th his curiosity unslackened;
"I'm durned if I don't go up myself and see: people must rise pretty
airly o' mornin's to take a rise out of this old hoss!"

A roll of the ship, however, coming as soon as he had risen from his
seat, settled his inquisitiveness. "I guess I'd better bide har," he
murmured to himself, uttering his thoughts aloud. "This air vessel's a
durned sight too skittish on her footing to please me, an' that air
ramshackly arm o' mine might git squoze agin if I went on deck! No, I
guess I'll bide har in the land of Gilead--Steward!" he added, raising
his voice.

"Yes, sir," answered Llewellyn, coming out of his pantry.

"Hev you got any coffee or tea fixins?"

"No, sir, that lazy nigger Snowball says he can't light the galley
fire."

"Does he? I'd make him smell fire if I'd got him out on the plantation
whar I was riz! Then, bring me a glass of brandy and water, and make it
stiff: I allers go in fur temperance drinks when I can get them, that is
before sundown; but if I'm obleeged to take pizen, why, I likes it
strong!"

When Mr Meldrum gained the deck, in company with the captain, he found
the wind still blowing with terrific force and a dangerous sea on,
although as the gale had not shifted during the last hour from the
north-west, to which quarter it had finally veered, there was some hope
that they had escaped from the worst of the cyclone and were now being
hurried along its outside edge. In one of the last onslaughts of the
wind, however, the mainyard truss had been carried away, and the yard
swung so violently to and fro after snapping the braces like pack-thread
that it seemed as if the main-mast would go; but, fortunately, in one of
its mad gyrations, as it moved about like the arms of a semaphore, the
yard-arm had caught in the standing rigging on the starboard side,
where, through the gallant exertions of Frank Harness and the Norwegian
sailor, who performed the task at the peril of their lives, it was
firmly lashed and secured from doing further mischief. This operation
eased the ship considerably, and certainly saved the masts.

The worst piece of news that the captain had to tell Mr Meldrum was
with reference to the manner in which the ship was leaking.

"We had four feet water in her when the carpenter sounded the well at
six bells," said Captain Dinks; "and after rigging the pumps we reduced
it considerably; but since then, she has made nearly two feet again--all
clear a