d off and pulled towards the bar. I watched her very
anxiously; now she rose to the top of a roller, now she was hidden by
the following one. Every instant I expected her to disappear
altogether. I couldn't help thinking of what old Tom had said to me.
Some time passed, when the captain ordered the helm to be put up, and
the brig was headed towards the bar. He had been looking with his
glass, and declared he had seen the mate's signal to stand in. The wind
by this time had moderated. The brig was only under her topsails and
main-sail, and I began to wonder at the mate's apprehensions. We had
not stood on long when I saw the boat to the northward of us, much
nearer the breakers than we were. She seemed to be carried by beyond
the control of those in her. A strong current had caught hold of her.
Presently she passed, not a pistol shot from us. The three men were
shouting and shrieking for aid; old Tom was in the bows, sitting
perfectly still; I could even distinguish the countenance of the mate,
as he turned it with a reproachful glance, so it seemed to me, towards
the captain. Beyond her appeared a high wall of hissing, foaming
breakers, towards which she was driving. The captain seemed scarcely to
notice the unfortunate men; indeed his attention was occupied with
attending to the brig, our position being extremely critical. I
couldn't take my eyes off the boat. Would she be able even yet to stem
the current and get back into smooth water? Suddenly, however, it
seemed as if the wall of foaming breakers came right down upon her, and
she disappeared amidst them. A cry of horror escaped me. "We may be no
better off ere long," I heard one of the men exclaim. He had scarcely
spoken when the brig struck, and the foaming waters leaped up on either
side, as if about to break on board. Another sea came roaring on, and
she again moved forward. Again and again the brig struck, and at last
seemed fixed.

Darkness was coming on, the foaming waters roared around us, frequently
breaking on board, and we had to hold on to escape being washed away.
The hatches had been battened down, or the vessel would have filled.
She must have been a strong craft, or she could not have held together.
The passengers behaved like brave men, though they evidently thought
that it was the captain's obstinacy which had brought them into their
present perilous position.

Hour after hour passed by, with no object discernible beyond the fo