but the result was a
sudden and extensive reduction of canvas; and not a moment too soon, for
the operation had scarcely been completed when the squall struck the
ship, almost capsized her, and sent her careering over the billows "like
a thing of life."

This was the first of a succession of squalls, or gales, which blew the
_Water Wagtail_ far out upon the Atlantic Ocean, stove in her bulwarks,
carried away her bowsprit and foretopmast, damaged her skylights,
strained her rudder, and cleared her decks of loose hamper.

After many days the weather moderated a little and cleared up, enabling
Master Trench to repair damages and shape his course for Norway. But
the easterly gales returned with increased violence, undid all the
repairs, carried away the compass, and compelled these ancient mariners
to run westward under bare poles--little better than a wreck for winds
and waves to play with.

In these adverse circumstances the skipper did what too many men are apt
to do in their day of sorrow--he sought comfort in the bottle.

Love of strong drink was Master Trench's weakest point. It was one of
the few points on which he and his friend Burns disagreed.

"Now, my dear man," said Paul, seating himself one evening at the cabin
table and laying his hand impressively on his friend's arm, "do let me
lock up this bottle. You can't navigate the ship, you know, when you've
got so much of that stuff under your belt."

"O yes, I can," said the skipper, with an imbecile smile, for his friend
had a winning way with him that conciliated even while he rebuked.
"Don't you fear, Paul, I--I'm all right!"

The half-offended idiotic expression of the man's face was intensely
ludicrous, but Paul could not see the ludicrous at that time. He only
saw his usually sedate, manly, generous friend reduced to a state of
imbecility.

"Come, now, Master Trench," he said persuasively, taking hold of the
case-bottle, "let me put it away."

"N-no, I won't" said the captain sharply, for he was short of temper.

The persuasive look on Paul's face suddenly vanished. He rose, grasped
the bottle firmly, went to the open hatch, and sent it whizzing up into
the air with such force that it went far over the stern of the ship and
dropped into the sea, to the unutterable amazement of the man at the
helm, who observed the bottle's unaccountable flight with an expression
of visage all his own.

There is no accounting for the rapid transitions of thou