wo. Even the master thought that the weather was
improving. The watch below was ordered to turn in and some of the
officers went to their berths.

It had just gone two bells in the morning watch, when a sound like a
thunder-clap was heard, and Gerald, who was in his hammock, was nearly
thrown out of it. He felt the ship heeling over to starboard. He and
all those below, slipping into their trousers, sprang on deck. The ship
was on her beam-ends, the water washing half-way up to the coamings of
the hatchways.

"Hard up with the helm! let fly the main and mizen-topsail sheets!"
cried the commander; but the ship did not rise or answer the helm. "Cut
away the mizen-mast!" he shouted; and the carpenter and boatswain, armed
with axes, came aft, and while some of the men severed the rigging, a
few blows served to send the mast, with its spars and fluttering sails,
over the side. At the same moment the mainmast, which must already have
been sprung when the hurricane struck the ship, fell after it, and the
seamen immediately commenced hacking away at the rigging to clear the
wreck. The ship thus relieved, rose to an even keel, and now feeling
the power of the helm, away she flew before the gale.

The master hurried to the binnacle. The wind had happily shifted to the
westward, and though blowing with far greater fury than before, the ship
was in less peril than she would have been had it continued in its
former quarter. The yards were now squared and preventer backstays set
up, and the carpenter, having examined the mast, reported that it was
secure. The hands were sent to close-reef the fore-topsail; but even
though thus reduced, it was as much sail as the ship could carry. On
she flew, free from the wreck of both the masts, which it was impossible
to secure. Every effort was made to secure the remaining mast, on which
so much depended. Some spare spars still remained, with which, when the
weather moderated, jury-masts could be rigged; but with the heavy sea
now running, nothing could be done. The wind kept veering about,
sometimes to the southward and west, at others getting back to the
north-west.

"Provided it does not shift to the northward, we shall have room to run
on till it blows itself out," observed the master. But there was no
security that it would hold in the most favourable quarter.

The hurricane blew harder and harder--for such it might almost be
considered, though not one of those fearful s