d, when the
mate, seeing a rope foul, ordered him to clear it. Jim performed his
duty, but instead of coming down as he ought to have done, remained
seated on the foreyard, holding on by the lift to get accustomed to the
violent motion, in which he seemed to take a pleasure. The mate, not
observing this, came aft to speak to the captain, who shortly
afterwards, finding that the brig was falling off from the wind, which
had before been baffling, having shifted ahead, ordered her to be put
about.

"Down with the helm," cried the captain.

I saw the men hauling at the braces, when, looking up, I caught sight of
Jim at the yardarm. I shrieked out with terror, expecting that the next
instant, as the yardarm swung round, he would be dashed to pieces on the
deck, or hove off into the raging sea. The kind-hearted mate,
recollecting him, came rushing forward, also believing that his
destruction was certain, unless he could be caught as he fell. My heart
beat, and my eyes were fixed on my friend as if they would start out of
my head I wildly stretched out my hands, yet I felt that I could do
nothing to save him, when he made a desperate spring, and catching hold
of the backstay, came gliding down by it on deck as if nothing
particular had happened, scarcely conscious, indeed, of the fearful
danger he had escaped. The mate rated him in stronger language than he
generally used for his carelessness, winding up by asking:

"Where do you think you would have been, boy, if you hadn't have jumped
when you did or had missed your aim?"

"Praise God for His great mercy to thee, laddie, and may thou never
forget it all the days of thy life," said the old captain, who had
beckoned Jim aft to speak to him.

Jim, touching his hat, answered, "Ay, ay, sir!" but he was, perhaps,
less aware of the danger he had been in than any one on board.

The gale increased; several heavy seas struck the old brig, making her
quiver from stem to stern, and at last one heavier than the rest
breaking on board, carried the starboard bulwarks forward clean away.
Some of the men were below; Jim and I and others were aft, and the rest,
though half-drowned, managed to secure themselves. To avoid the risk of
another sea striking her in the same fashion, the brig was hove-to under
a close-reefed fore-topsail. As we had plenty of sea room, and the brig
was tight as a bottle, so the mate affirmed, there was no danger; still,
I for one heartily wished that t