getting the
wind more a-beam, plunged deeper than ever into the huge waves.

"The other way, you confounded fool!" roared Frank, as he let go of the
jib sheet.

The bewildered helmsman obeyed this order; but the movement had been so
long delayed that the whole crew could hear the roar of the breakers
ahead of the yacht. With the assistance of his companions Tom put the
helm hard-a-lee, and the Flyaway came up into the wind.

But Frank had made a greater blunder, if possible, than the confused
skipper; for when he had cast off the jib sheet, long before he should
have done so, the sail had blown out as far as it could, carrying the
end of the sheet with it.

My young and non-nautical readers must not suppose that a sheet is a
sail; it is a rope. The jib-sheet is the rope attached to the lower part
of the sail, by which it is hauled in or let out, as occasion may
require. On the Flyaway this rope ran through a double block, or tackle.
The sail was now slapping and banging in the fresh wind, so that Frank
could not get hold of it; for the heavy block threatened to knock his
brains out, as it thrashed in every direction.

In consequence of this blunder, when the yacht came up into the wind,
and there was no jib to help her round, she fell off, lost her headway,
and drifted helplessly towards the rocks. Tom was appalled at the danger
that menaced them, and gave all sorts of orders; but none of them were
heeded by the panic-stricken crew.

"Draw the slide, and call up Paul," gasped the disheartened skipper; and
his order was understood and instantly obeyed.

CHAPTER XIX.

PAUL TAKES COMMAND OF THE FLYAWAY.

"Help us, Paul, if you can," cried Tom, as the prisoners rushed up the
ladder. "You take the helm, Dick."

"Me!" exclaimed the steward. "I don't know no more about handling a
vessel than I do about making a watch. Paul must help you."

"Forgive me, Paul, for shutting you up down there, and get us out of
this scrape if you can."

At this moment the keel of the Flyaway grazed upon a rock, and then
bumped heavily as she sank down with the sea.

"We are lost! We shall all be drowned!" exclaimed Frank Thompson.

Paul's quick eye instantly measured the peril that menaced the Flyaway,
and though she continued to thump and grind on the rocks at the bottom,
he did not lose all hope of saving her. The first thing was to secure
the jib sheet. Seizing the guy rope which was used to haul out the main
boom, he