t to
escape the relentless wind, so well aided by the clutching billows from
below that leaped up to engulf the vessel when they themselves were not
absolutely flattened to the surface of the water, as they were
sometimes, by the force of the hurricane.

The scene was literally awful!

The next moment all was darkness again; with the night black as Erebus,
and Mr Meldrum unable, as the mate had said, to see his hand before his
face.

Captain Dinks, however, had noted his arrival on deck; and approached
him without being seen.

"I advise you to go below, Mr Meldrum," said he, "you can do no good
here, nor any of us, indeed, until morning, when I hope we'll have
better weather. It's a terrible night, the worst I have ever seen at
sea in all my time!"

"Aye, terrible," replied the other, shouting in the ear of the captain,
but, as he was facing the wind, his voice seemed to the latter only like
a whisper. "I'll take your advice, as I see I could be of no use;
still, if I can be of any service, mind you call me!"

"Aye, aye," said Captain Dinks, "you go down and go to sleep. We are
all in God's hands now, though I'll do all that man can--good night!"

"Good night," said Mr Meldrum; and he then went below again to give
what report he could to Kate, who was waiting anxiously for his expected
reappearance, as he had said he should not be gone long when he left
her.

She had been certain the ship was in great danger; and she now read the
confirmation of her worst fears in her father's face.

"Oh, papa!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms round his neck as soon as
he came down the companion, without waiting to hear a word from him. "I
thought so, I thought so!"

"Hush, my child!" said he soothingly, leading her towards her state-room
and opening the door, "go in to your cabin and pray!"

And thus the weary night passed away.

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

IN UNKNOWN LATITUDES.

When daylight came, through the exertions of Ben Boltrope, the
carpenter, and a couple of the crew sent to aid him, the cuddy offered a
more presentable appearance than it had done just immediately after the
midnight scare; for, the table and seats were fixed back in their
original positions, the debris cleared away, and a portion of the
skylight restored--all of which so brightened up the interior that what
had passed but a few hours before seemed but a dream, at first, to those
of the passengers who turned out early. The continuous sustaine