"I am not disposed to dispute the truth of your remark," said Desmond;
"I only wish the sea would get quiet, and let us glide comfortably over
it, instead of kicking up such a disturbance."

While the midshipmen were speaking, the ship had continued her uneasy
course, slowly rising to the summit of a huge billow and then gliding
down into the deep trough.

Suddenly a loud roar was heard, and it seemed as if some mighty monster
of the deep had struck a prodigious blow on the side of the ship. Over
she heeled until the water rushed in at her lee ports.

"Up with the helm. Furl the main-topsail. Take another reef in the
fore-topsail. We must run before it," cried the commander, hoping to
steer clear of any islands or reefs which might be ahead.

The ship quickly rose to an even keel, and dashed forward amid the
foaming seas, rolling, however, even more violently than before. So
rapidly did the waves follow, that many struck her stern; not, however,
before her dead lights had been closed. So tremendous were some of the
blows, that it seemed as if her masts would be shaken out of her. The
doctor and purser, who were sitting in the gun room, were thrown off
their seats sprawling under the table, fully believing that the ship had
struck a rock, and that all hands would soon be struggling for their
lives.

As soon as things could be got to rights, Tom helped Desmond below, and
he was glad enough to again turn into his hammock, which he had before
been so anxious to quit.

"Shure we have got Harry Cane aboard of us, Mr Rogers," observed Tim
Nolan, who was in Tom's watch, and took the liberty of an old shipmate
to address his officer with a freedom on which others would not have
ventured. They were both stationed together on the forecastle, looking
out ahead.

"I wish that the gentleman would be good enough to take himself off,
then," answered Tom, "or he may be playing us a scurvy trick, by sending
our craft on some of the ugly reefs which abound hereabouts."

"We'll be after keeping a bright look-out for that, sir," said Tim.

"We may be on a reef before we can see it," observed Tom. "For my part,
if I did not believe that Providence was steering us, I should not be at
all comfortable."

The ship continued to drive on before the gale. The second lieutenant
came forward, but he had to confess that his eyes were of little value
to pierce the dark gloom ahead. The foam-crested waves could alone be
seen, r