club-haul the ship. See the cable clear for running."

"Very good, sir," cried the Frenchman, summoning the hardiest hands and
the most skilful to carry out his commander's orders.

"Ready it is, sir," answered Hornigold, tightening his grasp on the
spokes and nodding his head to his superior.

"To the braces, lads! Obey orders sharply. It's our last chance."

The water was roaring and smashing against the shore not a cable's
length away. Usually in those latitudes it deepened tremendously a short
distance from the low water mark, and there was a grave question whether
or not the anchor, with the scope they could give it, would reach
bottom. At any rate it must be tried, and tried now. Morgan had held on
as long as he dared. Another minute and they would strike.

"Down helm!" he shouted. "Flow the head sheets! Round in on the fore
braces, there! Show that canvas aft!"

The lateen sail on the crossjack yard had been furled, and Morgan, to
force her head around, directed the after guard to spring into the
mizzen-rigging with a bit of tarpaulin and by exposing it and their
bodies to the wind to act as a sail in assisting her to head away from
the shore.

"Helm-a-lee! Hard-a-lee!" cried Hornigold, who with his men was grasping
the spokes like a giant.

Slowly the old galleon swung up into the wind, the waves beating upon
her bows with a noise like crashes of thunder. A moment she hung. She
could go no farther.

"She's in irons! Swing that yard!" roared Morgan. "Cut and veer away
forward!"

There was a splash as the anchor dropped overboard.

"Hands on that hawser!" he shouted. "Everybody walk away with it!"

The whole crew apparently piled on to the anchor hawser in the hope of
pulling the ship's stern around so that the wind would take her on the
other bow. She was still hanging in the wind and driving straight on
shore.

"Haul away, for God's sake!" cried Morgan; but the hawser came in board
through their hands with a readiness and ease that showed the anchor had
not taken the ground. The drag of the cable to the anchor, however, and
the still unspent impetus of the first swing, turned the galleon's stern
slightly to windward. Her head began slowly to fall off.

"She stays! She makes it!" cried the captain. "Meet her with the helm!
Let go and haul! Cut away the hawser!"

It had been a tremendous feat of seamanship and bade fair to be
successful. It was yet touch and go, however, and the breakers were
pe