tion to this order, so he laid
his head on a fold of the wet sail, and almost immediately fell asleep.

Gaff was right in his expectation of more wind. About two hours after
sunset it came on to blow so stiffly that he was obliged to awaken Billy
and set him to bale out the sprays that kept constantly washing over the
gunwale. Towards midnight a gale was blowing, and Gaff put the boat
before the wind, and drove with it.

Hour after hour passed away; still there was no abatement in the
violence of the storm, and no relaxation from baling and steering, which
the father and son took alternately every half hour.

At last Billy's strength was fairly exhausted. He flung down the
baling-dish, and, sitting down beside his father, laid his head on his
breast, and burst into tears. The weakness, (for such Billy deemed it),
only lasted a few moments however. He soon repressed his sobs.

"My poor boy," said Gaff, patting his son's head, "it'll be soon over
wi' us, I fear. May the good Lord help us! The boat can't float long
wi' such sprays washin' over her."

Billy said nothing, but clung closer to his father, while his heart was
filled with solemn, rather than fearful, thoughts of death.

Their danger of swamping now became so imminent that Gaff endeavoured to
prepare his mind to face the last struggle manfully. He was naturally
courageous, and in the heat of action or of battle could have faced
death with a smile and an unblanched cheek; but he found it much more
difficult to sit calmly in the stern of that little boat hour after
hour, and await the blow that seemed inevitable. He felt a wild, almost
irresistible, desire to leap up and vent his feelings in action of some
kind, but this was not possible, for it required careful attention to
the helm to prevent the little craft from broaching-to and upsetting.
In his extremity he raised his heart to God in prayer.

While he was thus engaged the roar of the storm increased to such a
degree that both father and son started up in expectation of
instantaneous destruction. A vivid flash of lightning glared over the
angry sea at the moment, and revealed to their horrified gaze a reef of
rocks close ahead, on which the waves were breaking with the utmost
fury. Instant darkness followed the flash, and a deafening peal of
thunder joined in the roar of breakers, intensifying, if possible, the
terrors of the situation.

Gaff knew now that the crisis had certainly arrived, a