"Why don't you go below, sir?" shouted Terrill, placing his trumpet
close to the professor's head.

"I can't move," replied he.

"Mr. Gage will help you," added the lieutenant.

The carpenter assisted Mr. Hamblin to the companion-way, while the
boatswain had succeeded in rolling Mr. Stoute up to the same point. The
doors were opened, and the head steward helped them down the ladder.

"All ready!" shouted Captain Kendall, when the favorable moment came for
setting the foresail.

"Let go the brails!" bellowed the executive officer. "Haul out!"

The ready seaman promptly obeyed the order, at the instant when the
vessel, having rolled over as far as her centre of gravity would permit
her to go in the trough of the sea, was poised as it were on a balance,
waiting for the recoil of the wave that was to throw her down on the
weather roll. The close-reefed foresail flew out from the brails, and
began to thresh tremendously in the fierce blast.

"Slack the weather vang!" continued Terrill to the hands who had been
stationed at this rope. "Walk away with the sheet!"

It required a tremendous pull to haul home the sheet of the foresail,
banging furiously in the tempest; but there was force enough to
accomplish it, though not till the vessel had made her weather roll,
which lifted half the line of seamen from their feet. The close-reefed
foresail was trimmed so as to lay the schooner to with her head up to
the sea. The billows were increasing in volume so fearfully that it was
no longer prudent to permit the vessel to roll in the trough of the sea,
where she was in danger of being overwhelmed by the combing waves.

"Mind your helm, Blair!" called the first lieutenant, springing aft to
the wheel. "Port a little! Don't let the sail be taken aback!"

The head of the Josephine came up handsomely to the sea, and it was thus
proved that the double-reefed foresail was just the sail for such an
emergency. It was only to be demonstrated whether the sail would be
blown out of the bolt-ropes or not. If it had been an old one, such
would probably have been its fate; but being nearly new, and of the best
material, it stood the strain to the end.

"Mind your eye, Blair!" roared Terrill. "Starboard!"

"Starboard, sir!" replied the quartermaster.

"Touch her up when it comes so heavy," added the lieutenant.

The vessel had fallen off, and took the wind so far on the beam that she
buried her scuppers deep in the waves. The order to "