out his keen broad-bladed knife he
thrust it into Brook's hand, and tapping the lanyards of the mizen
rigging roared in his ear the one word "Cut."

Then without pausing another instant he proceeded as rapidly as he could
forward, much impeded by the continuous blinding shower of spindrift
which swept across the vessel, and compelled to cling with all his
strength to whatever he laid hold of in his progress, in order to escape
being literally blown away.

Meanwhile Brook, who now showed that he was made of far better stuff
than anyone had hitherto suspected, began without a moment's delay to
vigorously attack the rigid and tightly strained lanyards of the weather
mizen rigging, being speedily joined by Bob, who turned Blanche over to
Rex Fortescue's care the moment he saw that he could be of use.
Steadily and rapidly they hacked and notched away at the hard rope,
working literally for their lives, for it was now no longer possible to
doubt that the _Galatea_ was slowly but surely capsizing. The upturned
side which supported them was becoming every moment more nearly
horizontal, the lee yard-arms were steadily burying themselves deeper
and deeper in the water, and it became apparent that unless relieved,
another minute would see the ship bottom-up. Mr Bowles, meanwhile, was
out of sight forward, hidden by the gloom and the cloud of spindrift.

At last one of the lanyards was severed by the keen blade in Brook's
hand. The others attached to the same shroud immediately began to
render through the deadeye, throwing an extra strain upon the lanyards
of the other shrouds, one of which immediately parted under Bob's knife;
then _twang, twang, twang_, one after the other, they rapidly yielded,
until, as the last lanyard parted, _crash_ went the mizen-mast short off
by the deck and away to leeward, carrying away the saloon skylight as it
went.

A perceptible shock was felt as the mast went over the side, and every
one watched anxiously to see what the effect would be. The
disappointment was extreme when it was seen that the relief was not
sufficient to enable the ship to recover herself; she still lay down
upon her side, and though she now no longer threatened momentarily to
capsize, she neither righted nor paid off.

The chief mate now reappeared upon the poop, having by this time
mustered a gang of men, whom he had left clinging to the main-rigging,
thinking it not unlikely the main-mast would also have to go.

By