabin was a table with a swing light
above it, and also a compass light in the cabin binnacle.

True Blue with Tom walked the deck for some time, watching each change
of the weather; Fid had the helm, Harry was on the lookout forward,
while the Dane sat silent on a gun under the weather bulwarks. The rest
of the crew were asleep below forward.

The weather, as the night advanced, grew worse and worse.

"Tom, I think we ought to bring the schooner to," said True Blue at
last; "