n this rough heap of logs, which lifted
above the rails. They were hard to walk on in a perfectly smooth sea,
and with the way the El Dorado rolled and pitched, we could hardly
keep from being thrown into the ocean.

"This second day of the big storm, with the wind from the northeast,
the El Dorado began to leak badly again. All hands took spells at the
pumps. We were at work every minute. We left the ropes for the pumps
and the pumps for the ropes. We double-reefed the mizzen, and in the
wind this was a terrible job. It nearly killed us. At eight o'clock
to-night we could not see five feet ahead of us. It was black as hell,
and the schooner rolled fearfully. The deck-load then shifted eight
inches to starboard. This made a list that frightened us. We were all
soaking wet now for days. The after-house separated from the main-deck,
and the water became six feet deep in the cabin.

"We had no sun at all during the day, and at midnight a hurricane
came out of the dark. All night we were pulling and hauling, running
along the great logs in danger always of being washed away. We had to
lash the lumber, tightening the chains, and trying to stop the logs
from smashing the ship to pieces. It did not seem that we could get
through the night.

"This is Friday. When a little of daylight came, we saw that everything
was awash. The sea was white as snow, all foam and spindrift. It
did not seem that we could last much longer. The small boat that
had been hanging over the stern was gone. It had been smashed by the
combers. We should have had it inboard, and the mate was to blame. Now
we took the other boat, the only one left, and lashed it upright to
the spanker-stays. In this way it was above the logs and had a chance
to remain unbroken.

"We sounded the well, and the captain ordered us again to the
pumps. These were on deck between the logs, which were crashing
about. We couldn't work the pumps, as there was seven feet of water
in there on deck. The second mate spoke to the captain that it would
be best to start the steam pump. The smokestack and the rest of the
steam fittings were under the fo'c's'le head. It took a long time
to get them out, and then the steam pump would not work. The water
gained on us all the time now, and the captain ordered us to throw
the deck-load overboard. We were nearly dead, we were so tired and
sleepy and sore. This morning, the cook served coffee and bread when
daylight came at six o'clock. That w