athering gloom, in the faint hope that even yet we might catch
sight of one or both of the missing men, and be able to do something to
save them; but we never saw either of them again.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

IN DIRE EXTREMITY.

The sudden loss of these two men was not only a terrible shock to us
all, it was also a cruel misfortune; for, exclusive of Sir Edgar, it
left only four of us to handle the ship. It is true that we were now as
snug as it was possible to be, and in a condition to face almost
anything that might befall us in the shape of weather; but when it again
came to a question of making sail, or, still worse, being obliged to
once more shorten sail, perhaps in a hurry, there would be a good deal
of heavy labour, all to be done by four, or at most five men. It was,
however, one of those deplorable accidents that are incidental to the
life of a seaman; and, having in the mean time done all that was
possible for the safety of the ship, it was useless to meet our troubles
half way, and I therefore arranged that during the continuance of the
gale, while there would be really nothing to do but to keep an eye upon
the ship, the regular watches should be taken by the four of us in
rotation, one at a time, which would thus allow the others plenty of
time for rest against the moment when the utmost exertions of all would
be once more demanded.

It was now drawing on toward six o'clock, and the aspect of the coming
night was very threatening. The sky was completely overspread with a
vast unbroken curtain of inky cloud, torn and shredded into a countless
host of ragged, fantastic shapes that came rushing up from the northward
and westward at headlong speed before the breath of the raving gale,
while the air was thick and salt with the ceaseless pelting of the brine
torn from the wave-crests, and swept along in a drenching, pitiless rain
by the mad fury of the wind. The sea was rising fast, and already
presented a formidable and threatening aspect as the towering liquid
hills swept successively down upon the ship, froth-laced, and each
capped by a hissing, roaring crest of milky foam that reared itself
nearly to the height of our foretop over the weather-bow--so steep was
it--ere the barque rose to and surmounted it in a smothering deluge of
spray. Yet we were doing well; for although, under the tremendous
pressure of the wind upon her two close-reefed topsails, the ship was
heeled to her covering-board, while i